[Klug-general] Introduction

[Philip Baker]

Hello

I was thinking of moving from another county to Herne Bay and joined the mailing list to see what the Kent LUG was up to.

Having been a Linux user for some years I settled on Debian after v4 mostly because of the ease of installation and all the packages available on the DVDs.

For some time my interest has focused on how Linux and all the free software available out there can benefit those on hard times, those who want to start a small business, improve their knowledge, etc.

There are various ways individuals and self-help groups can legally acquire computers free, install Linux and take advantage of the excellent free applications and utilities: provided they know they exist.

To get a feel for it I have evaluated different programs incuding:

Librecad (QCad earlier) which may be used by those involved with landscape gardening, loft conversions, conservatories, engineering, etc, etc; 

Open Source Point Of Sale (OSPOS) designed for shop checkouts but useful for many types of small business and societies (even shows the figures useful for quarterly VAT returns); 

GnuCash for double entry book-keeping and accounting or personal finances;

Open Molar designed as a dental practice management program by a dentist for dentists, using a PostgreSQL database;

Various barcode generators for use by just about anyone, including logging in with a user ID and password;

GIMP which is superb and generally underrated;   

Handbrake;

Frostwire P2P;

Desktop publishing in four colour press-ready format with embedded fonts;

Audacity for sound editing and file conversion;

All the IDE offerings for programmers and the built in compilers and editors;

Xvidcap for screen recording

The Libre Office suite

...and many others.

One challenge was to check out commercial programs designed for various businesses using other operating systems, list the features, then see if there was a Linux equivalent or if the tasks could be handled at no software cost. Apart from some exceptions such as "It must be AutoCad" it was achievable. Example busineses were a used car firm using the VAT Margin Scheme, an optometry practice, a mobility shop which also installed stairlifts, a social club, a community centre. 

With a bit of guidance a job seeker can do an awful lot to improve their chances at interview by using free software. For example, someone who can't spell too well can use one of a number of programs, some designed for children, to help them along. Similarly with touch typing.

Someone applying for a supermarket checkout job but with no experience can learn a lot about the process from a program such as OSPOS, gain confidence, and up their chances at interview no end. 

The OSPOS program is also an excellent educational game for children. If a parent bought a twenty quid CCD barcode reader and installed the program their child can scan a variety of household products, learn a bit of simple terminology, and learn how to handle change.

One of the delightfully useful fetaures I use a lot is Prt Scrn. In the current Debian release I use Gnome classic and often press the  button to get a snapshot. Very helpful for online applications such as purchases, banking, e-mails, etc. It saves the images in the Pictures folder and they can be renamed later. Legal cases can be won with such simple backups as that.

There is great opportunity there with Linux but too few people know about it.

The best way we can honour the efforts of the developers is to use their products.


Philip Baker