Hello Everyone,
To start I just wanted to say a big Thank You for all that Trisquel and the
Free Software Community archived in the years that passed. I remember that it
was thanks to Ubuntu that I switched from Windows to Gnu/Linux, and now it
was thanks to Trisquel Gnu/Linux that I've switched to an Only Free Software
Distribution.
As I already told in the topic name, I am a student. To be more specific I'm
a Software Engineering Student from Portugal (near Lisbon), and I've lived in
France for 8 Years (so I speak 3 languages which is not bad at all :D).
I've already sent an email to Richard Stallman asking about the same
question, and he gently answered me even knowing that he have a lot of work
to do (and I'm thankful for that). But I wanted the opinion by more Free
Software Users, because it is a big decision that I have to make.
So here it is (I will just copy the exact email I sent, I don't really know
how to say it in other words, I hope my English is not that bad since it is
not my native language).
Hello Mr. Stallman,
I know that you probably are a very busy man, so when you got the time if you
could answer me I will be very thankful. Before starting I just wanted to say
that I am from Portugal so my English may contain some grammatical errors,
excuse me in advance for that.
Quick Story:
In 2004 I had my first computer with internet (before that, only old
computers (mostly Mac found on the garbage) and no internet connection), at
that time I was living in France and not here in Portugal. So when I got my
computer (knowing nothing about computers), I start using Windows XP, and
never found it very appellative ... In the end of 2005 I tried out Ubuntu for
the first time. And I am free of Windows since January of this year (hurray
for myself). I still use some (necessary for my school) proprietary software,
and I really wanted to get ride of those and switch from Arch Linux to a
distribution like gNewSense, or even Parabola but I have problems with my
University because of that, that is why I send this email.
Now that I've probably bored you with my story I can finally start with my
real problem.
I am at the first year of Software Engineer, and for a lot of professores it
was very hard to see a student with only Linux installed, they almost pushed
me to install Windows (even on a Virtual Machine) but I decline and had to
work with the alternatives (not a real problem here, some alternatives where
not as good but it doesn't matter), I had also the same problem with Wrote
Works that needed to be in Doc file (I solved that by only sending on .odt of
.pdf). The real trouble started with Java, but mostly JavaFX, the final
project was in JavaFX so I had to use JavaFX SDK with OpenJDK in order to
make it work (but Oracle now don't have them separate, instead of that it is
necessary to install Oracle JavaSDK 7 to have access to JavaFX and that is a
shame).
That year passed well, but I am really worried about the next 2 years because
of those technologies :
- Adobe Flash (for Multimedia Course)
- C# with Windows Forms (for Programming Course)
- DirectX (They start teaching OpenGL 2 years ago, then they switched to Ogre
and now they are teaching Directx.. Don't know if this will change but
still).
- Oracle and Microsoft SQLServer (Don't really know about the licence of the
first one, but the second one is really bothering me...)
(And I hope I don't forget any)...
I know that alternatives to the software that I listed exist, but they won't
change soon their ideas, and alone I can't do the difference (I've tried
believe me... but when everyone even the students are against you and you
even have difficulties to pay for you studies... you don't have a lot of
chances..).
So my final question is:
What are my rights ? What can I, and what can't I do in order to continue
studying and learning the same as other without having to use those software
(at least on my machines). I already failed to one discipline because I
didn't use a software for UML with the right symbols that they wanted. I have
courses only based on works done with proprietary software (I don't mind to
learn, but to be force to use them is another thing).
So what do you think I should do ? RMS Told me to try to make understand my
opinion and if they don't want to listen then just drop this bad school and
try to find my way with Free Software and with what I really believe, he even
proposed me to put me in contact with people in the free software movement in
Portugal (which would be awesome in my opinion :D).
When I wrote this post I was thinking that maybe someone who will read this
(with a lot of patience since it is a huge text), had the same problem and
found a solution that he/she could share.
I just hope that this long and badly wrote text didn't confused you.
Thanks in Advance for all your help.
Best Regards, (From a Portuguese Student, adept of Gnu/Linux and Free
Software)
