04
Mon, Nov
6 New Articles

Open Source Is Gaining Ground

General
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Recently, I wrote about the open source movement and how it might affect small businesses. (See “Open Source Business Applications, Anyone?” March 2000, MC.) Since that time, I have followed the open source movement, and, because I believe in the concept, I will continue to follow it. This month, I revisit the topic of open source with more news about opensource for the AS/400, as well as new developments in the corporate world.

Since March, some of the AS/400 open source advocates about which I spoke have organized themselves behind a Web site, www.opensource400.org, and have named their package WyattERP.

I recently visited the Web site and found progress has been made. A menuing system is ready to go, and cross-application support, transaction processing, general ledger, accounts receivable, and accounts payable are at least partially finished. The inventory control and order entry and billing modules will soon be ready.

I contacted James Kilgore, a consultant who donated the initial code and heads up the project, to find out how WyattERP is progressing. According to Mr. Kilgore, 50 agricultural co-ops in Indiana are in the process of migrating to WyattERP, an ASP in Arizona is preparing to offer WyattERP to clients, and a cabinet manufacturer in Texas is installing WyattERP. Other consultants are either considering WyattERP, planning to install it, or waiting until other needed modules are available.

I also spoke with Joe Pluta about the status of Pluta Brothers Design’s AS/400- based open source projects. Joe reports that his company’s Java utility that converts spool files to PDF is widely being used and that it plans to expand the open source version into a commercial version. Of course, other software developers will be able to develop commercial versions of their own. There is also some interest in the open source revitalization tool Pluta Brothers Design is developing, which enables green-screen applications to run in a Web environment. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.java400.net.

Who Else?

Several huge corporations—including IBM—are at least toying with open source if not embracing it. TechTalk, on page 126 includes a report from Alex Garrison about JTOpen,


WyattERP

IBM’s open source version of the Java Toolbox for AS/400. Alex, one of the non-IBMers on the committee that oversees JTOpen, points out several advantages the open source version of JTOpen has over the licensed product version and responds to some objections raised by skeptics.

On July 19, Sun Microsystems announced the release of the source code for its StarOffice Suite, the establishment of a controlling Web site named OpenOffice.org, and the creation of the OpenOffice.org Foundation. The source code is to be released on October 13, and many Linux vendors have already signed agreements to redistribute StarOffice. Sun will continue to offer commercial versions of the product that are developed from the open source code.

OpenOffice.org will offer more than StarOffice. You’ll also be able to download APIs, XML-based file formats, and filters for converting documents from other formats.

(Do you suppose Sun is trying to make it easy for people who use Microsoft products to convert to StarOffice?) For more information, visit www.openoffice.org and www.sun.com/staroffice/opensource.

Open source is very important to Oracle. According to Bob Shimp of Oracle’s product marketing department, this well-known database management system (DBMS) and applications vendor has ported its software to Linux and has integrated the Apache Web server into its products. During July, developers downloaded 283,000 copies of the Oracle DBMS for Linux from www.oracle.com, and, during the first week of August, another 100,000 copies were downloaded. Oracle hasn’t released any source code yet, but it is actively pursuing the possibility. Oracle recently featured open source advocate Eric Raymond (author of The Cathedral & the Bazaar) as a guest on its E-Business Network (www.oracle.com/tellmemore/?266275).

Inprise/Borland, the folks who gave us Turbo Pascal, Borland C++, and other notable compilers, announced on July 25 the availability of the source code of Interbase 6.0 DBMS. Interbase is a full-featured, programmable, SQL-based relational DBMS. Dale Fuller, interim president and Chief Executive Officer of Inprise/Borland, expects this move to create “an explosion of open source applications.” You can download the source code and binary versions for Linux, Windows, and Solaris at www.inprise.com/interbase/.

New Directions

There are two trends worth noting. First, open source development is taking place in the business world. Until now, most open source projects were system software projects developed and used largely in university environments. As Joe Pluta points out: Where are you going to find people who want to program computers in their spare time? University students thrive on such projects.

However, university students don’t know anything about how businesses operate. The people who know how to develop business applications, already have more than enough to do, and not many people are going to write accounts receivable programs after supper. Some people are preparing to migrate to open source business applications, but don’t look for open source to be as prevalent in the office as it is among ISPs.

Second, open source, which began as a grassroots movement, is now a component of boardroom strategy. More and more hardware and software vendors are supporting Linux. (This includes IBM, which will support Linux on all its platforms, including the AS/400. See “IBM Wants You to Love Linux” in this issue’s Significa section.)

If their customers buy into Linux, and chances are good they will, businesses will run open source software, especially office products like word processors and spreadsheets.


TED HOLT

Ted Holt is IT manager of Manufacturing Systems Development for Day-Brite Capri Omega, a manufacturer of lighting fixtures in Tupelo, Mississippi. He has worked in the information processing industry since 1981 and is the author or co-author of seven books. 


MC Press books written by Ted Holt available now on the MC Press Bookstore.

Complete CL: Fifth Edition Complete CL: Fifth Edition
Become a CL guru and fully leverage the abilities of your system.
List Price $79.95

Now On Sale

Complete CL: Sixth Edition Complete CL: Sixth Edition
Now fully updated! Get the master guide to Control Language programming.
List Price $79.95

Now On Sale

IBM i5/iSeries Primer IBM i5/iSeries Primer
Check out the ultimate resource and “must-have” guide for every professional working with the i5/iSeries.
List Price $99.95

Now On Sale

Qshell for iSeries Qshell for iSeries
Check out this Unix-style shell and utilities command interface for OS/400.
List Price $79.95

Now On Sale

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: