「台灣古巴後援會籌備中」，第161期通訊，2009年3月1日。
一、法國導演1963年古巴紀錄片
二，古巴發展自有 Linux 版本 Nova
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一、法國導演1963年古巴紀錄片
謝謝會友林先生熱心蒐集與剪輯上傳，歡迎流通，謝謝。（英文字幕，sorry）
法國Agnes從古巴帶回1800張照片，並據以製作這部紀錄片，希望有寓教於樂的效果a didactic and amusing documentary.
二，古巴發展自有 Linux 版本 Nova
作者 謝良奇/編譯
2009/02/19, Thursday
古巴 (Cuba) 釋出了自有的 Linux 作業系統散佈套件。根據報導，此舉是為了減少該國國民與機構，對於所謂不安全、資本主義者的微軟軟體的依賴。另外根據一家省營報紙 Juventud Rebelde，此一古巴版的 Linux 開放源碼軟體，能夠免於來自微軟等大公司的授權費用。
路透 (Reuters) 報導，此一新版 Linux 散佈套件名為 Nova，已經在 Havana 所舉辦的一個技術研討會上公開。該研討會為國際電腦與軟體大會 (International
Computers and Software Convention)。該古巴版 Linux 是由 Havana 大學職員與學生所開發，Juventud Rebelde 寫到，如今古巴有自己的工具，帶領各個機構走向開放源碼軟體。該報稱 Nova 為古巴的 Gnu/Linux 散佈套件。
Nova 以 Gentoo 此套受技術高手喜好的 Linux
散佈套件為基礎，根據 Associated
Press，Nova 的發展要追朔到 2007 年，自由軟體大師 Richard Stallman 造訪古巴並遊說政府官員揚棄 Windows 開始。根據 Reuters，古巴廣泛使用微軟軟體如 Windows，儘管絕大部份都來自盜版。
古巴資訊科學大學
(University of Information Sciences) 自由軟體學院 (School of Free Software) 院長 Hector Rodriguez 表示，古巴約有 20% 的電腦採用 Linux。他希望在 5 年內，該國超過 50% 的電腦都能改用 Linux。
Nova 的基礎 Gentoo，是一套以原始碼為基礎的散佈套件，意即個別的電腦要下載 Gentoo 作業系統並加以編譯。對於技術愛好者，此一特點提供效能上的優勢，然而對一般使用者恐過於複雜。根據 Linux 網站
Distrowatch.com 的資料，Gentoo 在 2002 年曾是最普遍 Linux 版本第 3 名，僅落在 Mandrake 與紅帽 (Red Hat) 之後。去年，Gentoo 則是第 18 名。
Gentoo 基金會 (Gentoo Foundation) 開發者兼公共關係人 Donnie Berkholz 證實，Nova 的確以 Gentoo Linux
為基礎，但古巴版本分支的開發獨立，該基金會並未提供協助。
Rodriguez 指出，古巴會選擇 Linux 是因為該系統免費、原始碼可公開取得，且較不易受惡意軟體影響。Rodriguez 表示，私有軟體可能存在外人不知道的惡意程式碼，自由軟體則不會有這個問題。此外，Rodriguez 也認為自由軟體較符合古巴的政治傾向。
根據 Rodriguez 表示，某些政府部門與古巴大學系統已經切換至 Linux，但也有一些國營企業抱怨 Linux 與其客製應用軟體不相容。
如今古巴加入若干共產主義或開發中國家行列，由政府支持使用 Linux 或開放源碼軟體，作為昂貴私有軟體的替代方案。其中包括委內瑞拉 (Venezuelan) 政府將政府部門由 Windows 改為 Linux 與開放源碼軟體，並製造與公開銷售執行 Linux 的玻利瓦爾電腦 (Bolivarian Computers)。
此外，中國多年來一直有政府支援的
Linux 版本紅旗 (Red Flag)，紅旗並受到美國廠商如 Oracle 與 HP 的支援。奈及利亞 (Nigeria) 則於 2007 年，在 17000 部小學學童使用的教室 PC 上，選擇採用 Mandriva
Linux 而非 Windows。
相關網址：
1.軟體自由！古巴開發自有
Linux 'Nova'
Software libre! Cuba develops own free Linux called
'Nova'
Nova Baire is
based on Linux variant Gentoo
By Eric Lai
February 12, 2009 12:00 PM ET
Computerworld - Cuba released its own distribution of the free Linux operating system this
week, as the communist island seeks to wean its citizens and institutions from
what it says is insecure, capitalist-produced Microsoft Corp.
software, according to a report.
Microsoft software, such as Windows, is
widely used in Cuba, though much of it is pirated, according to Reuters.
About 20% of the computers in Cuba, where PC
sales to the public only began last year, run Linux, Hector Rodriguez, dean of
the School of Free Software at Cuba's University of Information Sciences, told
Reuters.
"I would
like to think that in five years our country will have more than 50% migrated
[to Linux]," he said.
Last year, it ranked 18th among Distrowatch.com readers.
Donnie Berkholz, a developer and head of
public relations at Gentoo Foundation Inc., confirmed that Nova is based on
Gentoo Linux, though he said the Cuban variant is being developed independently
without the U.S.-based foundation's help.
Cuba chose Linux generally because it is
free, its source code is accessible and it is less vulnerable to malware,
Rodriguez said.
"Private software can have black holes
and malicious codes that one doesn't know about," Rodriguez told Reuters.
"That doesn't happen with free software."
Microsoft did
not immediately return an e-mailed request for comment.
Rodriguez also
said that free software better suits Cuba's politics.
Some government ministries and the Cuban
university system have already switched to Linux. But some government-owned
companies have grumbled about incompatibility with their own custom
applications, Rodriguez said.
Cuba is one of several countries, generally
communist or developing nations, whose governments are backing the use of Linux
or open-source software as an alternative to expensive proprietary software.
2.古巴有了自己的
Linux
Cuba gets its own twist on
Linux
(AFP) – Feb 12, 2009
HAVANA (AFP) —
Cuba has launched its own version of the open-source software Linux, dubbed
Nova, steering clear of licensing spending required by giants like Microsoft, a
state media outlet said Thursday.
"Now Cuba
has its own tool to move various institutions along toward open-source
software," said the newspaper Juventud Rebelde (Rebel Youth), noting that
Nova is a "Cuban distribution of Gnu/Linux."
The Cuban
software, developed with staff and students at the University of Havana, was
unveiled at the International Computers and Software Convention underway here
through Sunday.
Cubans earn an
average 17-20 dollars a month, and most use a computer only at their workplace
or school. Access to the Internet is expensive and in the Americas' only
communist state, restricted.
Open-source
software allows people to reproduce it as many times as they like, unlike other
popular software such as Microsoft's Windows.
3.古巴 Linux 危機
February
13, 2009 7:07 AM PST
The Cuban Linux
crisis
Cuba, ever seeking to be the gnat on
the United States' behind, has decided to stick it to the Microsoft man and go
Linux, according
to Reuters. Its reasoning, however, provokes giggles:
The Cuban variant, called Nova, was introduced at a Havana computer
conference on "technological sovereignty" and is central to the Cuban
government's desire to replace the Microsoft software running most of the
island's computers.
The government views the use of Microsoft systems, developed by
U.S.-based Microsoft Corp, as a potential threat because it says U.S. security
agencies have access to Microsoft codes.
I hate to tell Cuba this, but the U.S.
security agencies also have access to the Linux code. In fact, that's one of
the fundamental rights of open source.
But perhaps Cuba is suggesting that the
U.S. won't have access to its Cuba-tailored Linux distribution? Well, that
depends. Cuba is definitely modifying GPL-licensed components, and also admits
it is distributing them. So I guess the only thing standing between Cuba's
Linux secrets and the U.S. government's ability to get that code is for the FBI
to go undercover in Cuba to receive the distributed software and demand the source.
OK, so it's not that simple, and really
Cuba just wants to have complete access to the Linux source code so that it can
protect against "malicious code" potentially planted by Microsoft for
the U.S. government. Please. I find the attempt to evade the U.S. somewhat
humorous, mostly because I suspect few within the U.S. government still
remember that Cuba exists except when watching
Cuban Major League Baseball stars drill homeruns.
Anyway, Cuba expects to have 50 percent
of its systems migrated to Linux within the next five years. Bravo. But do it
for the sake of the code, not for some goofy attempt to escape U.S. attention
that has long since left Cuba's shores.
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