Public Software
From Karnataka Open Educational Resources
What is Public Software
Benefits from adopting Public Software
- Since public software is freely shareable, it can be available free of cost. It can be installed on all computers without restriction or needing to pay license fees to vendors
- The GNU/Linux operating system is virus-free. This means no need to procure anti-virus software and no need to periodically format the computers when it is virus affected. This saves lot of time and effort.
- Since all the software like Office, web browser, educational software can be bundled with GNU/Linux operating system, so all applications can be installed on the computer at one time. On proprietary operating system, each software has to be separately installed.
- Ubuntu is customised in Kannada and Indian languages. Ubuntu has IBUS software which can allow us to type in all major Indian languages, including Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Marathi etc. so it can be used in our schools for other languages also. Ubuntu uses UNICODE standard for fonts, accepted internationally and by Government of India
- Ubuntu GNU/Linux has more than one crore users. OpenOffice more than 4 crore users across the world. It is easy to use. It works on both Windows and Ubuntu operating systems.
- There are many public vocational educational tools like in desktop publishing, video editing, animation etc which can provide employment options to students. There are good public software tools that engineering students can use to learn their subjects. These public tools are as good as proprietary software which are far too expensive to install in schools and colleges.
- Students can install these tools in their laptops and use it whenever they want it
See more reasons for using public software.
Basic Public Software applications
There are excellent public software alternatives to commonly used proprietary software as below.
Commonly used applications
Public software tools available and widely used on personal computers.
| Area | FOSS Desktop tools (Public Software) | Alternative FOSS apps for Mobile phones | Proprietary Software |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System |
|
| |
| Office Applications |
|
|
Microsoft Office |
| Email client |
|
|
Microsoft Outlook |
| Internet Browser |
|
Internet Explorer | |
| Search Engine | DuckDuckgo search engine | DuckDuckgo search engine | Google Search |
| Messaging | Signal, Telegram | Signal, Telegram | |
| Vocational Educational tools | |||
| DTP |
|
OnlyOffice | Page Maker, Corel Draw |
| Graphic editing | Tuxpaint |
| |
| Audio Editing | Audacity | MixPAD | Wavepad |
| Video editing |
|
| |
| Animation |
|
Adobe Macromedia | |
| Interactive resources | |||
| Engineering software tools
(for engineering and polytechnic colleges) |
|||
| Engineering drawing |
|
AutoCAD | |
| Numerical computing | SCILAB | MATLAB |
Educational Software
Public educational software applications is available in all subjects, which allows us to integrate computer into regular teaching learning. Table below provides public education software tools subject wise.
| Subject | Public Software | Description |
|---|---|---|
| SCIENCE | Kalzium | Kalzium shows the periodic table and the properties of elements. It is an encyclopedia, explaining states of matter, evolution of elements. Basic equations can be balanced using this tool. |
| KStars | Desktop planetarium-Astronomy with over 130000 stars, all planets, etc. | |
| Stellarium | This is a desktop planetarium software that shows exactly what you see when you look up at the stars. | |
| PhET | Fun, interactive simulations of physical phenomenon | |
| KTechLab | Can be used to build your own circuits and explain various components | |
| MATHS | Geogebra | An algebra and geometry package providing for both graphical and algebraic input, very versatile to create lesson plans and resources for maths learning |
| Tux Math | A fun game through which children can practise their addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. | |
| KBruch | This tool can be used to explain fractions as well as for the children to practice arithmetic problems. | |
| LOGIC | Kturtle | K Turtle can be used to create exercises to learn logic. |
| Turtle art | ||
| SOCIAL STUDIES | KGeography | Quiz on different states and capitals across the globe |
| Marble | This acts as a dynamic desktop atlas. | |
| ENGLISH | KHangman | Guess the correct work with a certain number of guesses allowed |
| KAnagram | Unscramble the word | |
| KLettres | Identify the alphabets by recognising the sound | |
| Tux Typing | Tux Typing" is an educational typing tutor. |
Please refer to our simple user manuals on many of the free and open source applications mentioned in this page'Explore an application'
Additional public educational applications
- MIT App Inventor 2
- Code.org resources
- Mozilla Popcorn Maker
