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Essays:TNT: free tech books
Essays:Why are GPL-licensed components removed from the FreeBSD base system
Essays:Why the FSF does not consider Debian as a free distribution
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aa - Qafár af
aae - Arbërisht
ab - аԥсшәа
abs - bahasa ambon
ace - Acèh
acm - عراقي
ady - адыгабзэ
ady-cyrl - адыгабзэ
aeb - تونسي / Tûnsî
aeb-arab - تونسي
aeb-latn - Tûnsî
af - Afrikaans
aln - Gegë
alt - алтай тил
am - አማርኛ
ami - Pangcah
an - aragonés
ang - Ænglisc
ann - Obolo
anp - अंगिका
ar - العربية
arc - ܐܪܡܝܐ
arn - mapudungun
arq - جازايرية
ary - الدارجة
arz - مصرى
as - অসমীয়া
ase - American sign language
ast - asturianu
atj - Atikamekw
av - авар
avk - Kotava
awa - अवधी
ay - Aymar aru
az - azərbaycanca
azb - تۆرکجه
ba - башҡортса
ban - Basa Bali
ban-bali - ᬩᬲᬩᬮᬶ
bar - Boarisch
bbc - Batak Toba
bbc-latn - Batak Toba
bcc - جهلسری بلوچی
bci - wawle
bcl - Bikol Central
bdr - Bajau Sama
be - беларуская
be-tarask - беларуская (тарашкевіца)
bew - Betawi
bg - български
bgn - روچ کپتین بلوچی
bh - भोजपुरी
bho - भोजपुरी
bi - Bislama
bjn - Banjar
blk - ပအိုဝ်ႏဘာႏသာႏ
bm - bamanankan
bn - বাংলা
bo - བོད་ཡིག
bpy - বিষ্ণুপ্রিয়া মণিপুরী
bqi - بختیاری
br - brezhoneg
brh - Bráhuí
bs - bosanski
btm - Batak Mandailing
bto - Iriga Bicolano
bug - Basa Ugi
bxr - буряад
ca - català
cbk-zam - Chavacano de Zamboanga
cdo - 閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄
ce - нохчийн
ceb - Cebuano
ch - Chamoru
chn - chinuk wawa
cho - Chahta anumpa
chr - ᏣᎳᎩ
chy - Tsetsêhestâhese
ckb - کوردی
co - corsu
cps - Capiceño
cpx - 莆仙語 / Pó-sing-gṳ̂
cpx-hans - 莆仙语(简体)
cpx-hant - 莆仙語(繁體)
cpx-latn - Pó-sing-gṳ̂ (Báⁿ-uā-ci̍)
cr - Nēhiyawēwin / ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ
crh - qırımtatarca
crh-cyrl - къырымтатарджа (Кирилл)
crh-latn - qırımtatarca (Latin)
crh-ro - tatarşa
cs - čeština
csb - kaszëbsczi
cu - словѣньскъ / ⰔⰎⰑⰂⰡⰐⰠⰔⰍⰟ
cv - чӑвашла
cy - Cymraeg
da - dansk
dag - dagbanli
de - Deutsch
de-at - Österreichisches Deutsch
de-ch - Schweizer Hochdeutsch
de-formal - Deutsch (Sie-Form)
dga - Dagaare
din - Thuɔŋjäŋ
diq - Zazaki
dsb - dolnoserbski
dtp - Dusun Bundu-liwan
dty - डोटेली
dv - ދިވެހިބަސް
dz - ཇོང་ཁ
ee - eʋegbe
efi - Efịk
egl - Emiliàn
el - Ελληνικά
eml - emiliàn e rumagnòl
en - English
en-ca - Canadian English
en-gb - British English
eo - Esperanto
es - español
es-419 - español de América Latina
es-formal - español (formal)
et - eesti
eu - euskara
ext - estremeñu
fa - فارسی
fat - mfantse
ff - Fulfulde
fi - suomi
fit - meänkieli
fj - Na Vosa Vakaviti
fo - føroyskt
fon - fɔ̀ngbè
fr - français
frc - français cadien
frp - arpetan
frr - Nordfriisk
fur - furlan
fy - Frysk
ga - Gaeilge
gaa - Ga
gag - Gagauz
gan - 贛語
gan-hans - 赣语(简体)
gan-hant - 贛語(繁體)
gcf - kréyòl Gwadloup
gcr - kriyòl gwiyannen
gd - Gàidhlig
gl - galego
gld - на̄ни
glk - گیلکی
gn - Avañe'ẽ
gom - गोंयची कोंकणी / Gõychi Konknni
gom-deva - गोंयची कोंकणी
gom-latn - Gõychi Konknni
gor - Bahasa Hulontalo
got - 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌹𐍃𐌺
gpe - Ghanaian Pidgin
grc - Ἀρχαία ἑλληνικὴ
gsw - Alemannisch
gu - ગુજરાતી
guc - wayuunaiki
gur - farefare
guw - gungbe
gv - Gaelg
ha - Hausa
hak - 客家語/Hak-kâ-ngî
haw - Hawaiʻi
he - עברית
hi - हिन्दी
hif - Fiji Hindi
hif-latn - Fiji Hindi
hil - Ilonggo
hno - ہندکو
ho - Hiri Motu
hr - hrvatski
hrx - Hunsrik
hsb - hornjoserbsce
hsn - 湘语
ht - Kreyòl ayisyen
hu - magyar
hu-formal - magyar (formal)
hy - հայերեն
hyw - Արեւմտահայերէն
hz - Otsiherero
ia - interlingua
ibb - ibibio
id - Bahasa Indonesia
ie - Interlingue
ig - Igbo
igl - Igala
ii - ꆇꉙ
ik - Iñupiatun
ike-cans - ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ
ike-latn - inuktitut
ilo - Ilokano
inh - гӀалгӀай
io - Ido
is - íslenska
it - italiano
iu - ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ / inuktitut
ja - 日本語
jam - Patois
jbo - la .lojban.
jut - jysk
jv - Jawa
ka - ქართული
kaa - Qaraqalpaqsha
kab - Taqbaylit
kai - Karai-karai
kbd - адыгэбзэ
kbd-cyrl - адыгэбзэ
kbp - Kabɩyɛ
kcg - Tyap
kea - kabuverdianu
kg - Kongo
kge - Basa Kumoring
khw - کھوار
ki - Gĩkũyũ
kiu - Kırmancki
kj - Kwanyama
kjh - хакас
kjp - ဖၠုံလိက်
kk - қазақша
kk-arab - قازاقشا (تٴوتە)
kk-cn - قازاقشا (جۇنگو)
kk-cyrl - қазақша (кирил)
kk-kz - қазақша (Қазақстан)
kk-latn - qazaqşa (latın)
kk-tr - qazaqşa (Türkïya)
kl - kalaallisut
km - ភាសាខ្មែរ
kn - ಕನ್ನಡ
ko - 한국어
ko-kp - 조선말
koi - перем коми
kr - kanuri
krc - къарачай-малкъар
kri - Krio
krj - Kinaray-a
krl - karjal
ks - कॉशुर / کٲشُر
ks-arab - کٲشُر
ks-deva - कॉशुर
ksh - Ripoarisch
ksw - စှီၤ
ku - kurdî
ku-arab - كوردي (عەرەبی)
ku-latn - kurdî (latînî)
kum - къумукъ
kus - Kʋsaal
kv - коми
kw - kernowek
ky - кыргызча
la - Latina
lad - Ladino
lb - Lëtzebuergesch
lbe - лакку
lez - лезги
lfn - Lingua Franca Nova
lg - Luganda
li - Limburgs
lij - Ligure
liv - Līvõ kēļ
lki - لەکی
lld - Ladin
lmo - lombard
ln - lingála
lo - ລາວ
loz - Silozi
lrc - لۊری شومالی
lt - lietuvių
ltg - latgaļu
lus - Mizo ţawng
luz - لئری دوٙمینی
lv - latviešu
lzh - 文言
lzz - Lazuri
mad - Madhurâ
mag - मगही
mai - मैथिली
map-bms - Basa Banyumasan
mdf - мокшень
mg - Malagasy
mh - Ebon
mhr - олык марий
mi - Māori
min - Minangkabau
mk - македонски
ml - മലയാളം
mn - монгол
mnc - ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡤᡳᠰᡠᠨ
mnc-latn - manju gisun
mnc-mong - ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡤᡳᠰᡠᠨ
mni - ꯃꯤꯇꯩ ꯂꯣꯟ
mnw - ဘာသာမန်
mo - молдовеняскэ
mos - moore
mr - मराठी
mrh - Mara
mrj - кырык мары
ms - Bahasa Melayu
ms-arab - بهاس ملايو
mt - Malti
mus - Mvskoke
mwl - Mirandés
my - မြန်မာဘာသာ
myv - эрзянь
mzn - مازِرونی
na - Dorerin Naoero
nah - Nāhuatl
nan - Bân-lâm-gú
nap - Napulitano
nb - norsk bokmål
nds - Plattdüütsch
nds-nl - Nedersaksies
ne - नेपाली
new - नेपाल भाषा
ng - Oshiwambo
nia - Li Niha
nit - కొలామి
niu - Niuē
nl - Nederlands
nl-informal - Nederlands (informeel)
nmz - nawdm
nn - norsk nynorsk
no - norsk
nod - ᨣᩤᩴᨾᩮᩬᩥᨦ
nog - ногайша
nov - Novial
nqo - ߒߞߏ
nrm - Nouormand
nso - Sesotho sa Leboa
nv - Diné bizaad
ny - Chi-Chewa
nyn - runyankore
nyo - Orunyoro
nys - Nyunga
oc - occitan
ojb - Ojibwemowin
olo - livvinkarjala
om - Oromoo
or - ଓଡ଼ିଆ
os - ирон
pa - ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
pag - Pangasinan
pam - Kapampangan
pap - Papiamentu
pcd - Picard
pcm - Naijá
pdc - Deitsch
pdt - Plautdietsch
pfl - Pälzisch
pi - पालि
pih - Norfuk / Pitkern
pl - polski
pms - Piemontèis
pnb - پنجابی
pnt - Ποντιακά
prg - prūsiskan
ps - پښتو
pt - português
pt-br - português do Brasil
pwn - pinayuanan
qu - Runa Simi
qug - Runa shimi
rgn - Rumagnôl
rif - Tarifit
rki - ရခိုင်
rm - rumantsch
rmc - romaňi čhib
rmy - romani čhib
rn - ikirundi
ro - română
roa-tara - tarandíne
rsk - руски
ru - русский
rue - русиньскый
rup - armãneashti
ruq - Vlăheşte
ruq-cyrl - Влахесте
ruq-latn - Vlăheşte
rut - мыхаӀбишды
rw - Ikinyarwanda
ryu - うちなーぐち
sa - संस्कृतम्
sah - саха тыла
sat - ᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲᱤ
sc - sardu
scn - sicilianu
sco - Scots
sd - سنڌي
sdc - Sassaresu
sdh - کوردی خوارگ
se - davvisámegiella
se-fi - davvisámegiella (Suoma bealde)
se-no - davvisámegiella (Norgga bealde)
se-se - davvisámegiella (Ruoŧa bealde)
sei - Cmique Itom
ses - Koyraboro Senni
sg - Sängö
sgs - žemaitėška
sh - srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
sh-cyrl - српскохрватски (ћирилица)
sh-latn - srpskohrvatski (latinica)
shi - Taclḥit
shi-latn - Taclḥit
shi-tfng - ⵜⴰⵛⵍⵃⵉⵜ
shn - ၽႃႇသႃႇတႆး
shy - tacawit
shy-latn - tacawit
si - සිංහල
simple - Simple English
sjd - кӣллт са̄мь кӣлл
sje - bidumsámegiella
sk - slovenčina
skr - سرائیکی
skr-arab - سرائیکی
sl - slovenščina
sli - Schläsch
sm - Gagana Samoa
sma - åarjelsaemien
smn - anarâškielâ
sms - nuõrttsääʹmǩiõll
sn - chiShona
so - Soomaaliga
sq - shqip
sr - српски / srpski
sr-ec - српски (ћирилица)
sr-el - srpski (latinica)
srn - Sranantongo
sro - sardu campidanesu
ss - SiSwati
st - Sesotho
stq - Seeltersk
sty - себертатар
su - Sunda
sv - svenska
sw - Kiswahili
syl - ꠍꠤꠟꠐꠤ
szl - ślůnski
szy - Sakizaya
ta - தமிழ்
tay - Tayal
tcy - ತುಳು
tdd - ᥖᥭᥰᥖᥬᥳᥑᥨᥒᥰ
te - తెలుగు
tet - tetun
tg - тоҷикӣ
tg-cyrl - тоҷикӣ
tg-latn - tojikī
th - ไทย
ti - ትግርኛ
tk - Türkmençe
tl - Tagalog
tly - tolışi
tly-cyrl - толыши
tn - Setswana
to - lea faka-Tonga
tok - toki pona
tpi - Tok Pisin
tr - Türkçe
tru - Ṫuroyo
trv - Seediq
ts - Xitsonga
tt - татарча / tatarça
tt-cyrl - татарча
tt-latn - tatarça
ttj - Orutooro
tum - chiTumbuka
tw - Twi
ty - reo tahiti
tyv - тыва дыл
tzm - ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ
udm - удмурт
ug - ئۇيغۇرچە / Uyghurche
ug-arab - ئۇيغۇرچە
ug-latn - Uyghurche
uk - українська
ur - اردو
uz - oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча
uz-cyrl - ўзбекча
uz-latn - oʻzbekcha
ve - Tshivenda
vec - vèneto
vep - vepsän kel’
vi - Tiếng Việt
vls - West-Vlams
vmf - Mainfränkisch
vmw - emakhuwa
vo - Volapük
vot - Vaďďa
vro - võro
wa - walon
wal - wolaytta
war - Winaray
wls - Fakaʻuvea
wo - Wolof
wuu - 吴语
wuu-hans - 吴语(简体)
wuu-hant - 吳語(正體)
xal - хальмг
xh - isiXhosa
xmf - მარგალური
xsy - saisiyat
yi - ייִדיש
yo - Yorùbá
yrl - Nhẽẽgatú
yue - 粵語
yue-hans - 粵语(简体)
yue-hant - 粵語(繁體)
za - Vahcuengh
zea - Zeêuws
zgh - ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ ⵜⴰⵏⴰⵡⴰⵢⵜ
zh - 中文
zh-cn - 中文(中国大陆)
zh-hans - 中文(简体)
zh-hant - 中文(繁體)
zh-hk - 中文(香港)
zh-mo - 中文(澳門)
zh-my - 中文(马来西亚)
zh-sg - 中文(新加坡)
zh-tw - 中文(臺灣)
zu - isiZulu
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<languages /> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> '''Author''': Evgeny Golyshev </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> On '''May 31, 2024''', I launched a catalog of technical literature available under open licenses, where all books can be downloaded for free. The catalog, called TNT (short for '''T'''utorI'''n'''.'''T'''ech), is implemented as a [https://t.me/TutorInTechBot?start=wiki Telegram bot]. Users can create their own library, access it from any device, share books, and much more, but first things first. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> == High-quality vs. Free == </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> The idea of '''high-quality''' yet '''free''' technical literature may still seem unrealistic today, much like free software did four decades ago. '''Bill Gates'''' "Open Letter to Hobbyists", which questioned communal software development, may still resonate with a considerable number of people when it comes to books. In that letter from '''February 1976''', Gates wrote<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bill_Gates_Letter_to_Hobbyists_ocr.pdf</ref>: </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> <blockquote> Who can afford to do professional work for nothing? What hobbyist can put three man-years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product, and distributing it for free? </blockquote> </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> However, seven years later, '''Richard Stallman''' launched the '''GNU Project''', which marked the beginning of the '''free software movement'''. It demonstrated that communal software development, along with its free distribution, was a viable concept. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> As for books, the revolution broke out a long time ago: high-quality and free technical literature has been around for more than a quarter of a century. A prime example is the "'''Linux From Scratch'''" guide, which has been released since '''1999''' under an open license that permits '''free distribution''' and '''derivative works'''. So why does a spidey-sense tell that a quality book cannot be free? I believe the issue lies in the fact that open-licensed books do not govern the print world, unlike free and open software, which underpins today's high-tech society. I hope that TNT can make a meaningful contribution to addressing this situation. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> == Release Gates == </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> Alright, we've figured out that technical literature can be both high-quality and free. However, to rephrase Gates' words, one might ask: "''What hobbyist can put three man-years into writing a book, correcting typos and inaccuracies, and distributing it for free?''" I can suggest several possible reasons why this might be beneficial for authors. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> === The Free Distribution Can Expand the Audience For a Book === </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> Often, when books under open licenses are published by educators or professionals whose work benefits from widespread publicity, it becomes essential for as many people as possible to evaluate their scholarly contributions. Imagine two scenarios. One author says, "''I wrote a book, here's the link,''" while the other says, "''I wrote a book; if you're interested, you can purchase it here,''" and shares the link. Whose book are people more likely to check out? For me, the answer is clear as day. The difference may not be about the money but rather the number of steps required to reach the goal. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> === Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow === </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> "Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow" is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus%27s_law Linus's Law], which can be effective not only in software development but also in writing books, considering typos and inaccuracies as bugs. As in the previous case, free distribution of a book expands its audience. Within that audience, there will undoubtedly be both readers and writers who will eagerly spot errors and suggest corrections. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> === Free Distribution Prolongs the Life of the Work === </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> Here, I want to immediately proceed with examples. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> ==== Linux From Scratch ==== This book explains how to build your own GNU/Linux system from scratch, component by component. If readers are ready to dedicate a significant part of their lives to its reading, they'll come away with a clear understanding of the components that make up a modern GNU/Linux system, along with how they're configured and built. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> The first version of this guide was released in December '''1999''', and its original author, '''Gerard Beekmans''', hasn't been actively involved in the ongoing development of the project for quite some time. However, new versions of his work continue to be released consistently twice a year. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> ==== The Linux Kernel Module Programming Guide ==== This book discusses the internal mechanisms of the Linux kernel to teach readers how to develop modules for it. Originally written by '''Ori Pomerantz''' for Linux 2.2, the first version of the guide has not been preserved. However, since Linux 2.2 was released in '''January 1999''', it's likely the work was published around that time. '''Jim Huang''' is currently actively updating the book. In addition to Pomerantz and Huang, three other authors also contributed to the book. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> Just think, these books have been around for over a quarter of a century, and this is largely thanks to the open license. However, some might argue with me, stating that history has shown instances where commercial publishers have taken over someone else's work when the original authors were unavailable for some reason. For example, after the death of '''W. Richard Stevens''' in 1999, '''Stephen A. Rago''' continued his monumental work titled [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Programming_in_the_Unix_Environment Advanced Programming in the Unix Environment]. I would not insist that open licensing is the only way for a book to avoid obscurity. Certainly, that's not the case. But I'm convinced that a book under an open license has a lower chance of becoming "orphaned." </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> This is by no means an exhaustive list of reasons to publish a book under an open license. There are several more that could be mentioned, but it's time to move on. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> === Hybrid Format for Book Distribution === </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> The free distribution of a book doesn't exclude cooperation with a commercial publisher. One does not interfere with the other. As an example, I would like to mention the book [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_as_in_Freedom Free as in Freedom], which is dedicated to '''Richard Stallman''', the founder of the GNU Project and the free software movement. This book was published by '''Tim O'Reilly''''s publishing house under the '''GNU Free Documentation License 1.1''', a license that the author, '''Sam Williams''', insisted upon. Since the license permitted derivative works, the book's central figure, Stallman, released an expanded and revised version several years after its initial publication, which he called Free as in Freedom 2.0. The second edition was published by the Free Software Foundation. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> This is just one example of O'Reilly publishing a book under an open license. In the past, his publishing house did this quite frequently<ref>The list of books under open licenses from O'Reilly can be found [http://web.archive.org/web/20240113043735/https://www.oreilly.com/openbook/ here].</ref>. Other well-known publishers of technical literature, such as '''Apress''' and '''No Starch Press''', continue to do so even today<ref>The list of books under open licenses from Apress can be found [https://apress.com/gp/apress-open/apressopen-titles here].</ref>. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> == TNT and the Open Print World == </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> Great, we have established that authors are motivated to publish their books under open licenses, and they can easily be found online and downloaded for free. But why TNT? As a library for tech enthusiasts, TNT offers the following features. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> === Maintaining an Up-to-Date Catalog of Books === </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> Working with books under open licenses sometimes resembles software development: they can be updated regularly, and some even have a fixed release cycle. Consequently, it's essential to keep track of updates, which is precisely the responsibility of TNT. Typically, a new version of a book appears in the catalog on the release date, and users receive notifications about the updates. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> === Always Accessible === </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> Thanks to its implementation as a Telegram bot, users can access their library from any device. For example, you can start browsing the library on your phone and then save a preferred book to your favorites, making it easy to find later on your laptop. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> === Unique Content === </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> TNT is largely a media project. Descriptions and sometimes even covers for the books are created by the TNT team. </div> <div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"> == References == </div> <references />
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