62

Aim: In this lesson, you will learn: To find an application for a given purpose. To explore independently its features.

Tejas: I saw my friend’s sister preparing a brochure. She said that she is using a FOSS desktop publishing software. She also told us that she learnt to use the application on her own by exploring its features. What is FOSS?Moz: FOSS stands for Free and Open Source Software. You have been using many FOSS applications like Open office, educational games and multimedia applications. Jyoti: Yes. We used these applications for project reports, presentations at competitions, holding game competitions. Tejas: The same application was available on all the computers in the lab. Our teacher downloaded and shared the application with us. We could also install applications at home. Moz: You have already given two parts of the definition of FOSS. One is freedom to use the application for your purposes and the second is freedom to share application with others. There are two more parts to the definition. To understand these, recall what a program code looks like from BASIC and Scratch.Jyoti: Yes.

Moz: An application is written in some programming language and its code is called source code. Now, suppose you want a feature in Open office word processor which is not available, then you can modify the source code of the application to add the feature. You can also distribute the modified application to others. Freedom to modify and freedom to distribute an application are the third and fourth part of the FOSS definition.

8. Download and Explore applications: Xmind, Scribus

Download

63

FOSS conceptC

once

ptFree software is about the users’ freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it means that the program’s users have the four essential freedoms:

The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).0. The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you 1. wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is essential for this.The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).2. The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). By 3. doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Providing access to the source code is called Open Source.

Jyoti: How do we know how to install and use the features of an application? Moz: Documentation for installation and using the features of the application are usually provided. Sometimes users of FOSS applications put up some tutorials on using the software. You will learn more about user forums later.

Moz: You have used many FOSS applications in earlier lessons. Now you will learn to explore the application features on your own. Complete the assignments using the following two FOSS applications. First let us start with Xmind.

Installation Many FOSS applications are available for download. • Different distributions are available for different • Operating Sytems. (Example: Open Office is available for Ubuntu and Windows OS).

Documentation Is usually available for •

Installation oUsage of features o

Other help links that can be searched for are: tutorials, sample problems and solutions and • application output samples.Some applications may only provide the documentation under the Help menu.•

Troubleshooting For clarifications on application, Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section is generally • available at the application originating website.Queries can be uploaded at user forum of the application. •

Info

Using FOSS applications

64

In the mind map, you can add:Notes and pictures to your ideas. • Boundaries to various sections. • Relationship lines between ideas.•

A mind map for ‘Inside a computer’ drawn using Xmind, is shown below.

Using Xmind, draw a mindmap which shows the parts and their functions of a plant cell. Assignments:

Gui

dlin

es

Using Xmind

Ski

ll

Xmind: Getting started

Use the path Applications--> Office --> Xmind to open this application. It opens an empty workbook, with a placeholder for the central idea or topic. To rename the ‘Central Topic’, select it and type in the required name.

To add a ‘Main Topic’, select the ‘Central topic’ and press ‘Enter’ (You can also use ‘Insert’ option on the menubar to add a main topic).

Select and rename the ‘Main Topic1’ as per the requirement. To add a subtopic press ‘Tab’ key.

To insert a topic in the: Same level - Select a topic and Press ‘Enter’ key.1. Sub-level - Select a topic and press ‘Tab’ key.2.

XMind, is an open source brainstorming and mind mapping software application. Recall that, brainstorming is a strategy for generating ideas and a mind map is used to visualize, structure, and classify ideas. In a mind map the ideas that are generated during a brain storming session are arranged around a central idea or key word.

Explore Xmind

65

Explore ScribusUnleash your creativity, while exploring Scribus, to design a page layout for a newsletter.This is a Desktop Publishing (DTP) application, used to design page layout of the content. (Ex. News paper, Magazines, Brochures, Newsletters).An online manual is available at http://docs.scribus.net

Ski

ll

Scribus: Getting started

Use the path Applications--> Graphics --> Scribus. Select the required settings for 1. document layout, page orientation and size, margin size etc. Then click OK.

The document is opened with the 2. selected settings. Insert a text or image frame to add content to the document. In a text frame you can insert only text, while image frame is for inserting images in the document.

Right click on the text frame to insert the 3. text. You can type in or paste already typed text . You can even insert files into the text frame. Similarly, you can insert images into the image frame.

Click on ‘Get Text’, a pop up window 4. is displayed. Browse and select the required file and click Open.

The text in the selected file is inserted 5. in the text frame.

66

For using the application:Keep all the content and images ready in a directory. • Plan the design of the page.• Text frames are required for content in text format and image frames are • required for images. Check these and other options available under insert submenu.Populate the content as per the design. Note that you may have to resize the • images, font sizes etc.

Design the newsletter page layout using the two sample formats given below. Use the • content of Newsletter that you have prepared in the lesson 3.

Assignments:

Gui

dlin

esUsing Scribus

Lesson Outcome

Bios

Wake up!

Os

Boot up !

I am ready!

Surf Internet and find suitable • FOSS application for a given purpose.

Independently explore the • features of the appliction and use it do the given task.

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Expl reExpl re

67

Expl reExpl reList five websites from where you can download 1. educational resources for your class.

Sir’s comments : needs work, think of interesting challenges.

68

Teacher’sCorner

Book V

Lesson 6Level VII

Lesson