Lisa Wolfisch

Professionals around the world are building large and small IT operations around Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). Over 60% our web servers runwith Apache, a darling of the Open Source movement to power web sites. Many of us rely on Linux for both server and desktop systems. But you might be surprised to know just how much more you can do with reputable, mature FOSS. There are valuable tools out there beyond Apache and Linuxthat could greatly enhance the functionality of your web site, help secureyour network, improve the way you manage customer relationships, andperform a host of other benefits. Here are some that deserve a closerlook, in no particular order, along with brief descriptions.

1) Putty/sshSecure shell (ssh) is a protocol that encrypts communications to prevent eavesdropping on your network. Do you use telnet to connect to a remotecomputer? If so, everything you type across the connection is wide open,.in the clear., and susceptible to password sniffers and eavesdroppers. Instead, use ssh to create a secure connection. The use of an ssh client becomes more critical for wireless network users. Anyone with a laptop and a wireless network card can listen in on any unsecured wireless connections. Protect your connections with ssh. PCusers can download Putty which implements ssh on 32-bit Windows PCs. It will also initiate a telnet connection for systems that do not support ssh. Mac OSX users already have ssh, available from the terminal shell. Note that even ssh cannot protect you from keyboard capturing programs.

2) Blogging Software Weblogs (blogs) are as common these days as patent disputes, but much more fun to read. Blogs are changing the way we communicate and form online communities. People ranging from Dean campaign staffers to Moby have blogs. Anyone with a net connection has the capability to publish a weblog thanks to software like Movable Type and Blosxom. Movable Type is blogging software that morphs into a flexible content management system. Items are categorized, dated, and stored in a database, and with clever templating, you can manage an entire web site with the software even if it not traditional weblog content. MovableType isn't open source, and it isn't free for all users, but even with a commercial license, it is an inexpensive way to add functionality to your site. It even includes search capability. The software uses a clean web interface and installs on Unix variants, and Windows servers. Dozens of useful plug-ins and extensions are available that greatly enhance the capabilities of the software. Blosxom is open source software and free for all users.

3) Open Source Databases: Open source databases can vary widely in the features they implement and that's a good thing. Maybe you don't need transactions and rollbacks. Perhaps a simple insert/update is all you need without the overhead of other capabilities. The choice is yours so take a careful look at the options out there and you'll find a solution that meets your needs without complicating your site. Open source database options include MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite. They install on most any platform.

4) Request Tracker: Do you need help desk software to manage user requests and staff assignments? Best Practical's Request Tracker (RT) may be the solution for you. RT uses a simple web GUI to track, prioritize and assign troubletickets. RT routes email directly into the system and has variousmechanisms for auto-responses. The software is platform-independent and easy to install. A database, such as MySQL or PostgreSQL, stores all thedata managed by RT. Along with a ticketing system, RT offers a FAQ manager to organize your knowledge base. Commercial support options areavailable.

5) GIMP: If you want to create or manipulate graphic images but don't have Photoshop or a similar package, just download the GIMP, the GNU ImageManipulation Program. Use GIMP to scale, rotate, and draw images, andto even manipulate the color palette of an image. A nice feature allows you to import the contents of a window into a GIMP canvas. This is very useful for capturing screen images and then enhancing them for inclusion in presentations. Gimp is available for most platforms.

6) Zope: This is Zope Corporation's open source application server and content management system written in the Python language. Zope runs on a variety of platforms, including Windows, and with many database back-end options. Like MySQL, Zope is open source software yet a corporation drives development. Many users are more likely to use an open source solution with a commercial venture backing and supporting it, but that's the subject of another article.

8) RsyncRsync is a Unix utility for transferring files. Use it to automatically transfer files which have been updated, while optionally preserving symbolic links, hard links, file ownership, permissions, and time stamps. For example, you can have timed transfers from a staging to production server and only transfer new files while deleting files that have been removed from staging. This eliminates the need for user accounts on production servers. Rsync will work in conjunction with ssh for securetransfers. How is rsync unlike any standard FTP program? Rsync keeps directory offiles synchronized between machines. When you have to copy changesbetween machines, rsync transfers only the changes. If a large file has afew small modifications, only the changed portions are transferred.

9) Perl/Python/Ruby/PHP:More hallmarks of open source software, these programming languages work for all sorts of applications, including database interaction, web GUIs, system administration, and data processing. These languages readily tackle the quick hacks and complex applications.P HP has grown in popularity recently as a powerful tool to create dynamicweb pages. Like, Perl, it has built in database hooks for easy interaction with MySQL. Perl's self-proclaimed advantage is the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN), a repository of thousands of ready-to-wear modules that extend Perl's functionality. These modules can greatly simplify your programming tasks. Ruby has a strong following in Japan and gaining users in the U.S. Python is an object-orientedlanguage used in a variety of applications.

10) Mailman: GNU's mailman is an easy to use, web-based tool for managing email discussion lists and newsletter subscriptions. In mailman, list administrators use a web interface to manage subscriptions, moderate lists, configure list options, and more. Through a web interface, list members themselves can unsubscribe, suspend mail, and select to receive digests. Mailman has automated archiving, spam filters andemail-based commands. Mailman runs on Unixes and requires Python.

11) Wget: Also from GNU, wget is a free software package for retrieving files using common protocols including HTTP, HTTPS and FTP. It is a command line tool that can be run as a background process from scripts and programs for non-interactive file grabbing. You can, for example, use wget to grab and mirror an entire web site in a timed, automated procedure. Wget has somehandy features. In the event of a network problem, wget it will detect a failed download and keep retrying until the whole file has been retrieved. Likewise, it can resume an interrupted transfer. Also, wget can convert absolute links in downloaded documents to relative links, simplifying the process of mirroring full or partial sites locally. Wget is available for Windows and Unixes.

Lisa Wolfisch is a long-time member of DCWebWomen. She frequents OpenSource events, writes when she can, and knows pretty much everyone withina degree of separation or two.