CAD / GIS among Free Software priorities
The Foundation for Free Software (FSF) was created in 1985 with the intention of promoting the use, development and protection of software under non-proprietary licenses of a commercial scheme. Via Gigabriones I have learned that the FSF announced eleven priority projects, including two in geospatial matters:
A replacement for Google Earth
There are several attempts of virtual globes in proprietary format, such as Titan Of Leica, ArcGIS Explorer of ESRI, Virtual Earth Microsoft, World Wind Of NASA and GeoShow.
But of course, Google Earth is the most popular, due to the consumption of resources that is lower compared to the others and because it is also Google who has been responsible for making noise. This dissemination has increased the amount of data contained and therefore people prefer it; so the FSF is looking for its replacement under free use.
It is understood that it will not be able to access the data of Google but that it can read the files kml, access to other sources of data under OGC standards among them the base of Open Street Maps (OSM) and that it also goes in the line of collaboration of Marble.
A replacement for OpenDWG libraries
In this we are looking for a project that is intended to support the use, distribution and standardization under a free license for CAD formats. It would not be bad if we remember that the Open Design Alliance Apart from initiatives such as IntelliCAD that were caused by this idea, little has managed to do after the dwg of the year 2000 with the crazy way of changing the parameters by AutoDesk and the V7 of Bentley that has not been able to happen although the specs Of the V8 available.
Hence, many programs continue to open only those old formats with the excuse that there is no standardized support, although Bentley and AutoDesk They have it planned for next year.
Other projects that fall under the priority of the FSS are:
Gnash, a player for flash files
Coreboot, a solution for free BIOS
Software to replace Skype
Free software to edit video
GNU Octave, a replacement for Matlab
A network routers manager
