Archives par mot-clé : VoIP

PCs with Ubuntu should be much more expensive

A few days ago a friend asked me « How come Dell PCs with Ubuntu are only 50$ less than Windows ? ». I was actually suprised by his question and I thought I would share my answer.

If I apply the closed, non-free business models around proprietary software, I really think Ubuntu PCs should be much more expensive (like U$1000 more) than any Windows comparable machine. After explaining all you would need to add to a Windows install in order to make it comparable to Gnu/Linux, we actually agreed… I was then wondering what would happen if a tiny portion of Ubuntu users would contribute a portion of the U$1000 saved towards local development and advocacy efforts. Well, « finders, keepers » also works for me.

Think about it, I am sure you can come with more than this short list but… since being an Ubuntu user at home and at work,

  1. I don’t need antivirus, firewall, cleanup, anti-spyware or other such  » security » software. This may require a bit more explanation, but what can I say. I my personal experience, I really don’t need any of this.
  2. As a result of #1, I don’t actually need to waste a dual-core’s machine power so I can be « running a virus scan and management agent in the background« . I’d rather put that to good video transcoding use 🙂
  3. As a result of #1, current sub U$500 cheap Celeron based laptops run just fine with only 512MB of RAM – they’re not  » useless » as I was told at the store
  4. I can choose and download a healthy few thousands applications (including many servers like web, voip, etc.) from one central package/repository management application. Like, say, Windows update but for all applications. Multi-lingual, and including security updates, unlike Windows Marketplace. I do happen to work in spanish and french too.
  5. I can have my systems (and all included applications) available in several languages at once.
  6. I don’t worry about manual security updates, except for software I have decided to manually download and install from other sites (a rarity, but happens)
  7. I don’t reinstall! Well, my work consists of advocacy and consulting / coaching / providing tech support so my main laptop does get reinstalled often. Home PC hasn’t had a reinstall for 3 years though.
  8. I can keep using the oldest, crapiest hardware I love, like that PCMCIA reader or the « Windows 98-only » webcam, along the newer one
  9. When I come across a missing feature / problem / documentation omission or translation problem I take the opportunity to contribute back and learn in the process
  10. I can copy all this to any amount of people around me, without restrictions or underground illegal activities – the only limit being my bandwidth, and ability to give out CDs or other media. In fact I am often asked if the software I used is legal, as I seem to have a little or big app for most any use.

So how much is that worth to you ? I was thinking I would need to talk about the freedom, the formats, the licences, patent problems, etc., I guess that’s for another afternoon when I chat again with my friend.

 

OpenMoko phone now shipping, new web site launched

As previously announced, the open phone has started shipping its developer preview model. OpenMoko has also become a division of FIC, their OEM provider, who restructured their mobile division so it became OpenMoko, a commercial entity by itself.

From Wikipedia:

OpenMoko is a project to create a smartphone platform using free software. It uses the Linux kernel, together with a graphical user environment built using the X.Org Server and the Matchbox window manager. The OpenEmbedded build framework and ipkg package system are used to create and maintain software packages.

OpenMoko was announced in 2006 by founders First International Computer (FIC). The initial hardware product supporting OpenMoko is the FIC GSM Neo1973 device.

A few links to get you started:

 

Support goes to UDS-Sevilla

Since I joined Canonical as a support analyst last November this is going to be my first Ubuntu Developer Summit as an « insider ». We’re going to Spain! I am all excited because this reminds me of Ubuntu Below Zero which took place in Montreal… 2 years ago! Etienne Goyer and I will be representing the brave souls from support, hopefully I’ll be useful in other areas than spanish translation 🙂

Here are a few specs we may be participating in:

I’d be interested in hearing any feedback anyone would have in terms of support for us to bring there and work on. We’ll be primarily attending to share our experience when providing support to actual customers, learn about and contribute to specs related to different aspects of support, and if time permits some other pet peeves 😉 Asterisk support is something I’d really love to contribute to, and Etienne’s rapidly improving packaging skills may help a lot in getting this further – he packaged SugarCRM and participated in the review process for VMWare server, Opera and DB2.

Check out the UDS-Sevilla Ubuntu Wiki for more (upcoming) details.

 

Asterisk Guru Wanted – Gourou Asterisk Recherch

Recu par courriel, car je suis client d’Unlimitel. Si vous appliquez n’oubliez pas d’indiquer que c’est par moi que vous avez vu l’annonce 🙂

Got this in my email today, as I am an Unlimitel customer. If you apply, don’t forget to say I am sending you 🙂

Hey Asterisk lovers!

We have an opened positions at Unlimitel that could
interest some of you:

1- VoIP Technical support (Asterisk)

Job description:

The VoIP technical support position will require the
technician to handle all trouble ticket for VoIP customers
(about 50%) and will also need to maintain the lab systems
and configuration for specific test needs (10%). He
will also assist in accounts provisioning (10%), 911 VoIP
registration reports (5%), LNP reports and 411 directory
reports (5%). And finally, the technician will monitor
and acknowledge any alarms on the operational VoIP
network (20%).

The technician needs to be agile with FreePBX/Trixbox. He
will need to have a very good understanding of IP networks
and VoIP networks. He also need to be very comfortable
with Linux OS (CentOS) and MySQL servers.

We will train the technician on maintaining our CarrierClass
telephone switch and how to maintain our Ethernet switches.

Cisco switches knowledge is a plus, but not necessary.
Billingual (english/french) technician is a plus, but not necessary.

The position will require pager duties outside normal working
hours in rotation with the other geek (me!).

We work in a very quiet environment in a rural village in
eastern Ontario (Casselman) where cost of living is much
lower than big cities.

We’ve been in business for 10 years and are one of the top
VoIP providers for IP-PBX servers in Canada with T1 links
from Quebec City to Vancouver.

I hope this description will give you a good idea of what
we’re looking for.

If one of you refer a candidate to us and we hire that
candidate, we will give you $500.00 in VoIP services free
as a token of our appreciation!

Send your resumes to monetteh@unlimitel.ca

Thank you,

Stephan Monette
Unlimitel Inc.
Tel.: 1-877-464-6638, x221

********************************************************************

Salut les utilisateurs Asterisk!

Nous avons une position d’ouverte chez Unlimitel qui pourrait vous
interesse:

Technicien support technique VoIP.

Description:

Le technicien VoIP sera en charge de repondre a tous les rapports
d’incidents (50% du temps) et maintenir nos systemes dans notre
laboratoire (10%). Il devra aussi aider avec la creation des comptes
VoIP (10%), les demandes d’enregistrement 911 (10%), les rapports
LNP et 411 (10%). Finalement, il devra aussi surveiller et traiter
les alarmes sur notre réau VoIP opétionel (20%).

Le technicien doit etre habile avec les logiciels FreePBX/Trixbox.
Il devra aussi avoir une tres bonne connaissance des resaux IP et
VoIP. Il doit aussi etre comfortable avec les serveurs Linux (CentOS)
et MySQL.

Nous allons aussi entrainer le technicien sur tous nos systemes de
telephones VoIP (carrier class) et nos commutateurs (switch) ethernet.

La connaissance des switch Cisco est un plus, mais pas necessaire.
Le parler/ecrire Anglais est necessaire et le francais est un atout.

Cette position necessite aussi des quart de « pager duty » en rotation
avec l’autre « geek » (moi!).

Unlimitel est une entreprise en pleine expansion et en affaire
depuis 10 ans.

Nous travaillons dans un environnement tres calme dans un village
rurale de l’Est de l’Ontario la ou les impots et l’essence sont
10% moins chers qu’au Quebec! 🙂

La personne qui nous refere un candidat et que nous engageons ce candidat,
recevera $500 de services VoIP Unlimitel gratuitement comme cadeau
d’appreciation de notre part.

Envoyes-nous vos resume a monetteh@unlimitel.ca.

Merci.

Stephan Monette
Unlimitel Inc.
tel.: 1-877-464-6638, x221