Latest in a series of openly published books from No Starch Press imprint
New York – January 23, 2003 – Linux Journal Press, an imprint of No Starch Press in partnership with Linux Journal, has announced that
“Linux in the Workplace” will be released under the GNU Free
Documentation License (FDL). The book’s contents will be linked from
www.nostarch.com and www.linuxjournal.com beginning on February 15,
2003, the fourth anniversary of Windows Refund Day. This marks the third
release from No Starch Press in an open format and the second under a
free license. No Starch Press also published “The Linux Cookbook”, by
Michael Stutz, in 2001 under the Design Science License (DSL) and
“Programming Linux Games”, by John R. Hall, in a freely available format
in 2002.
Written by the Linux Journal staff, “Linux in the Workplace” focuses on
Open Source desktop tools and how to use them in an office environment.
Don Marti, editor-in-chief of Linux Journal, emphasizes the free
software focus of “Linux in the Workplace” when he explains, “The free
software desktop is infinitely customizable, and gives companies and
users the ability to add any functionality. A license as free as the
software is necessary to keep the information up-to-date and accurate.”
This most recent release under the GNU FDL underscores the wealth of
content now available under an open license. Bill Pollock, No Starch
Press publisher, explains, “GNU Press published free books before
anyone, and there are a handful of publishers who will risk the time and
effort to openly publish a book. We are willing to take that risk
because the benefits of a larger audience outweigh the potential loss of
readers that choose not to buy the book.” Bradley Kuhn, Executive
Director of the Free Software Foundation, is pleased to see publishers
that appreciate the commercial benefits of free publishing. “Free
publishing is a perfect fit for the technical book market. We designed
the GNU FDL specifically to address commercial concerns that publishers
may have with free publishing.” The decision to release “Linux in the
Workplace” under the GNU FDL was an easy one. Phil Hughes, the publisher
of Linux Journal, notes, “As publishers of documentation rather than
software, publishing under the FDL is a logical way for us to maximize
our contribution to the Open Source movememt.”
Michael Stutz, the architect of the DSL, was enthused to write for a
publisher willing to consider an open license. “When I was writing The
Linux Cookbook, releasing a book with a ‘copyleft’ license was unheard
of; few publishers would consider it and even fewer had attempted it.”
John R. Hall released his book online after the initial publication,
with positive results. “Everyone benefits from open publishing,” says
Hall. “Authors enjoy wider audiences, publishers realize more sales from
free advertising, and readers get the high-quality electronic books they
deserve.” According to Pollock, the decision is up to the author. “We
prefer that authors choose their own license when publishing with us,
recognizing that not all authors are comfortable with an open license.
As long as there are authors who want their works published openly, and
as long as the books sell, then we see no reason to stop.”
Additional Resources
See all Linux Journal Press titles, including “Linux in the Workplaceâ€,
at the Linux World Conference and Expo, booth #128. For information
about the GNU Free Documentation License, see
gnu.org. For information on the Design Science License, see dsl.org.
About No Starch Press
Since 1994, No Starch Press has published unique and sometimes fringe
books on computing topics, with a focus on Open Source, security,
hacking, web development, programming, gaming, and alternative operating
systems. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and
our goal is to make computing fun and accessible for everyone.
About Linux Journal Press
Linux Journal Press publishes books on cutting-edge Open Source topics
that help to advance the acceptance and usability of Open Source
software. An imprint of No Starch Press (www.nostarch.com), Linux
Journal Press titles are developed in partnership with Linux Journal
(www.ssc.com and www.linuxjournal.com).
Contact: John Mark Walker, johnmark@nostarch.com or 415.863.9900″
Category:
- Open Source
