FREE SOFTWARE MOVEMENT KARNATAKA

www.fsmk.org
A Registered Society, No. SOR/BLU/DR/1110/2009-10

Matlab and Octave Scientific computational tools have become indispensable in today's engineered world where problems of all scales can be handled by computer programs. Matrix approach to solve complex problems using powerful algorithms has been made popular amongst users by MATLAB, a powerful tool by Mathworks Inc. The advantages with matlab while are primarily technical, due to the proprietary nature of the tool, it is a costly commodity, which has no access to the background programs in order to be able to understand and improve the code when need be. for, research is about understanding and improving knowledge based on previously existing information. As conveyed above, the closed and proprietary nature of matlab is quite a shackle for users. Licensing fee for matlab for a single user with all toolboxes is anywhere between 2-4 lakh rupees, which is certainly a burden. Now, the free software community which already believes in 'free access to knowledge'(free as in freedom) has a splendid alternative for matlab- GNU OCTAVE: GNU Octave is not only a free alternative to matlab in terms of full compatibility and documentation, it is licensed under the GPL and has no license fee; it only guarantees freedom to users. GNU Octave is at par with matlab and is used in various research houses. the engineering mandating university VTU officially recommended gnu octave as an equal alternative to the proprietary matlab. FSMK has conducted various faculty development programs and workshops for students to demonstrate the power and efficacy of gnu octave. we are willing to conduct more in order to spread the words and codes of freedom.

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