- <title>Free Timetabling Software - nice free software</title>
- <link>http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Free_Timetabling_Software___nice_free_software.html</link>
- <guid isPermaLink="true">http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Free_Timetabling_Software___nice_free_software.html</guid>
- <pubDate>Sat, 7 Jul 2012 09:50:00 +0200</pubDate>
- <description><p>Included in <ahref="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu</a> is a
-large collection of end user and school specific software. One of the
-packages not installed by default but provided in the Debian archive
-for schools to install if they want to, is a system to automatically
-plan the school time table using information about available teachers,
-classes and rooms, combined with the list of required courses and how
-many hours each topic should receive. The software is
-<a href="http://lalescu.ro/liviu/fet/">named FET</a>, and it provide a
-graphical user interface to input the required information, save the
-result in a fairly simple XML format, and generate time tables for
-both teachers and students. It is available both for
-<a href="http://lalescu.ro/liviu/fet/download.html">Linux, MacOSX and
-Windows</a>.</p>
-
-<p>This is <a href="http://lalescu.ro/liviu/fet/features.html">the
-feature list</a>, liftet from the project web site:</p>
-
-<p><ul>
- <li><p>FET is free software, licensed under the GNU GPL v2 or later.
- You can freely use, copy, modify and redistribute it</p>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>Localized to en_US (US English, default), ar (Arabic), ca (Catalan), da (Danish),
- de (German), el (Greek), es (Spanish), fa (Persian), fr (French), gl (Galician), he (Hebrew),
- hu (Hungarian), id (Indonesian), it (Italian), lt (Lithuanian),
- mk (Macedonian), ms (Malay), nl (Dutch), pl (Polish), pt_BR (Brazilian Portuguese), ro (Romanian),
- ru (Russian), si (Sinhala), sk (Slovak), sr (Serbian), tr (Turkish), uk (Ukrainian), uz (Uzbek)
- and vi (Vietnamese) (incompletely for some languages)</p>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>Fully automatic generation
- algorithm, allowing also semi-automatic or manual allocation</p>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>Platform independent
- implementation, allowing running on GNU/Linux, Windows, Mac and any
- system that Qt supports</p>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>Flexible modular
- XML format for the input file, allowing editing with an XML editor
- or by hand (besides FET interface)</p>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>Import/export from CSV format</p>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>The resulted timetables
- are exported into HTML, XML and CSV formats</p>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>Flexible students
- structure, organized into sets: years, groups and subgroups. FET allows
- overlapping years and groups and non-overlapping subgroups. You can even
- define individual students (as separate sets)</p>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>Each constraint has a weight percentage, from 0.0% to 100.0%
- (but some special constraints are allowed to have only 100% weight percentage)</p>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>Limits for the algorithm (all these limits can be increased on demand,
- as a custom version, because this would require a bit more memory):</p>
-
- <ul>
- <li><p>Maximum total number of hours (periods) per day: 60</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Maximum number of working days per week: 35</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Maximum total number of teachers: 6000</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Maximum total number of sets of students: 30000</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Maximum total number of subjects: 6000</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Virtually unlimited number of activity tags</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Maximum number of activities: 30000</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Maximum number of rooms: 6000</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Maximum number of buildings: 6000</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Possibility of adding multiple teachers and students sets for each activity.
- (it is possible also to have no teachers or no students sets for an activity)</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Virtually unlimited number of time constraints</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Virtually unlimited number of space constraints</p></li>
- </ul>
-
- </li>
-
- <li><p>A large and flexible
- palette of time constraints:</p>
- <ul>
-
- <li><p>Break periods</p>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>For teacher(s):</p>
- <ul>
- <li><p>
- Not available periods
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Max/min days per week
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Max gaps per day/week
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Max hours daily/continuously
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Min hours daily
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Max hours daily/continuously with an activity tag
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Respect working in an hourly interval a max number of days per week
- </p></li>
- </ul>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>For students (sets):</p>
- <ul>
- <li><p>
- Not available periods
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Begins early (specify max allowed beginnings at second hour)
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Max gaps per day/week
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Max hours daily/continuously
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Min hours daily
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Max hours daily/continuously with an activity tag
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Respect working in an hourly interval a max number of days per week
- </p></li>
- </ul>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>For an activity or a set of activities/subactivities:</p>
- <ul>
- <li><p>
- A single preferred starting time
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- A set of preferred starting times
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- A set of preferred time slots
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Min/max days between them
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- End(s) students day
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Same starting time/day/hour
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Occupy max time slots from selection
- (a complex and flexible constraint, useful in many situations)
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Consecutive, ordered, grouped (for 2 or 3 (sub)activities)
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Not overlapping
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Max simultaneous in selected time slots
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Min gaps between a set of (sub)activities
- </p></li>
- </ul>
- </li>
- </ul>
-
- </li>
-
- <li><p>A large and flexible
- palette of space constraints:</p>
- <ul>
-
- <li><p>Room not available periods</p>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>For teacher(s):</p>
- <ul>
- <li><p>
- Home room(s)
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Max building changes per day/week
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Min gaps between building changes
- </p></li>
- </ul>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>For students (sets):</p>
- <ul>
- <li><p>
- Home room(s)
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Max building changes per day/week
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Min gaps between building changes
- </p></li>
- </ul>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>Preferred room(s):</p>
- <ul>
- <li><p>
- For a subject
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- For an activity tag
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- For a subject and an activity tag
- </p></li>
- <li><p>
- Individually for a (sub)activity
- </p></li>
- </ul>
- </li>
-
- <li><p>For a set of activities:</p>
- <ul>
- <li><p>
- Occupy a maximum number of different rooms
- </p></li>
- </ul>
- </li>
-
- </ul>
-
- </li>
-</ul></p>
-
-<p>I have not used it myself, as I am not involved in time table
-planning at a school, but it seem to work fine when I test it. If you
-need to set up your schools time table, and is tired of doing it
-manually, check it out.
-
-A quick summary on how to use it can be found in
-<a href="http://marvelsoft.co.in/wp/2012/03/generate-timetable-for-state-cbse-icse-igcse-schools-free/">a
-blog post from MarvelSoft</a>. If you find FET useful, please provide
-a recipe for the Debian Edu project in the
-<a href="http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu#Howtos">Debian Edu HowTo
-section</a>.</p>
-</description>
- </item>
-
- <item>
- <title>Mer oppfølging fra MPEG-LA om avtale med dem for å kringkaste og publisere H.264-video</title>
- <link>http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Mer_oppf_lging_fra_MPEG_LA_om_avtale_med_dem_for___kringkaste_og_publisere_H_264_video.html</link>
- <guid isPermaLink="true">http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Mer_oppf_lging_fra_MPEG_LA_om_avtale_med_dem_for___kringkaste_og_publisere_H_264_video.html</guid>
- <pubDate>Thu, 5 Jul 2012 23:50:00 +0200</pubDate>
- <description><p>I føljetongen om H.264
-<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/MPEG_LA_mener_NRK_m__ha_avtale_med_dem_for___kringkaste_og_publisere_H_264_video.html">forlot
-jeg leserne i undring</a> om hvor pakken fra MPEG-LA tok veien, og om
-hvilke selskaper i Norge som har avtale med MPEG-LA. Da Ryan hos
-MPEG-LA dro på ferie sendte jeg min melding videre til hans kollega,
-og dagen etter fikk jeg følgende svar derfra:</p>
-
-<p><blockquote>
-<p>Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:32:34 +0000
-<br>From: Sidney Wolf &lt;SWolf (at) mpegla.com&gt;
-<br>To: Petter Reinholdtsen &lt;pere (at) hungry.com&gt;
-<br>Cc: Ryan Rodriguez &lt;RRodriguez (at) mpegla.com&gt;
-<br>Subject: RE: Do NRK have a license agreement with MPEG-LA?</p>
-
-<p>Dear Mr. Reinholdtsen,</p>
-
-<p>Thank you for your message. As you know, Ryan is currently our of the
-office, so it will be my pleasure to assist you.</p>
-
-<p>Per your request, attached please find an electronic copy of the
-AVC Patent Portfolio License. Please note that the electronic copy of
-the License is provided as a convenience and for informational
-purposes only. When concluding the Licenses, only the hard copies
-provided by MPEG LA may be used.</p>
-
-<p>To your question, MPEG LA lists our Licensees on our website
-according to each program. The lists are in alphabetical order, so it
-is very easy to search.</p>
-
-<p>I hope that this was helpful. If we can be of additional
-assistance, please let me know.</p>
-
-<p>Kind regards,</p>
-
-<p>Sidney A. Wolf
-<br>Manager, Global Licensing
-<br>MPEG LA</p>
-</blockquote></p>
-
-<p>Selv om et epostvedlegg er nyttig for mottakeren, så håpet jeg å få
-et dokument jeg kunne dele med alle leserne av bloggen min, og ikke et
-som må deles på individuell basis. Opphavsretten krever godkjenning
-fra rettighetsinnehaver før en kan gjøre slikt, så dermed fulgte jeg
-opp med et spørsmål om dette var greit.</p>
-
-<p><blockquote>
-<p>Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2012 20:25:06 +0200
-<br>From: Petter Reinholdtsen &lt;pere (at) hungry.com&gt;
-<br>To: Sidney Wolf &lt;SWolf (at) mpegla.com&gt;
-<br>Cc: Ryan Rodriguez &lt;RRodriguez (at) mpegla.com&gt;
-<br>Subject: Re: Do NRK have a license agreement with MPEG-LA?</p>
-
-<p>Thank you for your reply.</p>
-
-<p>[Sidney Wolf]
-<br>&gt; Per your request, attached please find an electronic copy of the AVC
-<br>&gt; Patent Portfolio License. Please note that the electronic copy of
-<br>&gt; the License is provided as a convenience and for informational
-<br>&gt; purposes only. When concluding the Licenses, only the hard copies
-<br>&gt; provided by MPEG LA may be used.</p>
-
-<p>This is useful for me to learn, but the reason I asked for the
-Internet address of the licensing document was to ensure I could
-publish a link to it when I discuss the topic of H.264 licensing here
-in Norway, and allow others to verify my observations. I can not do
-the same with an email attachment. Thus I would like to ask you if it
-is OK with MPEG LA that I publish this document on the Internet for
-others to read?</p>
-
-<p>&gt; To your question, MPEG LA lists our Licensees on our website
-<br>&gt; according to each program. The lists are in alphabetical order, so
-<br>&gt; it is very easy to search.</p>
-
-<p>I am afraid this do not help me locate Norwegian companies in the
-list of Licensees. I do not know the name of all companies and
-organisations in Norway, and thus do not know how to locate the
-Norwegian ones on that list.</p>
-
-<p>&gt; I hope that this was helpful. If we can be of additional assistance,
-<br>&gt; please let me know.</p>
-
-<p>Absoutely helpful to learn more about how MPEG LA handle licensing.</p>
-
-<p>--
-<br>Happy hacking
-<br>Petter Reinholdtsen</p>
-</blockquote></p>
-
-<p>Jeg håpet også at det skulle være mulig å få vite hvilke av de
-mange hundre som har avtale med MPEG-LA om bruk av H.264 som holdt til
-i Norge. Begge mine håp falt i grus med svaret fra MPEG-LA.
-
-<p><blockquote>
-<p>Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2012 17:42:39 +0000
-<br>From: Sidney Wolf &lt;SWolf (at) mpegla.com&gt;
-<br>To: 'Petter Reinholdtsen' &lt;pere (at) hungry.com&gt;
-<br>Cc: Ryan Rodriguez &lt;RRodriguez (at) mpegla.com&gt;
-<br>Subject: RE: Do NRK have a license agreement with MPEG-LA?</p>
-
-<p>Dear Mr. Reinholdtsen,</p>
-
-<p>Thank you for your reply.</p>
-
-<p>We appreciate the additional explanation you have provided and for
-asking our permission to publish the electronic copy of the License in
-advance of doing so. Typically, MPEG LA prefers to distribute the
-electronic copies of our Licenses to interested parties. Therefore,
-please feel free to send interested parties to the AVC portion of our
-website, http://www.mpegla.com/main/programs/AVC/Pages/Intro.aspx for
-their further reference.</p>
-
-<p>As previously mentioned, MPEG LA maintains a list of Licensees in good
-standing on our website according to each program. Due to the large
-volume of Licensees, it would be administratively impractical to
-provide this level of detail to interested parties. Therefore, I am
-afraid we are not in a position to assist you with your request.</p>
-
-<p>Kind regards,</p>
-
-<p>Sidney A. Wolf
-<br>Manager, Global Licensing
-<br>MPEG LA</p>
-</blockquote></p>
-
-<p>Men takket være epostvedlegget kunne jeg søke på Google etter
-setningen "WHEREAS, a video standard commonly referred to as AVC has
-been defined and is referred to in this Agreement as the “AVC
-Standard” (as more fully defined herein below)" som finnes i avtalen,
-og lokalisere en kopi fra 2007 av
-<a href="http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1342960/000119312509050004/dex1024.htm">lisensavtalen
-mellom MPEG-LA og DivX, Inc.</a>, slik at mine lesere kan se hvordan
-avtalen så ut da. Jeg har ikke sammenlignet tekstene for å se om noe
-har endret seg siden den tid, men satser på at teksten er representativ.</p>
-
-<p>Jeg aner fortsatt ikke hvor FedEx tok veien med pakken fra
-MPEG-LA.</p>
-
-<p>Update 2012-07-06: Jeg er visst ikke den første som forsøker å få
-klarhet i problemstillinger rundt H.264, og kom nettopp over en veldig
-interessant bloggpost fra 2010 hos LibreVideo med tittelen
-"<ahref="http://www.librevideo.org/blog/2010/06/14/mpeg-la-answers-some-questions-about-avch-264-licensing/">MPEG-LA
-answers some questions about AVC/H.264 licensing</a>. Anbefales!</p>