There is a small architectural practice in Melville, Johannesburg, that has done the unthinkable: removed all Microsoft software from their machines and replaced it with Free and Open Source alternatives. The only proprietary software which they still run are old AutoCAD R14 licenses built for the Microsoft Windows platform - and they run it inside GNU/Linux.
This is a transcript of an interview conducted by Architect Africa and the practice's senior partner, with the questions excluded for brevity.
"We didn't do it so save money. That's a common misunderstanding about Free Software. We did it because it offers us a better solution all round. The fact that it has saved us some money is a bonus.
The practice has been running on dual systems (Windows and GNU) for some years but the majority of the desktops and CAD workstations were Windows machines because we are very fond of AutoCad and AutoCad has only ever