The Free Technology Academy is closed. To know why, and what may come next, please read here. To find and download FTA resources not listed in these pages, instead, please visit the Free Technology Academy File Archive! Thanks!

Warning: the Free Knowledge Institute made their best to keep this page working, before closing the whole FTA website, but some links below may still be broken. If you find some broken URL in this page or in any of the pages it links to, and need the corresponding material:

  • Please check if it is already linked from the page of the corresponding course or module...
  • Then please check if that file has been saved in the Free Technology Academy File Archive
  • If not, please email FKI and we will do our best to fix broken links and/or put the file back online. Please also email FKI if you happen to have copies of some of the files that are missing here!
  • Last but not least, please note that some of the docbook files restored from backups have some conversion issues listed in this file

FTA Course Modules

The Free Technology Academy aims to establish a full educational programme on Free Software and Open Standards. These are the educational modules we aim to include in the programme of the FTA, together with the competences they provide. Make sure to check the official Programme Page for currently available courses and Start Dates for each of them. We encourage you to join the FTA-discussion mailing list to participate in the process!

Recommended background

Each educational module in the FTA is an independent course that can be followed independently, provided that the learner has the required previous knowledge. Introductory courses require almost no previous knowledge, besides the basics necessary to access the FTA campus itself, while more advanced modules are meant for IT professionals seeking to acquire specific skills.

  • The concepts of Free Software and Open Standards
    • Know the fundamental and introductory aspects of Free Software
    • Know the main Open Standard formats for different types of contents
  • Basic GNU/Linux
    • Basics of the open source philosophy
    • Use and modify GNU/Linux to suit your needs
    • Find your way in this new world more easily
  • GNU/Linux Advanced
    • Use the GNU/Linux operating system at user level
    • Manage GNU/Linux systems
  • Network Technologies
    • Configure and manage networking services in Free Software environments
    • Configure and manage services and advanced networking protocols such as wireless networks, broadcast systems, voice over IP, real-time applications, ad-hoc networks and sensor networks
  • Web applications development
    • Install and configure a web server
    • Know the languages and standards of the web
    • Design and implement web applications
  • Economic aspects of Free Software
    • Know and apply the business models of Free Software and their associated economic aspects
  • Legal aspects of the Information Society
    • Know and apply the legal and exploitation aspects related to the use of Free Software
  • Software development
    • Design and develop applications with Free Software tools and resources
    • Work with the different virtual cooperative environments for Free Software development
    • Know how to reuse and search source code to build new applications
  • Deployment of Free Software and Case Studies
    • Compare real cases of implementation of Free Software systems and plan new implementation cases
    • Analyse the more relevant Free Software projects
  • Software Architecture
    • Model-based description and analysis of software systems with a view to satisfying the (often contradictory) concerns of stakeholders
  • Free Software Tools and Utilities
    • Understand the advantages of free tools in terms of cost, security and features
    • Know how free tools can replace their proprietary equivalents without a loss of productivity
  • Free Software in the Public Sector
    • Identify the main political, social and economic arguments behind the adoption and promotion of Free Software by public administrations
    • Know the needs and repercussions of Free Software in the public sector
  • Software engineering in Free Software environments
    • Fundamental concepts of software engineering and its application in Free Software environments