Computer literacy is fast becoming as necessary as mathematics in all scientific fields. However, while all the mathematical tools required to conduct research are freely available to everyone, most of the basic computing tools (operating systems, compilers, editors, spread-sheet programs, data base systems, etc.) are developed by private firms and remain their property, so that most of the time, scientists cannot use the tools best suited to their research, except by using illegal copies.

This situation is quite unusual in science: researchers can always use the best suited theories to study any problem. Moreover, it would be considered abnormal and poor work not to do so. Free access for all to the whole knowledge corpus, from the most elementary to the most advanced level, is a founding principle of science and it would seem unbelievable that a lecturer should pay royalties to teach Pythagoras' theorem, or that a physicist should obtain a license from the inheritors of Einstein or Dirac to be allowed to apply the theory of relativity or the theory of quantum fields. In fact, scientific teaching and research would be almost paralysed if it would become illegal to use the numerous scientific results without prior financial transactions.

The French and international scientific community has recently gathered its forces tostand up against attempts to privatise human gene knowledge, because putting this knowledge within the private sphere would have inacceptably hindered a whole area of fundamental research in biology. The "de facto" privatisation of computer science does not have the same emotional content, and the danger does not appear so clearly. However, it is just as real: like mathematics, computing has become the lifeblood of all sciences and computer science must be allowed to freely irrigate all branches of science, else severe problems will result.

Thus, we believe it necessary that in computer science, as in the other branches of science (mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc.), a strong public sector coexists with the private sector, so that all researchers may freely obtain software covering their needs, and software which can be improved incrementally rather than destructively.

A lot of high quality software has been put in the public domain by their authors: TeX, emTeX, the Free Software Foundation project (GNU), various tools, etc. However, these programs are usually difficult to get and install for non computer literate persons. The AsTEX association goal is to ease access to these software, in a public service spirit.

Presently, AsTEX offers to teachers and researchers a coherent and comprehensive set of software, which operates on PC platforms¹, ¹Intel^tm processors under MicroSoft^tm DOS and various Windows. for the autonomous creation of scientific articles, courses and books. Installation, configuration and interfacing tools have been written, as well as detailed documentation, which allow setup and usage startup within a short period of time without digging in the large original documentation.

In a later phase, its efforts will tackle improving the ergonomy and user friendliness of the software distribution, and on providing a complete documentation in french. The final goal is to reach the quality of commercial software (ease of use, ergonomy, neat documentation) without their drawbacks. At the same time, the association endeavours to promote software authored by its members and to widen its offer of useful software for research and education.

"C'est seulement quand on sait qu'on n'est pas inutile aux autres que l'existence prend un sens"

"It is only when one knows one's usefulness to others that existence acquires its meaning" Stefan Zweig, La pitié dangereuse.

Michel Lavaud CNRS & University of Orléans 15 August 1994