Understanding Open Source Software
A- Open Source Software
1- Most open source software development is organized as a project. Open source projects communicate with their users, and the world, via a project Web site where the software is available for download. The Web site also often provides information about the software and its developers, documentation for the software, a bug database and procedures for entering bug reports into the database, mailing lists or forums where users can discuss the software, and other related information.
2- Open source software development is open. The result is quick identification of bugs and problems, feedback on useful and not-so-useful features, bug fixes provided by users, and suggestions for new features and/or feature implementation.
3- Apache is probably the best known success story, a classic open source project that has succeeded quite well. Currently, Apache has approximately 67% of the Web server market.
4- Commercial software companies in the open source world don t depend on proprietary software for profit. Customers are charged for enhancements to the software or for services related to the software, as shown in the following examples:
• Developing versions of the software with simple installation procedures
• Providing consulting and programming expertise for the software
• Providing modified versions of the software for special purposes
5- A new software version is released when the developers believe it s ready, often with little prior notice. A new version can be released in response to a bug or a security problem within a day.
B- Open Source License
1- Commercial software usually includes a written license. Such a license is called the end user license agreement, also not so affectionately known as the EULA.
2- When you read a EULA, you discover that you haven t actually purchased the software. You have, instead, purchased a license to use the software.
3- The EULA specifies the conditions, or terms, under which you can use the software. Such as limiting the software to installation on one computer.
4- The EULA is generally not open for negotiation.
5- Open source software also comes with a license. The most common open source license is the General Public License (GPL). The GPL is quite unrestricted. It states that you can use the software for any purpose. You can change it if you want. You can redistribute it if you want. However, you cannot redistribute it as proprietary software. It must remain open source.
C- Linux Is Open Source Software
1- Linux is an operating system. What is an Operating System?
2- It is a collection of many programs that together make your computer into a useful tool.
3- The heart of Linux is the kernel.
4- Linux is based on the UNIX operating system, which was developed in the 1970s to run on mainframe and minicomputers.
5- In 1991, a student at the University of Helsinki in Finland, named Linus Torvalds, wanted an operating system like UNIX to run on his PC. Because nothing meeting his requirements existed, he set out to write one.
6- The official Web site for Linux, where the latest news is available and the current source can be downloaded, is www.linuxhq.org (Linux Headquarters).
7- Other programs that make Linux useful on your computer can be downloaded from various Web sites. A central source for Linux utilities, compilers, applications, and other software is GNU (discussed later).