Linux proof of open-source software success

By now, nearly everyone has heard of the Linux operating system. Less have used it, and even less actually understand the principles on which it is based. Linux, more formally known as GNU/Linux, is an operating system that is rapidly growing in popularity and is freely available to the public under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Exactly how can such a powerful software suite be figuratively thrown out the window for all to take?

The answer to this question lies in the definition of the word “free.” The Free Software Foundation, the organization which oversees the GNU Project, defines “free” as a freedom not necessarily without charge to access it (”free” as in “free speech” not as in “free beer”). Free software implies that the user has access to run, analyze, redistribute and improve the program without having to ask or pay for permission.

This, however, does not explain why exactly free software is so popular. Why would a talented programmer waste his time writing an open source program rather than making money selling software? The answer to this is complex, but it can be attributed to the fact that it allows the software to evolve quickly. Programmers can easily improve and adapt open source programs to suit their needs much more quickly than it would take to wait for a corporation to implement the same feature. This allows open source software to be developed quickly with many improvements and bug fixes implemented along the way. In addition, the vision behind the program can be much more diverse, due to a community contributing to the project rather than a select few individuals writing a piece of software that everyone else is forced to blindly accept.

Though the theory behind Linux and the applications that run on it is great, what exactly makes the software great? Over the past few years, open source software has improved a great deal. The install and overall support for Linux has grown at an enormous rate since its inception in 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Over time Linux has shown much progress in the server market and it is now running on thousands of networks serving websites, files, databases and e-mail, and running more efficiently and securely. One of the greatest benefits to being open source is the quick response the community gives when a new security threat or attack is discovered. In many cases, a fix is issued within an hour or two. This timely reaction seen in almost every situation attracts the attention of several corporations in need of a secure and stable network. In fact, Linux is offered as the default operating system for many Dell and Hewlett-Packard, servers and IBM recently announced that their new Power5 line of servers will ship only with Linux.

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