Non-idealists plaything: How far away from us open-source software Source:? PConline Editor: zzh [04-7-20 11:13] Author: Pacific News millet
Editor's message from netizens usually in the forum, you can find that everyone has an illusion for open source software, thinking that it is a few software "communist" players, which is too far away from our daily life, in fact, open source software is living Your side, just we don't know, the following article should be a name for open source software.
It provides power for 70% of the network server around the world, which is a total of countless email transfer, which makes the network surfing simple, and is the behind-the-scenes of Google search engine and countless e-commerce websites.
It is open source software, those are not privately owned by a company, but through countless volunteers work together to develop a variety of procedures, and these procedures often only stem from volunteers' common interest or an email discussion. group.
Now, this software that has been "dreams, scholars and people with special interest" has become the foundation of the Internet economy. It makes those who have already founded stunned companies have to re-examine their business model, drive Microsoft and other industry giants constantly progress.
The most well-known open source software Linux operating system has taken a large part of the server business that is monopolized by HP, IBM and Sun, now which appears as one of the desktop system candidates. Another open source operating system FreeBSD constitutes the backbone of Apple's Mac OS X.
Some items that are less than knowing are also affected. The Apache project has created the world's leading web server, while Sendmail invented the standard of email and is still popular today. It is now the basic work that converts network addresses from ordinary words into digital work is also mainly carried out by open source project Berkeley Internet Name System (BIND).
All of these are new, a simple philosophy: Provide users with free licensed use and software blueprints, so that anyone can modify freely. Or sometimes although relied on authorization, any improvements must be available free of charge.
A dream of an idealist
"Our belief is if you really put the authorization very generously, it will get the most audience", Apache's founder Brian Behlendorf said. "If you do this, you will naturally get the most rewards."
"Some people call it idealism", he said, "It is indeed very idealism, but the truth is."
Like other many projects such as Linux, Apache originated from academia. The original intention of the birth of Apache, 1995 is concerned that a company may simultaneously control web servers and browsers, but this company refers to Microsoft but net view. BEHlendorf and other eight members use this project with the network server software source code and all patches provided by Illinois State University.
Due to its low cost, companies feel that there is no need to develop software with competition. Some companies and IBM choose to develop additional patented software on this to implement some internet applications, while other companies are simply contained in their software like Apple. In 1999, Apache's success allows developers to set up non-profit Apache Software Foundation to support the development of all 20 projects to add functions to this core server software.
"We still have no full-time employees, but we have a cooperative architecture to help us answer any questions that any company may make", "Behlendorf said.
Legal problem
Open source public nature may bring tricky legal issues, especially a company claims that his patented code is infiltrated into the project. Because developers usually do not provide guarantees, end users may be responsible for infringement.
This is the case between Linux and SCO Group. The SCO claims that its UNIX source code is integrated in unauthorized situation and puts a variety of proceedings for users, while Linux supporters think this is completely unfounded.
For this issue, other open source projects take different roads. SENDMAIL that has emerged in the initial period of Internet growth has set up a company Sendmail Inc. Its commercial products are based on open source projects to provide additional functions to enterprise users, including legal protection, etc. Now it has 40% of the mail server market. Sendmail Inc. Chairman and founder Greg Olson describes this project to be more open than other projects - their policy is to make experiments and tests by users, especially for the construction of new email standards that prevent raging spam tide. . In fact, traditional enterprises such as Sendmail, Yahoo and other traditional enterprises, test their anti-spam projects. "Frankly, we are not holding the world to change the world to open source political tasks," Greg Olson said. "We think it is useful, this may be the best way to promote innovation, or develop a new standard."
Business player
Open source also attracted the attention of traditional technology companies. IBM, HP and Sun have recently begun to hang the banner of open source supporters. Unlike those projects that have appeared in the initial period of the computer or the Internet, these enterprises have their ultimate goals. "They actually hang" open source "sheep's head to sell other" dog meat ", study the analyst of the company Meta Group." Show points. Enterprises will not open their own technologies for the public interest, and they open source is to sell other technologies. "
However, the emergence of open source software and adopts Tim O'Reilly (famous science and technology book writer) seems to be a fundamental change in the software industry. Software is already very commodified as computers in the 1980s, as Microsoft and Intel and other companies. By using the open platform profit, business is constantly looking for ways to survive on open source.
Emerging companies first benefit
At the same time, many traditional software companies even some open source developers have failed to fully adapt to this huge transformation. As a result, some emerging enterprises have threw those peers of those reactions that are not enough, this and IBM have a slow response in the PC revolutionary tide.
In a industry speech, O'Reilly made a simple question: How many people in the venue use Linux system? Only 10% of people raise their hands; then he asks how many people use Google? Almost everyone raised hands. In the end, he pointed out that this popular search engine is using Linux to support its 100,000 computers. Google's search algorithms are built on Linux.
"People use things that are displayed before their computer screen", he said. "This is a fundamental transformation, but the software industry has not fully adapted to this change."
