Introduction
You have probably heard something about "open source" and "free"
software solutions such as Linux, Perl or Apache. Many people have the mistaken
impression that open source software is not for serious or large web sites. Let's
dispel that myth right now. Etoys.com was the third busiest e-commerce site during
the 2000 Christmas season. They served over 2.5 million page views and processed
20,000 orders per hour. Etoys was built using Perl running the Apache server under
the Linux operating system, all open source software tools. Interested in learning
more? This article will teach you about the benefits of using open source software.
What is Open Source Software?
Open Source software generally is distributed under a license that guarantees
the right to read, modify, redistribute and use the software freely. Open source
software may be developed by community of programmers interested in developing
a software application for a specific purpose. Companies may also develop open
source software. These companies will distribute their software for free and make
their money from support contracts and customized development.
Much of the open source software is distributed under the GNU General Public
License (GNU GPL). The GNU GPL allows you to copy, use, modify, redistribute
the software but prohibits companies or individuals from making modified versions
proprietary. Richard Stallman, a McArthur genius award recipient, developed this
license, in order to encourage the development of a software sharing community.
Tens of thousands of developers and several large corporations such as IBM, Sun
Microsystems, and Intel have chosen to participate in the open source software
movement. Some of most successful and robust software on the web today has been
developed under this license.
Contents of this Article
Open Source Dominates the Web
Benefits of Open Source Technology
What Development Platforms are Used by Celestial
Graphics
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