Product: 0738203335

The most recent previous review is now about three years old, so an update may not be out of place. This book is a decade old, published shortly after the turn of the millennium and, more importantly, a couple of years after Gnu/Linux and the open source movement finally hit the big-time; i.e., acceptance by, and endorsements from, some of the major players in the computer arena, like IBM, Sun, Dell, Intel, etc.

The author boasts that, at the time of writing, the Apache (open source) server software was used on about 25% of servers on the internet; today that figure has tripled to an astounding (approx.) 75% share! The Gnu/Linux operating system, largely fueled by the Ubuntu distribution and the Gnome and KDE desktops (GUIs), is used by a respectable share of the desktop computer community world-wide, and is growing at a healthy rate.

While the author’s predictions for the future of Gnu/Linux and open source software was decidedly optimistic, it was still somewhat tentative. However, subsequent growth during the last decade has been phenomenal. Not only does it appear that open source software is here to stay; it may even eventually come to dominate over traditional costly, proprietary software. There is now no shortage of experienced computer users, myself included, who are willing to make the case that the Gnu/Linux operating system, the Apache server, and the Firefox browser are much superior to the offerings of their closed source, for-profit competitors (e.g., Microsoft and Apple).

This book is still an excellent place to start for anyone interested in both the history of, and philosophy behind, open source software. Here’s where to learn about the formative years and the leading figures behind the movement, larger than life characters like Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds, Eric Raymond, Larry Walls, etc. It’s also a good place to learn just why it is that the open source method of creating software has been able to produce such superb products. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5
0738203335
Count: 10