Where did open source come from?
It is 20 years since Linux, the cornerstone of the open source revolution, was conceived by its creator, Linus Torvalds. The free version of operating system Unix was designed to be transportable across different computer platforms and has been developed by a community of enthusiasts. Today, in 2011, Linux has quietly permeated most sectors and IT departments: Google, Facebook, Twitter or Android are based on Linux user while it’s embedded in many a mission-critical system too.
Why it is in the news?
As well as being the twentieth anniversary of Linux, the computer giant Oracle has handed its office productivity software to the open-source community for future development. In the public sector, open source is getting a fillip, too. OS products struggle to get official clearance from security gatekeeper, GCHQ, but the Cabinet Office recently urged all departments to make greater use of open standard products. Government determination to see public sector projects broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks should also see the introduction of more OS-based components.
What are the main skills?
Linux is the signature open source operating system kernel. Apache, an HTTP or web server is another keynote product developed and maintained by an open community of developers. It runs on a Unix-like operating system and since 1996 has been the busiest web server software on the planet. Eclipse is another open source towering presence in many software development projects. The multi-language software development environment is written mostly in Java, but a plug-in means it can be used with other languages including Perl, Cobol, ADA and many others.
How is open source radical?
"The open source movement mandates free redistribution of software and subsequent amendments, plus access to source code. Initially, when I got involved it seemed counter-intuitive. I was trained in a developer role to write a specification, which we then built and tested against. Development of Linux was much more iterative and collaborative. The methodology depends on expert peer review as once code is published in the public domain, everyone can view it. The ethos of developers receiving and offering feedback leads to a virtuous circle of constant quality improvement."
Adam Jollans, program director, software strategy, IBM
Is open source software secure?
"The community believes that because code can be viewed by everyone, it is easier to spot holes and to fix them. Governments are also asking for certification and we are working to provide those. An initiative by the US National Security Agency resulted in the release of a security-enhanced Linux system back to the community in 2002. This version of Linux has a strong, flexible mandatory access control architecture incorporated into the major subsystems of the kernel. The enhancement provides a mechanism to enforce the separation of information based on confidentiality and integrity."
Adam Jollans, program director, software strategy, IBM
Business intelligence
"The Open Source community, harnessed by Jaspersoft has just evolved business intelligence into three layers, architecture, data and interface. This separation is into three layers is ahead of the mainstream developers to finesse their piece of functionality without being hindered by the code or constraints of the other two. The business intelligence builder, who is responsible for the interfaces - dashboards and data analytics - part, can get on with that without worrying about the code in the architecture piece, or the getting bogged down in data. "
Tom Cahill vice president EMEA at Jaspersoft
What are the limitations of OS products?
"Their relative lack of maturity compared to the more robust, proprietary products that have been around much longer. This usually manifests in a lack of functionality. In the business intelligence field, for example, market leaders such as Business Objects and SAS have heavier-duty analytics such as balanced scorecards. The beauty of the OS versions is that they can be produced at a lower price point and can be made available to a broad population, rather than reserved for the information elite. "
Tom Cahill vice president EMEA at Jaspersoft
Why should developers and system managers get involved?
"As a developer, you are a dinosaur if you’re not involved in open source. Innovation in information technology is in the open source community, period. The pace of innovation is chiefly being driven by demographic reasons. Globally, for every person that retires from the workforce, several more are joining it and these newcomers are huge consumers of IT both at home and in their business lives. Satisfying consumer appetite for IT can only realistically be done in a collaborative, open source style because the cost of development per capita is much lower."
Tom Cahill vice president EMEA at Jaspersoft
How can you get involved?
"Working alongside the core maintainers of key software projects can make you far more effective in your day job. If you use Apache Wicket in your company and you have a specific issue you need to address, being a ‘committer’ on Wicket means you have access to the best minds and the tools. Participation can thus make your requirements a reality. But we mustn't forget that our communities are fun communities. Enhancing your career potential, learning new skills and strengthening your CV are all great. But to have fun whilst doing it is the real joy."
Ross Gardler, vice president of community development, Apache Software Foundation
How can students get involved?
The Apache Software Foundation Mentoring Programme is open to anyone, who can join a project and get a taste of coding documentation, translations, design and testing. Work done at the ASF is public and potential employers can see this work, too, and evaluate the mentee’s ability to work in a team and to contribute. It can be a big plus point in an interview situation. To work alongside some of the best software developers in the world is huge an opportunity and I've certainly learned far more through being involved with the ASF than I have in anything else I have done.
Ross Gardler, vice president of community development, Apache Software Foundation
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