References

1

The Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation As an organized movement, free software got its start from Richard Stallman. The FSF Web site includes essays, licensing information, and links to indispensable software.

2

Overview of the GNU Project

All begun when Richard Stallman, the creator of GNU, wanted to create a completely free alternative for software users. In this web site you will find an extensive history of the GNU project. The GNU project was started in 1983 and was created to expand the availability of software. The web site gives an overview of the project detailing why the project was necessary. It also gives descriptions of the software that is available through the project.

3

A Brief History of Hackerdom Here is the abstract the author Eric S. Raymond gives of this essay :

I explore the origins of the hacker culture, including prehistory among the Real Programmers, the glory days of the MIT AI Lab, and how the early ARPANET nurtured the first network nation. Storm clouds over Jupiter. I describe the early rise and eventual stagnation of Unix, the new hope from Finland, and how `the last true hacker' became the next generation's patriarch. I sketch the way Linux and the mainstreaming of the Internet brought the hacker culture from the fringes of public consciousness to its current prominence.

4

The Cathedral and the Bazaar Here is the abstract the author Eric S. Raymond gives of this essay :

I anatomize a successful open-source project, fetchmail, that was run as a deliberate test of some surprising theories about software engineering suggested by the history of Linux. I discuss these theories in terms of two fundamentally different development styles, the ``cathedral'' model of most of the commercial world versus the ``bazaar'' model of the Linux world. I show that these models derive from opposing assumptions about the nature of the software-debugging task. I then make a sustained argument from the Linux experience for the proposition that ``Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow'', suggest productive analogies with other self-correcting systems of selfish agents, and conclude with some exploration of the implications of this insight for the future of software.

5

The Magic Cauldron Here is the abstract the author Eric S. Raymond gives of this essay:

This essay analyzes the evolving economic substrate of the open-source phenomenon. I first explode some prevalent myths about the funding of program development and the price structure of software. I then present a game-theory analysis of the stability of open-source cooperation. I present nine models for sustainable funding of open-source development; two non-profit, seven for-profit. I then continue to develop a qualitative theory of when it is economically rational for software to be closed. I then examine some novel additional mechanisms the market is now inventing to fund for-profit open-source development, including the reinvention of the patronage system and task markets. I conclude with some tentative predictions of the future.

6

Homesteading the Noosphere Here is the abstract the author Eric S. Raymond gives of this essay:

In this paper, I examine in detail the property and ownership customs of the open-source culture. Yes, it does have property customs -- and rather elaborate ones too, which reveal an underlying gift culture in which hackers compete amicably for peer repute. This analysis has large implications for anyone interested in organizing large-scale intellectual collaborations.

7

Business Case

The Open Source Case for Business

8

First Monday

First Monday is one of the first peer-reviewed journals on the Internet, solely devoted to the Internet. First Monday publishes original articles about the Internet and the Global Information Infrastructure.

9

How to Replace Windows NT with Linux

Migrate With Confidence From Microsoft Windows NT and Windows 2000 to UNIX/Linux. A white paper by Jon C. LeBlanc.

10

Selling Free Software

The key to success for free software firms is writing a warranty that both limits corporate liability and attracts customers. That, and wrapping an effect service and support offering around GPL'ed products.

11

The Business decision

The choise of adopting an open source licence for Zope. A Paul Everitt's essay.

12

Tour of open-source startups

A list of the leading start-ups - from the latest to jumping on the Linux bandwagon to the early adopters of the commercializing impulse. Beyond the rewards of community building, they're tapping multiple revenue streams to bolster their bottom line. A paper by Patricia Krueger May 1999.

13

MandrakeBizCases

Mandrakebizcases.com is an open forum to allow "Mandrakians" to share their experiences with Linux-Mandrake products in "real-world" scenarios. It illustrates the many creative ways in which Linux is being used in the enterprise to deliver powerful and flexible solutions.