Netscape Communications Corp. today followed through on a recent promise to make its Communicator client source code publicly accessible.
Netscape has created a Web site that will be maintained by a dedicated team within Netscape to "promote, foster and guide open dialog and development of Netscape's client source code," the company said in a statement.
The Web site will act as a focal point for developers interested in modifying and redistributing Netscape Communicator 5.0 client source, the company said. It will allow developers to download the source code, post enhancements to it and take part in newsgroup discussions, or share Communicator-related information with Netscape and others in the Internet community, the company said.
Following the example of the Linux shareware Unix operating system, Netscape hopes that by making its source code available to the Internet community, the company will be able to integrate cutting edge enhancements into its Web browser that were generated by an array of developers.
"The popularity and success of Apache, the Linux operating system, the BSD version of UNIX and many other software applications prove the value and impact of open source development," Linux creator Linus Torvalds said in Netscape's statement.
Netscape plans to make the Netscape Communicator 5.0 source code available later this quarter, alongside the first developer release of the product, the company said.
