* What the Windows net guru should know about open source
Whenever I mention open source software, or the Linux operating system, I can be sure of getting lots of “interesting” mail in my inbox. There’s a good bit of confusion about open source software among members of the general public, journalists of the general press and even among those of us who should know better.
Most people who have heard the term “open source software” know that it has something to do with the Linux operating system, but they’re often confused about what the relationship is. Many are equally confused about the difference between the open source movement and the free software movement (https://www.gnu.org/), or even if there is a difference.
You, as the Windows networking guru in your enterprise, are often called on to “defend” the Windows operating system (as if there were only one) and the rest of the Microsoft software catalog from a hodgepodge of arguments that are concocted from an odd amalgam of bits from Linux, open source software and the free software movement. If you rely on logic alone then there’s no hope of winning the argument. If you even think there’s a way to win the argument, then you can’t win. But if you have a better understanding of how Linux, open source and even “free software” fit into the IT landscape, then you might be able to persuade your debate opponent that you have won. Even more, you might discover some tools, services, and applications that can be useful to you.
Over the next few issues, we’ll look at the triumvirate of Linux, open source software and the GNU/free software movement from the perspective of a Windows network. We’ll see how they interrelate and how they differ. For starters, while Linux is an example of open source software and while there is a version of Linux released under the GNU license, neither open source nor GNU/free software should be considered synonymous with Linux. Note also that “open source” does not, by any means, mean free. Nor does GNU-licensed “free” software equate to public domain software. There are a lot of issues, a lot of confusion but there’s also a lot to learn.
In the next issue, we’ll put the Linux operating system under our microscope and examine where it came from, why and where it appears to be headed. We’ll also look to see if it should be considered a replacement for Windows or could it actually fill a role as a compliment to your Windows servers. Fasten your seat belts.
