The Open Source Way

THE OPEN SOURCE WAY
History of Free & Open Source Software[info]
David Kašpar [Dee'Kej]
Associate Software Engineer
c b a

OPEN SOURCE IS NOT NEW
HOW IT ALL STARTED?

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HOW IT ALL STARTED
Just hardware
selling business
SW development
costs increasing
dramatically
New restrictive
licenses
In the beginning almost all software was produced by academics and
corporate researchers, often shared as a public domain software…
< 1960s
~ 1970s

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< 1960s
HOW IT ALL STARTED #2
In the early 1970s, AT&T distributed early versions of UNIX to
government and academic researchers at no cost...
● no permission to (re)distribute any modifed versions
● UNIX has become widespread in the early 1980s
● AT&T started charging money for system patches
● software-only companies started charging money for licenses (new restrictions)
● Bill Gates wrote an essay Open Letter to Hobbyists [1976]
(illegal usage of Altair BASIC by hobbyists)
~ 1970s
~ 1980s

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< 1960s
INTERMEZZO #1 – HACKER
CULTURE
A new subculture in academia at the MIT has started to grow since 1960s.
● hack – practical jokes & pranks
● done anonymously, with precedent, tradition & ethics
● “Hall of Hacks” museum at MIT
● examples include Great Dome being converted to
R2-D2, full living room set hanging outside the
MIT Media Lab, etc.
~ 1970s

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< 1960s
INTERMEZZO #1 – WHO IS HACKER?
Jargon File defnes hacker like this:
"A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and
stretching their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn
only the minimum necessary."
● IBM 704 computer in the EAM room at MIT in 1959
● students sneaking into the EAM room after working hours,
to attempt programming of 30-ton, 2.7 meters tall computer...
● multiple hacker communities evolved in parallel
● rise in popular culture in 1980s
● hacker vs. cracker, script-kiddies
~ 1970s

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< 1960s
INTERMEZZO #1 – HACKER ETHICS
In 1984, the book Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution was released.
Steven Levy described the general principles of hacker ethics:
~ 1970s
● Sharing & Openness – technology can be liberating rather than oppressing
● Hands-On Imperative – always learn by doing frst
● Community & Collaboration – achieve more in a group rather as an individual
~ 1980s
“Information wants to be free.” - Stewart Brand

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< 1960s
INTERMEZZO #1 – HACKER ETHICS
Additionally other more specifc beliefs were part of hackers ethics:
● access to computers – should be unlimited and total
● all information should be free – so hackers can fx, improve & reinvent systems
● mistrust authority and promote decentralization – no boundaries between hacker
and piece of information; bureaucracies are fawed systems
● hackers should be judged by their hacking skill – not by degrees, age, race, sex, etc.
● you can create art & beauty on a computer – appreciation for innovative techniques
~ 1970s
~ 1980s

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"Playfully doing something diffcult,
whether useful or not, that is hacking."
RICHARD MATTHEW STALLMAN
HOW ITALL STARTED #3
● started studies at Harvard in 1970,
became a programmer at MIT in 1971
● became part of the hacker community
● continued his studies at MIT
● became AI research assistant in 1975
● co-author of nowadays still used
dependency-directed backtracking

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< 1960s
MITAI Laboratory owned several network connected XPG laser printers.
But one day, the university decided to go for an upgrade...
● new laser printer (Xerox 9700) with IEEE 1284 plug
● lots of signals for “Centronics plug” (36 pins total)
● “paper jammed” signal was not working
● RMS tried to fx the issues, but the company refused to help because of NDA
“I don't want software vendors to make divide between users and developers – if
I like the software I must be able to give it to anyone and share it.” - RMS
~ 1970s
~ 1980s

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< 1960s
In September 1983, as part of the part of the GNU Project, RMS announced
the plan for the new GNU operating system on several mailing lists, and left
his job at MIT in February 1984 to work fully on it...
● GNU Manifesto published in 1985
● Free Software Foundation (FSF) founded in 1985
● GNU C Compiler released in 1987
● GNU General Public Licence 1.0 (GPL) released in 1989
● most of the GNU OS completed by 1989 (emacs, gcc, gdb, make)
● development of GNU Hurd microkernel started in 1990
~ 1970s
~ 1980s

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< 1960s
INTERMEZZO #2
The resulting difference between copyright vs. GPL (copyleft):
● Copyright - “You have right to restrict others
from copying your work,
modifying the work, and
from distributing the work.”
● GNU GPL - “We will give you those rights...
And we will have only one requirement:
If you do distribute the work,
you have to do it under the same license.”
~ 1970s
~ 1980s

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“If you wanted something, you
(had to) built it. And then, if you
wanted something really special,
you shared it.” - Michael Tiemann
In 1989 Cygnus Solutions was founded – to prove that free software can work
as a business model as well...
● wanted to write the “great
American compiler” for C
● RMS was faster...

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“Talk is cheap, show me the code!”
LINUS BENEDICT TORVALDS
● studied at University of Helsinki
● created Linux kernel in 1991
● perfect timing of Linux release
● created another important project (?)
in 2005

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“Talk is cheap, show me the code!”
● studied at University of Helsinki
● created Linux kernel in 1991
● perfect timing of Linux release
● created git in 2005

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"Regression testing"? What's that?
If it compiles, it is good;
if it boots up, it is perfect.
● wanted to name Linux as … (?)
● but it was changed by FTP
administrator of the server
“Tux” by Larry Ewing, Simon Budig, Anja Gerwinski --

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"Regression testing"? What's that?
If it compiles, it is good;
if it boots up, it is perfect.
● wanted to name Linux as FREAX
● but it was changed by FTP
administrator of the server
“Tux” by Larry Ewing, Simon Budig, Anja Gerwinski --

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< 1960s
From: torvalds@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: What would you like to see most in minix?
Summary: small poll for my new operating system
Message-ID: <1991Aug25.205708.9541@klaava.Helsinki.FI>
Date: 25 Aug 91 20:57:08 GMT
Organization: University of Helsinki
“Hello everybody out there using minix –
I’m doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won’t be
big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has
been brewing since april, and is starting to get ready. I’d like
any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS
resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-
system (due to practical reasons) among other things).
~ 1970s
~ 1980s
~ 1970s 1991

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< 1960s
...
I’ve currently ported bash(1.08) and gcc(1.40), and things seem
to work. This implies that I’ll get something practical within a
few months, and I’d like to know what features most people
would want. Any suggestions are welcome, but I won’t
promise I’ll implement them :-)
Linus (torvalds@kruuna.helsinki.fi)
PS. Yes – it’s free of any minix code, and it has a multi-
threaded fs. It is NOT protable (uses 386 task switching etc),
and it probably never will support anything other than AT-
harddisks, as that’s all I have :-(.”
~ 1970s
~ 1980s
~ 1970s 1991

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INTERMEZZO #3
“Which leads me to 3 fundamental
theories about the whole IT
industry:
1) It all happened by accident.
2) It was done by amateurs.
3) Nothing has really changed.”
– Jan Wildeboer
[Free & Open Source Evangelist]

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< 1960s
~ 1970s
~ 1980s
~ 1970s 1991
Marc Ewing used to wear red lacrosse cap in laboratories of Carnegie
Mellon University – to be more easily found when other students needed
some help with their computer...
● founded Red Hat Software in 1993
● frst release of Red Hat Linux distribution in 1994
● Bob Young bought Ewing’s business in 1995
● Red Hat became publicly traded company in 1999,
as the frst purely Open Source Software company in the history
● Matthew Szulik became the new CEO of Red Hat in 1999
● Red Hat acquired Cygnus Solutions company the same day
1993
1994
1995
1999

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Bob Young & Marc Ewing
● Bullet
● Bullet
● Bullet
“You wouldn't buy a car
with the hood welded
shut, would you?”
– Bob Young
Co-founders of Red Hat company.

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“Everybody should be able to run
his own server, and share
documents they want.”
– Sir Tim Berners-Lee
CompuServe and AOL were major companies for networking, but their
networks were proprietary…
● frst versions of WWW,
HTML and HTTP in 1998
● to make it work, we need
standards that are OPEN
http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/FAQ.html
OPEN STANDARDS > Open Source Software

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“Remember the refrain: We always build on the past; the past always tries to
stop us. Freedom is about stopping the past, but we have lost that ideal.”
– prof. Lawrence Lessig
● founded Open Source Initiative (OSI)
in 1998
● founded Creative Commons in 2001
(non-proft organization & set of
licenses)
● to expand the amount of creative
works available to others
● to build upon work of others and share
it – all completely legally

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< 1960s
WIKIPEDIA IS LAUNCHED
~ 1970s
~ 1980s
~ 1970s 1991
● the earliest known proposal for online
encyclopedia made by Rick Gates in 1993
● in 2000 RMS proposed new concept of a
free-as-in-freedom online encyclopedia
● crucial idea that “no central organization
should control the editing”
● competed with Microsoft Encarta,
Encyclopædia Britannica and Nupedia
1993
1994
1995
1998
1999
2001

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< 1960s
INTERMEZZO #4
~ 1970s
~ 1980s
~ 1970s 1991
During early days of Linux, it was not taken seriously...
“Linux is the Hype de Jour.” - Gartner Group [1999]
“We think of Linux as a competitor in the student and hobbyist market.
But I really don't think in the commercial market we'll see it in any
signifcant way” - Bill Gates [2001]
“Linux is a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to
everything it touches.” - Steve Ballmer [2001]
1993
1994
1995
1998
1999
2001

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INTERMEZZO #4
Q1: Why should I bother with something
which is not taken seriously?
Q2: Why should I work on something that can be used for free?
That will not pay my monthly bills…
Have you ever heard the follow up quote before?
“640K ought to be enough for anybody.”
!= Bill Gates [1981]

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< 1960s
~ 1970s
~ 1980s
~ 1970s 1991
Since the start of the company, Red Hat Linux was released every 6 months.
It was our the only source of revenue. In 2003, Red Hat took a leap of faith...
1993
1994
1995
1998
1999
2001
● Red Hat Linux was retired,
RHEL & Fedora Core were spawned
● new business model created:
the SUBSCRIPTION MODEL
● Red Hat has become service
providing and technology company
● continued growth supported by
additional company acquisitions
2003

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< 1960s
~ 1970s
~ 1980s
~ 1970s 1991
Since the start of the company, Red Hat Linux was released every 6 months.
It was our the only source of revenue. In 2003, Red Hat took a leap of faith...
1993
1994
1995
1998
1999
2001
2003
“Linux isn’t going away.
Linux is a serious competitor.
We will rise to this challenge.”
– Steve Ballmer [2003]

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< 1960s
ANOTHER IMPORTANT MILESTONES
~ 1970s
~ 1980s
~ 1970s 1991
1993
1994
1995
1998
1999
2001
2003
● Red Hat appointed new CEO – Jim Whitehurst – in 2007
● Red Hat reached 1 billion $ revenue in 2012,
as a frst purely Open Source company in the World
● Microsoft appointed new CEO – Satya Nadella – in 2014
● .NET Core source code released publicly on github.com later in 2014
● Jim Whitehurst wrote The Open Organization book in 2015
2006
2012
2014
2015

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< 1960s
ANOTHER IMPORTANT MILESTONES
~ 1970s
~ 1980s
~ 1970s 1991
1993
1994
1995
1998
1999
2001
2003
In November 2015, something unexpected happen…
Microsoft and Red Hat announced partnership!
“With Red Hat and the leader in enterprise cloud workloads joining
forces, our customers are the winners today, as we unite on common
solutions to help them solve challenges in this hybrid cloud.”
– Paul Cormier
2006
2012
2014
2015

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OPEN SOURCE IS NOT JUST LINUX
CURRENT STATUS #1
It’s really much more…

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NOT JUST AN ALTERNATIVE
Many enterprise companies look at the
Open Source solutions as their default choice.
OPEN SOURCE IS EVERYWHERE
CURRENT STATUS #2
More than 90% of Fortune 500 companies
Used Red Hat solutions in year 2014. All of these
solutions are based on Open Source technologies.
HEADHUNTERS ARE LOOKING
For people actively engaged in Open Source projects.

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RED HAT’S MISSION
We are not here just to make money… Our company’s mission statement is:
“To be the catalyst in communities of customers, contributors,
and partners creating better technology the open source way.”
UPSTREAM FIRST RULE
We draw and derive a lot from Open Source communities.
Protect these communities, and give back to them.
FIGHT THE PATENT TROLLS
We protect both our customers and Open Source
communities from destructive work of patent trolls...

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CREATIVE COMMONS
Red Hat helped to start the Creative Commons initiative.
RED HAT’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
We are not here just to make money…
OPENSOURCE.COM
Red Hat launched new website to show how & where the
Open Source principles helped outside the IT industry.
WOMEN IN OPEN SOURCE AWARD
We know diversity makes us stronger, and we need more
women in IT industry… Red Hat recognizes these
women’s contributions to Open Source world.

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SHADOWMAN LOGO
This is not just a regular “logo”. It represents our history of
doing the right thing, and the confdence that brings...
“It’s a symbol of our early days,
when our founders embraced our
outsider, subversive, revolutionary
reputation and ran with it…”

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SHADOWMAN LOGO
This is not just a regular “logo”. It represents our history of
doing the right thing, and the confdence that brings...
“It’s a symbol of our early days,
when our founders embraced our
outsider, subversive, revolutionary
reputation and ran with it…”
But - Shadowman needs to evolve...

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WHAT IS THE OPEN SOURCE WAY?
Applying the Open Source Software development principles beyond the
software & technology… There are 5 principles of the Open Source Way:
● open exchange – we want to learn more
● participation – we are free to collaborate and to create
● rapid prototyping – at some point we will fail, accept it!
So fail early, learn by doing, and fnd betters solutions faster as a result.
● meritocracy – best ideas win, no matter whom they come from
● community – common purpose brings us together
=>> Way of life to change the world around us! :)

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APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES
What can we achieve when we use the Open Source Way? [Click for videos]
VENKY HARIHARAN
Fmr Corporate Affairs Dir
Red Hat India
TOM DELBANCO, MD
Co-founder of OpenNotes
Harvard Medical School
JON SHCULL
Research scientist & founder of
e-NABLE
“If you get it right, if you are
able to drive some good
changes, it’s not just a small
localized dis, but it has an
effect on a lot of people.”
“It’s basically the notion we
should share equally.
We should be totally
transparent with what
we’re thinking”
“I like to say we make
children smile, we make
parents weep, and
we make nerds rejoice.”

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CALEB HARPER
Director of Open Agriculture
Initiative, MIT Media Lab
NATHAN COLLINS
Science Writer
Pacifc Standard
MARK LIM
Director of Government Digital
Services of Singapore
“We are on the verge of a
revolution in agriculture,
because our system is
starting to fail.”
“Just as we learn our
biases from the world
around us, AI will learn
its biases from us.”
“Technology is not our main
objective at all. The only
thing we are interested
in is the people.”

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FINAL THOUGHT
“Would you rather fy in a plane that has been inspected
for safety by 10 inspectors, or 100, or 1000 times? When it
comes to fnding problems, more eyes are always better.”
WE CAN DO MORE
WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER!

THANK YOU
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