The History of Open Source
From the early days of computing to the modern open source movement
1950s - 1960s: The Beginning
In the early days of computing, software was typically shared among researchers and academics. The concept of proprietary software hadn't yet taken hold, and sharing source code was common practice.
1970s: The Rise of Proprietary Software
As the software industry grew, companies began to see software as a product rather than a tool. This led to the rise of proprietary software and the beginning of software licensing.
1983: The GNU Project
Richard Stallman launched the GNU Project, aiming to create a complete Unix-like operating system composed entirely of free software. This marked the beginning of the free software movement.
1985: The Free Software Foundation
Stallman founded the Free Software Foundation (FSF) to support the free software movement and promote the development and use of free software.
1991: Linux is Born
Linus Torvalds released the first version of the Linux kernel, which would become one of the most successful open source projects in history.
1998: The Term "Open Source" is Coined
The term "open source" was coined at a strategy session held in Palo Alto, California, to promote the concept of free software to businesses.
2000s: The Rise of Open Source
Major companies began adopting open source software, and projects like Apache, MySQL, and PHP became essential parts of the internet infrastructure.
Present Day
Open source has become a fundamental part of modern software development, with major tech companies contributing to and relying on open source projects. The movement continues to grow and evolve.
Key Figures in Open Source History
Richard Stallman
Founder of the GNU Project and Free Software Foundation
Linus Torvalds
Creator of Linux and Git
Eric S. Raymond
Author of "The Cathedral and the Bazaar"