Revolution OS is a 2001 documentary which traces the history of GNU, Linux, and the open source and free software movements. It features ... all » several
interviews with prominent hackers and entrepreneurs (and
hackers-cum-entrepreneurs), including Richard Stallman, Michael
Tiemann, Linus Torvalds, Larry Augustin, Eric S. Raymond, Bruce Perens,
Frank Hecker and Brian Behlendorf.
The film begins in medias res with an IPO, and then sets the
historical stage by showing the beginnings of software development back
in the day when software was shared on paper tape for the price of the
paper itself. It then segues to Bill Gates's Open Letter to Hobbyists
in which he asks Computer Hobbyists to not share, but to buy software.
(This letter was written by Gates when Microsoft was still based in
Arizona and spelled "Micro-Soft".) Richard Stallman then explains how
and why he left the MIT Lab for Artificial Intelligence in order to
devote his life to the development of free software, as well as how he
started with the GNU project.
Linus Torvalds is interviewed on his development of the Linux
kernel as well as on the GNU/Linux naming controversy and Linux's
further evolution, including its commercialization.
Richard Stallman remarks on some of the ideological aspects of
open source vis-รก-vis Communism and capitalism and well as on several
aspects of the development of GNU/Linux.
Michael Tiemann (interviewed in a desert) tells how he met
Stallman and got an early version of Stallman's GCC and founded Cygnus
Solutions.
Larry Augustin tells how he combined the resulting GNU
software and a normal PC to create a UNIX-like Workstation which cost
one third the price of a workstation by Sun Microsystems even though it
was three times as powerful. His narrative includes his early dealings
with venture capitalists, the eventual capitalization and
commodification of Linux for his own company, VA Linux, and ends with
its IPO.
Frank Hecker of Netscape tells how Netscape executives
released the source code for Netscape's browser, one of the signal
events which made Open Source a force to be reckoned with by business
executives, the mainstream media, and the public at large.
(this text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License)
Revolution OS - Google Video
interviews with prominent hackers and entrepreneurs (and
hackers-cum-entrepreneurs), including Richard Stallman, Michael
Tiemann, Linus Torvalds, Larry Augustin, Eric S. Raymond, Bruce Perens,
Frank Hecker and Brian Behlendorf.
The film begins in medias res with an IPO, and then sets the
historical stage by showing the beginnings of software development back
in the day when software was shared on paper tape for the price of the
paper itself. It then segues to Bill Gates's Open Letter to Hobbyists
in which he asks Computer Hobbyists to not share, but to buy software.
(This letter was written by Gates when Microsoft was still based in
Arizona and spelled "Micro-Soft".) Richard Stallman then explains how
and why he left the MIT Lab for Artificial Intelligence in order to
devote his life to the development of free software, as well as how he
started with the GNU project.
Linus Torvalds is interviewed on his development of the Linux
kernel as well as on the GNU/Linux naming controversy and Linux's
further evolution, including its commercialization.
Richard Stallman remarks on some of the ideological aspects of
open source vis-รก-vis Communism and capitalism and well as on several
aspects of the development of GNU/Linux.
Michael Tiemann (interviewed in a desert) tells how he met
Stallman and got an early version of Stallman's GCC and founded Cygnus
Solutions.
Larry Augustin tells how he combined the resulting GNU
software and a normal PC to create a UNIX-like Workstation which cost
one third the price of a workstation by Sun Microsystems even though it
was three times as powerful. His narrative includes his early dealings
with venture capitalists, the eventual capitalization and
commodification of Linux for his own company, VA Linux, and ends with
its IPO.
Frank Hecker of Netscape tells how Netscape executives
released the source code for Netscape's browser, one of the signal
events which made Open Source a force to be reckoned with by business
executives, the mainstream media, and the public at large.
(this text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License)
Revolution OS - Google Video
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