Linux.
Traditionally,
software projects are developed by a closed group
of developers. The source code is not accessible to
anybody outside this closed group.
Sometimes, in fairly large projects, even the developers
do not have access to the complete source code.
Today much software is developed on the Internet by
developers who are spread across the globe. The source
code to the software is freely available to be reviewed
and improved by anybody who has the knowledge or the
interest.
Apache, KDE, GNOME etc. are some examples of such
an approach. Open Source refers to any software that
is developed in the open and distributed in this manner.
Linux
is perhaps the best known example of the success and
virtue of such an approach.
Linux
is an operating system which believes in the open-source
technology.
Here, the source code is openly available for rectifications/modifications/improvements.
It also facilitates direct interaction between the
developer and the end user.
Linux
therefore promotes a 'free software which is open
for modifications/improvements.
No wonder, the system is gaining tremendous popularity
within a short span of time.
It
has for various reasons gained popularity in a very
short span of time which has made it the 'talk of
the town' today. This classic combination of open
source solutions has given rise to a stable, low cost
solution for most computing needs.
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