The Origins of Open Source
The free software movement grew in popularity and awareness throughout the 1980s and 1990s and attracted the attention of business interests. The release of the Netscape web browser as free software in 1998 amplified this attention. While businesses were intrigued by the potential of open software development, many were less thrilled with the strong political, philosophical, and activist nature of the free software movement and its supporters.
In early 1998, soon after the release of the Netscape code, several free software supporters gathered to discuss how the movement might make itself more palatable to business interests, in hopes of increasing the scope, reach, and contributors for open software development. ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access