open source

Why You Should Do It Yourself

Bring back the DIY movement and start with your own Linux servers. It wasn't very long ago that we lived in a society where it was a given that average people would do things themselves. There was a built-in assumption that you would perform basic repairs on household items, do general maintenance and repairs on your car, mow your lawn, cook your food and patch your clothes. The items around you reflected this assumption with visible and easy-to-access screws, spare buttons sewn on the bottom of shirts and user-replaceable parts.

The Fight for Control: Andrew Lee on Open-Sourcing PIA

When I learned that our new sister company, Private Internet Access (PIA), was opening its source code, I immediately wanted to know the backstory, especially since privacy is the theme of this month's Linux Journal. So I contacted Andrew Lee, who founded PIA, and an interview ensued. Here it is. DS: What made you start PIA in the first place? Did you have a particular population or use case—or set of use cases—in mind?

The GDPR Takes Open Source to the Next Level

Richard Stallman will love the new GDPR. It's not every day that a new law comes into force that will have major implications for digital industries around the globe. It's even rarer when a such law will also bolster free software's underlying philosophy. But the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will be enforced from May 25, 2018, does both of those things, making its appearance one of the most important events in the history of open source.

ONNX: the Open Neural Network Exchange Format

An open-source battle is being waged for the soul of artificial intelligence. It is being fought by industry titans, universities and communities of machine-learning researchers world-wide. This article chronicles one small skirmish in that fight: a standardized file format for neural networks. At stake is the open exchange of data among a multitude of tools instead of competing monolithic frameworks.

Best Content Management System

WordPress is the Content Management System winner in the 2018 Linux Journal Readers' Choice Awards. Note that the contenders were nominated by readers via Twitter. Here's the breakdown:

Do I Have to Use a Free/Open Source License?

Open source? Proprietary? What license should I use to release my software? A few weeks ago I ran into a neighbor, whom I'll call Leo, while he was out taking his dogs to the park. Leo stopped me to ask about some software he's developing. "Hey, you do open source stuff for companies, right?" Leo asked. "Yeah, that's my freelance business. Do you need some help with something?"

Introducing Zero-K, a Real-Time Strategy Game for Linux

Zero-K is a game where teams of robots fight for metal, energy and dominance. They use any strategy, tactic or gimmick known to machine. Zero-K is a game for players by players, and it runs natively on GNU/Linux and Microsoft Windows.

For Open-Source Software, the Developers Are All of Us

"We are stronger together than on our own." This is a core principle that many people adhere to in their daily lives. Whether we are overcoming adversity, fighting the powers that be, protecting our livelihoods or advancing our business strategy, this mantra propels people and ideas to success.

Say Hi to Subutai

I learned about Subutai from Philip Sheldrake of the Digital Life Collective (and much else) and thought it deserved attention here at Linux Journal, so I offered this space for that. Alex Karasulu did most of the writing, but it was a team effort with help from Jon 'maddog' Hall, Philip Sheldrake and Steve Taylor.—Doc Searls

The Actually Distributed Web

I thought my mind was through getting blown until I heard in mid-June 2017 that Brave raised $35 million in less than 30 seconds, though an ICO (Initial Coin Offering). I did know IC

Linux for Everyone—All 7.5 Billion of Us

Linux has long since proven it's possible for one operating system to work for everyone—also that there's an approach to development that opens and frees code so everyone can use it, improve it and assure its freedoms spread to everyone doing the same.

Open Source Comes of Age

As of today (June 1, 2017), we've been talking about open source for exactly 19 years, 3 months and 23 days. The start date was February 8, 1998, when Eric S. Raymond distributed an open letter by email with the subject line Goodbye, "free software"; hello, "open source".

A Cool Project for Microsoft: Adopt Linux

"Do you know Linux? WE AE HIRING!" That's what billboards from HostGator have been saying for the past several years. That company is not alone. Demand for Linux talent is high and getting higher.

Free and Open—and Their Opposites

A linguistic look at some tenets of Linux. Merriam-Webster defines a tenet as "a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true; especially one held in common by members of an organization, movement, or profession." As it happens, Linux is claimed by two doctrines that are to some degree at odds: those of free software and open source. This contention began when Eric S. Raymond published "Goodbye, 'free software'; hello, 'open source'", on February 8, 1998. Here's an excerpt:

Kickstarter for Open-Source Projects?

The Web site http://www.kickstarter.com is an interesting place. Basically, it's a site that allows people to invest in various projects, giving people real money to develop an idea. Those ideas vary from film-making to programming video games, but the concept is the same regardless of the project.