Lecture

Open Source Software Evolution

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In course

HUM-122(b): Global issues: communication B

Ce cours présente les enjeux mondiaux de la communication en lien avec l'essor de l'intelligence artificielle (IA). L'approche interdisciplinaire intègre les SHS avec les sciences de l'ingénierie et initie au décryptage des enjeux sociaux, techniques et po ...

Description

This lecture explores the evolution of open-source software, from its origins in the sharing of software by hardware companies to the emergence of the software industry. It covers key milestones such as the GNU project, Linux development, and the role of platforms like GitHub. The lecture also delves into the concepts of open data and open science, discussing the benefits and challenges of making data and research openly accessible. Through examples like Wikipedia and the principles of commons-based peer production, the lecture highlights the collaborative nature and societal impact of open-source initiatives.

Instructors (3)

Rémi Philippe Lebret

James Richard Larus

Expertise James Larus is a Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the School of Computer and Communication Sciences (IC) at EPFL (école Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne). Before joining IC in October 2013, Larus was a researcher, manager, and director in Microsoft Research for over 16 years and an Assistant and Associate Professor in the Computer Sciences Department at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.Larus has been an active contributor to numerous communities. He published over 100 papers (with 14 be

Florian Lucas Jaton

Florian Jaton is a researcher and lecturer at EPFL (College of Humanities) and at the University of Lausanne (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences). He previously worked at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science at the University of California, at the Centre de sociologie de l'innovation at Mines Paris, and at the Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. His research interests are the sociology of algorithms, the philosophy of mathematics, and the history o

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Linux

Linux (ˈlɪnʊks ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which includes the kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name "GNU/Linux" to emphasize the use and importance of GNU software in many distributions, causing some controversy.

Linux kernel

The Linux kernel is a free and open-source, monolithic, modular, multitasking, Unix-like operating system kernel. It was originally written in 1991 by Linus Torvalds for his i386-based PC, and it was soon adopted as the kernel for the GNU operating system, which was written to be a free (libre) replacement for Unix. Linux is provided under the GNU General Public License version 2 only, but it contains files under other compatible licenses.

Open source

Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open-source model is a decentralized software development model that encourages open collaboration. A main principle of open-source software development is peer production, with products such as source code, blueprints, and documentation freely available to the public.

Open-source software

Open-source software (OSS) is computer software that is released under a license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and distribute the software and its source code to anyone and for any purpose. Open-source software may be developed in a collaborative, public manner. Open-source software is a prominent example of open collaboration, meaning any capable user is able to participate online in development, making the number of possible contributors indefinite.

GNU Project

The GNU Project (ɡnuː) is a free software, mass collaboration project announced by Richard Stallman on September 27, 1983. Its goal is to give computer users freedom and control in their use of their computers and computing devices by collaboratively developing and publishing software that gives everyone the rights to freely run the software, copy and distribute it, study it, and modify it. GNU software grants these rights in its license.

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