From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Jun 2 16:54:25 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 118251065670 for ; Tue, 2 Jun 2009 16:54:25 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from kline@thought.org) Received: from aristotle.thought.org (ns1.thought.org [209.180.213.210]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A5BF58FC31 for ; Tue, 2 Jun 2009 16:54:24 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from kline@thought.org) Received: from aristotle.thought.org (aristotle.thought.org [10.47.0.240]) by aristotle.thought.org (8.14.2/8.14.2) with ESMTP id n52GtSGj023554; Tue, 2 Jun 2009 09:55:28 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from kline@aristotle.thought.org) Received: (from kline@localhost) by aristotle.thought.org (8.14.2/8.14.2/Submit) id n52GtRjI023552; Tue, 2 Jun 2009 09:55:27 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from kline) Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 09:55:27 -0700 From: Gary Kline To: Steve Bertrand Message-ID: <20090602165527.GA23405@thought.org> References: <4d3f56c90906020812t40c5fcbv178bcd7f702356f@mail.gmail.com> <4A2550C1.6060702@ibctech.ca> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <4A2550C1.6060702@ibctech.ca> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i X-Organization: Thought Unlimited. Public service Unix since 1986. X-Of_Interest: With 21 of service to the Unix community. X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.8 required=3.6 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.2.3 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.2.3 (2007-08-08) on aristotle.thought.org Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, madunix Subject: Re: Open_Source X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:54:25 -0000 On Tue, Jun 02, 2009 at 12:18:09PM -0400, Steve Bertrand wrote: > madunix wrote: > > Dear Experts, > > > > I want to know out of your experience people the following, > > > 1- How open source served your businesses requirements? > > Our business would likely not exist if it weren't for Open Source > (and/or free) software. Other than our Windows workstations, a few > Windows servers, Cisco IOS and a few other specifics here-and-there, we > are all open source. > > Everything is FreeBSD. > > > 2- What kind of application that running on Open Source? > > Pretty much everything: > > - routers (Quagga BGP, OSPF etc) > - RADIUS > - web servers > - email servers > - database servers > - backup (AMANDA) > - infrastructure config management (RANCID) > - performance graphing (MRTG) > - performance testing (iperf etc) > - troubleshooting (tcpdump, wireshark etc) > - traffic engineering (ipfw etc) > - communications (firefox, thunderbird) > - and hundreds more > > > 3- General experience with Open Source technology? > > Very, very good. I find though that the more you give, the more you get out. > > In our environment, things are very dynamic, and very custom. We can > change software live-time to make it do what we need it to do. Being > able to look into the source code makes it very easy to write custom > applications that 'hook in' to existing ones. > > Steve Yes! Like Glen (prev post), I occassionally look at the src to see how something was coded; this gave my own coding abilities a boost and didn't hurt the original code a whit. Interesting how muvh we can learn from one another, isn't it? The only rationale I've heard for closed source is that somebody could steal the idea. Or get a jump on creating a clone. My experience has been that EVERY bit of commercial code could be open; people would still want/need/demand/pay-for *support*. gary -- Gary Kline kline@thought.org www.thought.org Public Service Unix http://jottings.thought.org http://transfinite.thought.org For FBSD list: http://transfinite.thought.org/slicejourney.php