Free for All: How LINUX and the Free Software Movement Undercut the High-Tech Titans [Hardcover]

Peter Wayner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 13, 2000

How Linux and the free software movement undercut the high-tech titans. A riveting look at the rise and popular acceptance of Linux and how free software is changing the nature of business and wealth. Linux and the Free Software Movement began its siege on the seemingly unshakeable Microsoft in 1999. But the story began as far back as 1984 when Richard Stallman, a prolific code writer, founded the Free Software Movement in an effort to break the bureaucratic stranglehold he saw forming in the computer industry. Enter Linus Torvalds in the early'90s, a coding genius and a long-time Stallman disciple, who became the master of Linux code. The result: a marketplace where the best software solutions win and monolithic computer Goliaths are faced with the proverbial David. Free for All tells the fascinating story of how a simple idea provided a framework that organised thousands of open code users and revolutionised the nature of business. It also tells how a group of passionate people have dedicated their lives to creating software that's easier--and cheaper--than Microsoft's to use.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Can you get rich selling free software? It's a question that's got Wall Street excited, computer makers curious, and Bill Gates nervous. Peter Wayner's Free for All explores the history of open-source programming, its emerging threat to Microsoft, and its struggle to retain its ideals in the face of big money.

Like Eric Raymond's The Cathedral and the Bazaar, Free for All outlines the arguments for leaving software source code open and free for anyone to tinker with. But Wayner's account delves deeper into the politics of the movement, reading like a high-tech soap opera. Brash and colorful characters populate the pages: Richard Stallman, the quasi-communist coder who has done as much to inspire open source as he has to alienate big business; Linus Torvalds, the self-effacing grad student whose talent for organizing the work of others resulted in the bombproof operating system Linux; and libertarian techno-philosopher Eric Raymond, whose passion for free source code is matched only by his passion for the freedom to own guns. Each has a different vision of what it means to collaborate on software development, and their clashes over the "rules" of a largely unregulated process have created fault lines that run deep.

But what may ultimately prove more challenging than these differences, says Wayner, is the open-source movement's own success. As big names like IBM and Dell court the largely volunteer community, and companies like Red Hat produce stock-option millionaires, uncomfortable questions arise. "Getting people to join together for the group is easy to do when no one is getting rich," says Wayner. "What happens when more money starts pouring into some folks' pockets? Will people defect? Will they stop contributing?" Wayner leaves the question open, and only time will provide the answer. In the meantime, Free for All offers as thorough and engaging an account of the open-source movement--and the pitfalls in its path--as readers are likely to find anywhere. --Demian McLean

From Publishers Weekly

Necessity remains the mother of invention-or so it seems judging by this intriguing history of the free software movement. A self-confessed nerd who covers technology for the New York Times, Wayner starts by describing how computer programmers who wanted to tinker with proprietary source code were frustrated by the "no trespass" signs posted on operating systems like UNIX, Apple, DOS and Windows. They ultimately formed a grassroots movement that retaliated by building independent systems. Once they achieved their goal, they were determined to keep the source code open to all, following the tradition of academic research labs. As soon as these hackers developed a simple operating system, a worldwide network of interested programmers contributed free time and ideas to make it run smoothly on all manner of machines. One of the major results of this experiment in intellectual freedom is Linux (named after its originator, Linus Torvalds), an operating system that many claim is more stable, more adaptable and more accessible (and infinitely less expensive) than the current commercial leaders. That may explain why it's used in more than 50% of the Web servers on the Internet. Wayner writes in hushed tones of the exclusive group (almost all men) who worked on Linux out of the simple desire to play in the guts of the machine. But if anybody thinks that these are a bunch of harmonious code-lovers, Wayner's tales of nasty flame wars between the founding fathers and of turf battles petty enough for Dynasty reveal that even nerds are not above a little mud wrestling. Illus. not seen by PW. Agents, Daniel Greenberg, James Levine Agency. Author tour; 15-city NPR radio tour. (July)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 340 pages
• Publisher: HarperBusiness; 1st edition (July 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066620503
• ISBN-13: 978-0066620503
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #664,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Potential for Virtuous Cycles of Prosperity through Freeware, August 12, 2000

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Free for All: How LINUX and the Free Software Movement Undercut the High-Tech Titans (Hardcover)

Peter Wayner does an outstanding job of looking at the history of the free software movement in this thoughtful, thorough book. Unlike other books about technology that refer to freeware (free software) as an example, Wayner looks directly at the phenomenon to evaluate its significance, the potential for the future, and why it works. I was especially impressed by the way he combined perspectives: historical, competitive, psychological, user needs, financial, resource, and wealth. Each one tells you something you need to know about this important area.

At first, my reaction was that this book would be only of interest to those who do not know much about freeware. Having read the whole book and thought more about it, I think the lessons here are probably just as pertinent for those who are active in the freeware movement. For Wayner is really addressing the long-term viability of what is needed to succeed. Many challenges are still ahead. For example, he notes that "the daily struggle for some form of income is one of the greatest challenges in the free source world today." These are the Minutemen of the Knowledge Age, doing other work to keep a roof over their heads and fighting for better software in all of their free time.

I especially enjoyed the many profiles of people who are involved with freeware in humble, altruistic ways. In an age described by many as greedy and self-obsessed with momentary pleasures, many of these people are the sort of independent thinkers and doers who originally established the United States and made our modern lives of freedom possible. We should all salute them!

The basic argument is that openly-developed freeware is an effective model for accelerating the rate of technological and human development in using data processing and electronic communications. For example, over half the Web servers run on open source software because it works better. You can create a supercomputer for $3,000 using open source freeware. The freeware model works because users draw attention faster to glitches (and bugs), and talented, caring people who are interested in solutions are drawn to creating rapid fixes. There is fame, reputation, and notoriety available for doing this free software work -- as well as tangible benefits in getting one's own tasks done faster and better. It is basically an argument based on complexity science and chaos theory, but built on the actual experiences of the software built from the original UNIX base at Berkeley and the Linux operating system.

One of the intriguing contrasts that is drawn is between the Microsoft development and marketing approach and the one for freeware. This is also characterized as the suits against the nerds. Wayner also points out that many mixed models are also developing. Red Hat offers Linux for those who want some better documentation and some support for a price. Hardware makers are starting to support freeware development activities.

Wayner does a good job of overcoming labels that often seem to be misapplied. He explains that Linus Torvalds really focuses now on the kernel of Linux rather than all of its aspects, and the choices that Torvalds made which allowed Linux to become so powerful. He also shows the detailed views of important people in the development of freeware such as Richard Stallman (author of the GNU Manifesto). The history of disputes among those involved in freeware are fascinating, such as the way that the AT&T lawsuit against Berkeley slowed down the development of BSD (Berkeley Software Development) so that it lags behind Linux in numbers of people using its freeware.

From reading this book, I had the sense that something even more important is at stake here. I suspect that the freeware movement is actually creating a new and improved paradigm for acclerating human progress which can be applied in many other fields of knowledge. As Wayner points out, however, this is in some ways merely a reversion to the historical intellectual model of universities freely sharing knowledge for the benefit of all. That model has not usually been applied to creating commercial significant products and services directly. Perhaps the day has come for that to happen with the connectivity of the Internet to help us.

Overcome your disbelief stall that existing methods of innovation will always dominate!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars clear, compelling explanations, July 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Free for All: How LINUX and the Free Software Movement Undercut the High-Tech Titans (Hardcover)

Peter Wayner has an uncommon skill for writing about technology. He explains the intricacies of software with exceptional clarity. His prose is compellingly readable and refreshingly humorous. This is a valuable look at the origins and development of one of the most important trends in techno-business today.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for both techies and suits, September 19, 2000

By 

Techie "Steve" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Free for All: How LINUX and the Free Software Movement Undercut the High-Tech Titans (Hardcover)

I've been a professional programmer, software entrepreneur and user of free software for over 15 years. I highly recommend this book for several reasons. First, it is one of the best and most important business books I've yet read about the software industry. It presents an insightful and nuanced analysis of the economics of software creation in the Internet age and articulately explains the appeal and inevitable success of open source software. As such this is a MUST READ for anyone who manages or invests in software-based companies.

Furthermore it is a delightful read. Programmers will no doubt appreciate the inside references to things like the religious "wars" between vi and emacs. At the same time, Wayner has a gift for metaphor and human detail that bring both the concepts and the players to life, and in a way that is accessible and enjoyable for both technical and non-technical readers.