OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a standard specification defining a cross-language cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL was developed by Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) in 1992 and is widely used in CAD, virtual reality, scientific visualization, information visualization, and flight simulation
Companies are increasingly choosing free community-driven Linux distributions instead of commercial offerings with conventional support options from Red Hat or Novell due to dissatisfaction with the cost of support services.
In the past Microsoft has been hostile to the open source movement. But At OSCON, Microsoft announced their sponsorship of “The Apache Software Foundation”, joining Google and Yahoo! at Platinum level.
A student at UC Davis has created some stunning visualizations of open source software contributions, including Eclipse, Python, Apache httpd and Postgres.
Back in the 1980s, when Richard Stallman was the only one talking about the need for “free software,” no one quite knew what he was talking about.
There’s free software and then there’s open source’ he suggested, noting that Microsoft gives away its software in developing countries. With open source software, on the other hand, ‘there is this thing called the GPL, which we disagree with.’
A new study report – free open source software is costing vendors $60 billion per annum; so FOSS Saved Customers $60 Billion dollars.
