When open source software pioneer Linus Torvalds first posted the Linux source code on an internet newsgroup site in 1991, he was clear about its terms of use: no one should be able to make money from Linux, he said.

"Every generation has its philosopher — a writer or an artist who captures the imagination of a time. Sometimes these philosophers are recognized as such; often it takes generations before the connection is made real. But recognized or not, a time gets marked by the people who speak its ideals, whether in the whisper of a poem, or the blast of a political movement.

Richard M. Stallman is an American software freedom activist and computer programmer. In September 1983, he launched the GNU Project to create a free Unix-like operating system; he initiated the Free Software Movement; in October 1985 he founded the Free Software Foundation.

Exactly 30 years ago, a hacker posted an unusual message to the net.unix-wizards newsgroup. Congratulations on 30 years.

One of the most fascinating stories in the technology sector has been the challenge posed by open-source giant Linux to Microsoft's dominance of the market for operating system software. One of the key players in the rise of Linux is Bob Young, co-founder of Red Hat Software, the largest distributor of the Linux operating system.

Now there is also a new kid in town called Linux, and although it has been around in one form or another since 1991, it's now starting to attract the attention of disenchanted Windows users.
What makes Linux special is that it runs on any Windows PC and it is Open Source software. This basically means it can be downloaded for free from the internet (www.linux.org).

Occasionally I have written about how Linux has become a viable alternative operating system for the desktop. Linux is a “free” operating system, and is the flagship offering of the open source software movement. Open source is software developed by a community of developers and offered at no charge to the public.

"...RMS will be in Bogoto, Columbia on 10 October, speaking about the goals and philosophy of the Free Software movement. On the 12th and 13th of October, he'll be San Jose, Costa Rica talking about software patents and how they obstruct software development (at the first talk) and about the history and status of the GNU Operating System (at the second talk).

"...The Free Software Foundation Europe, and the Royal Institute of Technology organized a lecture with Dr. Richard Stallman. Mainly the session was about the free software movement and the GNU/Linux operating system. Richard Stallman spoke about the goals and philosophy of the Free Software Movement, and the status and history of the GNU operating system, which in combination with the kernel Linux is now used by tens of millions of users world-wide..."