Revolution Os
|
List Price: Our Price: $20.13 You Save: $9.86 (33%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $10.98 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Revolution Os
Movie Review: a history of linux with open source insights
Summary: 4 Stars
This documentary uses interviews to trace the origins of Linux, and in the process, it provides an interesting insight into the open source movement and its philosophy.
Richard Stallman, founder of the GNU project, is featured prominently throughout the film. (GNU is a set of applications that provide a UNIX-compatible framework.) He explains how GNU was developed through the open source environment, an environment where code can be taken, modified, and shared, but it cannot be made proprietary. He also explains the development of the GNU General Public License which prohibits developers from making the code proprietary.
During GNU's development, Linus Torvalde, was developing a kernel--which was just the piece that was missing from the open source environment. (A kernel is use to allocate resources to other applications.) This kernel became Linux. As Stallman said, it would take years to get GNU and Linux to work together smoothly, but eventually things would take off. Although Linux started in 1991 with 10,000 lines of code, it might have remained a hobbyist's OS, if it had not been for the Apache web server. Apache became the 'killer app,' the business case for buying Linux. (There is an interview shown with Brian Behlendorf, president of the Apache project.) By 1998, Linux had 7.5 million users and companies like Red Hat were contributing to its growth by selling distribution and support.
This film also shows the tug-of-war between Microsoft and open source proponents. Eric S. Raymond, author of The Cathedral and the Bazaar, describes some differences between the proprietary and open source environments, and he explains how his book was one of many influences on Netscape's decision to release their source code.
You will see interviews with Michael Tieman (co-founder of Cygnus Technology) and Larry Augustin (co-founder of VA Linux). The interview with Bruce Perens, author of Open Source Definition, is interesting. It is used throughout the film to frame the GNU and Linux development stories within the open source context. Also, as Perens lists the 'rights' of open software, one senses that the open source philosophy is one that has been seriously thought out.
Overall, this was an interesting documentary. However, I'm giving it only 4 stars because I found the segment at the end (where Torvalde and Augustin were speaking) to be very tedious. It didn't add to the content and it seemed more like personal 'grand-standing.' Still, I'd recommend this film to anyone who is interested in computer history or is looking to get a better understanding of what the open source movement is about.
Movie Review: Good Intro to Free/Open Source Communities
Summary: 4 Stars
It comes with 2 DVDs, the first one is the Revolution OS movie and the second one contains interviews and bios of those well known anti-microsoft gangs like Richard Stallman, Eric Raymond, Linus Trovalds, etc. In the first DVD, it's not really a movie but a kind documentary film. No subtitle but closed caption is supported. Unlike Starup.com movie, this film gets a bunch of well-known gangs who devote themselves to the free & open software revolution to talk about 'how' the free software and open source evolve and 'why' it is getting more & more attention from industrial leaders. It also highlights some companies betting on Linux and open source getting rich at IPO during the Internet bubble, but not forgets to conveying audiences the message that most of those instant millionaires were broke overnight after the bubble busted.If you're not familiar with open source or free software, I recommend you should put on the disc#2 and watch the Bios section first. Since the movie in disc#1 embeds a lot of people talking and comments, you may find confusion of who & what. In disc#2, besides the bios and some interviews, interestingly, it also includes the first version of the famous well-known paper written by Eric Raymond, 'Cathedral and Bazaar'. This paper actually played a very critical role on Netscape's direction to the open source world. You can read it from your TV screen, and press your remote `back' and `fore' to flipping pages. Although this is convenience for people who do not have computer and read the paper on TV screen, you may find it's quite annoying to flipping and reading twenty something screen pages on your TV. After a while you may feel dizzy. Unfortunately, the DVD does not come with a PDF or other softcopy version of this famous paper in the open source world. If you are interested on how Netscape went to the open source path, there's another good documentary film called 'Code Rush' from PBS, you may also want to check out.
Overall, this is quite informative, knowing how the free/open software revolution begins and the reasons behind it. If you want to have a good intro of this open source communities, this is a pretty good choice.
Movie Review: What is Linux? Why do I care?
Summary: 4 Stars
So you've heard about Linux and maybe BSD and you're wondering . . . What is it? Who thought of it? Who makes it? Why do I care?
All of these questions are answered by some of the biggest names in the open source and free software movement.
The documentary begins by looking at the philosophy of those who started the free software movement and how it produced the ethos behind the GNU license. It then looks at the creation and expansion of Linux and Linux software, the renaming of the movement by most to "open source" as opposed to "free software," the development of applications by masses of programmers and the delivery of open source software to the average joe.
The subjects are allowed to be themselves. Sometimes that means they are arrogant and preachy, but if that element had been taken out of the story it wouldn't have been genuine.
Far from downplaying the role of the unknown programmers, the main argument between the participants concerned who should get the credit for making this type of collaborative programming possible and what that effort should be called.
The documentary also discusses the effect of open source software on people's daily lives. Most don't know how the Apache web server helped ISPs economically provide web pages that were not available from "commercial" software, nor do they realize the changes the movement has forced on Microsoft and other large commercial software companies.
It's everything a good documentary should be: informative, interesting and entertaining . . . even if you don't agree with those interviewed or the open source movement.
Movie Review: Not Definitive, But Worthwhile
Summary: 4 Stars
Revolution OS is a reasonably-accurate snapshot of the Open Source movement at a particular moment in time. It presents some of the major participants and their philosophies and stories, focusing on the breakthrough to public awareness and commercial acceptance of Open Source software in general and the Linux operating system in particular. The differences between the Free Software ethos and the marketing-friendly Open Source approach is also explored in some depth. Many other aspects of the Free Software, Open Source, and Linux stories get only cursory treatment, and therefore the documentary is neither balanced nor good evangelism. While this is regrettable, the interested viewer can follow up by reading the books and essays available from many of the people profiled, including Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds, and Eric Raymond.
There's still plenty of room for a more definitive documentary, but Mr. Moore should get credit for being the first to give the public at large a glimpse of some of the people behind the Open Source phenomenon. Even those who will, like me, learn nothing new from this film will enjoy the chance to see and hear people who have had a profound impact on their life but who they have only "met" online.
Movie Review: Very Informative
Summary: 4 Stars
A decent insight into the history and minds of those who started the GNU/Opensource revolution dating back to the late 70's. Being an Opensource fan myself, I found the documentary interesting...however I do find the totalitarian approach to opensource (i.e. no intellectual properties at all) to be a bit short-sighted. I, for one, feel that open and closed source softwares can coexist just fine.
I agree that some of Microsoft's tactics were a bit underhanded over the years, but one cannot deny the importance of Microsoft's role in the popularity of computing in general. Opensource plays a huge role today and in the future, but it does owe something to MS.
Oh yeah... Stallman is either waaay to smart for his own good or simply retarded.
It was kinda cool because I actually participated in some of the code editing back in the late 90's mentioned in this film.