Did Open Source Need Linux To Hit the Mainstream?

by Sam Dean - Aug. 12, 2010Comments (1)

Open source has officially "crossed the chasm from early adoption to mainstream adoption," pronounced Jeffrey Hammond, principal analyst at Forrester Research, at this week's LinuxCon conference. According to ZDNet's Paula Rooney, Hammond based his pronouncement on analysis of several studies, most of which have to do with Linux. Is Linux really the best barometer for this kind of announcement, though? Didn't open source hit the mainstream without it?

Don't get me wrong. Linux has changed the world, and continues to do so, but why do we have to be able to point to an operating system to conclude that open source has mighty influence over mainstream users--including consumers and enterprise users? Consider the fact that Mozilla's open source Firefox browser is the most popular browser in several countries, and possibly headed for that status all around the world. Google Chrome is headed for significant market share too.

Browsers are the applications through which most people interact with the Internet, and they've long since become mainstream. For that matter, open source components have increasingly been woven into proprietary applications that everyone considers mainstream.

If one does want to point to mainstream adoption of open source, and cite Linux in the same breath, it would be wise to look at Google Android, which some analysts think will trump Apple's iPhone and its operating system in the long run. Android is Linux-based, as is Google's upcoming Chrome OS.

I not only support the Linux community's enthusiasm, but I am a member of that community. Still, there is no need to point to pure Linux operating systems in order to stake the claim that open source has gone mainstream. From browsers to the widespread use of fantastic applications such as VLC Media Player, GIMP and Abi Word, open source went mainstream and would have done so with Linux's help or without it.