(rr@ronrecord.com)
There are a wide variety of phrases used and misused in describing software whose source is freely available. In fact, a plethora of licensing schemes are available for such software. Commonly used terms include Open Source, Free Software, Freeware, Shareware and Public Domain software. Recently Eric Raymond has created http://www.opensource.org/ where he provides a definition of the Open Source certification mark and links to a variety of conforming software licenses at http://www.opensource.org/osd.html.
Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation have provided an extensive review of the many categories of software whose source is available at http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/categories.html. This article will not attempt to delve into the vagaries and nuances of the specifics of each of these licenses and categories. The term Open Source Software will be used to include all software whose source code is freely available and openly accessible. This will include Freeware and Shareware when accompanied by source (e.g. XV) as well as commercial products whose source is freely available (e.g. Mini-SQL).
Recent months have seen an explosion in Open Source awareness. However, freely available source code has been with us for dozens of years. Much of the infrastructure of the Internet is based on Open Source software. Many of the core components of a UNIX operating environment are Open Source.
Examples of Open Source components in standard UNIX environments include the mail transport agent sendmail, the Berkeley Internet Name Domain BIND, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol DHCP, the InterNetNews server INN and the X11 graphical windowing system X.
Many Open Source components derived from research work done at Universities. Partly in support of this research the UNIX operating system source has traditionally been offered to Universities at a minimal licensing fee. When SCO acquired the rights to early UNIX source (the Mini UNIX operating system; the UNIX V6 operating system; the PWB UNIX operating system; and the UNIX V7 operating system, which also covers Editions 1-5, and the 32V), source licenses were made available at cost.
SCO Skunkware is the generic name for a free collection of software prebuilt and prepackaged for installation on SCO systems. The SCO OpenServer 5.0.5 and UnixWare 7 media kits contain an SCO Skunkware CD engineered specifically for that operating system.
Distributions are released on CD periodically and a repository of this and previous distributions as well as updates and corrections can always be found at http://skunkware.dev/skunkware. The SCO Skunkware CD can also be ordered online via http://www.sco.com/offers/.
SCO Skunkware contains a wide variety of software ranging from educational and experimental research tools to commercial grade software suitable for use on a production server.
It is provided for free and is not formally supported by SCO. However, Skunkware is undergoing something of a repositioning as previously unsupported components move into the standard supported product. What has, in the past, been known as Skunkware will likely continue to exist as a component of a more traditionally supported Open Source supplement.
The software on the Skunkware CD-ROM is licensed under a variety of terms. Much of it is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License. Some is licensed under the GNU Library General Public License. Other components are licensed under the Artistic License. Many of the components are "Freeware" with no restrictions on their redistribution while a few components are "Shareware" meaning the author would like you to try the software and, if you wish to use it, send her some money. A few components are commercial products which can be used freely for non-commercial purposes. Some components simply restrict their use to non-commercial purposes.
To determine the licensing conditions for a particular component, see the corresponding source in the source directory. With the infrequent exception of SCO proprietary code, all Skunkware components are accompanied by the source used to build them.
The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. and SCO Skunkware are not related to, affiliated with or licensed by the famous Lockheed Martin Skunk Works (R), the creator of the F-117 Stealth Fighter, SR-71, U-2, Venturestar(tm), Darkstar(tm), and other pioneering air and spacecraft.
SCO utilizes Skunkware as a delivery mechanism for Open Source components which can provide customers with integrated solutions in a wide variety of emergant enabling technologies and productivity tools. Among these are:
Skunkware also contains a gaggle of games, graphics, eye candy and amusements including:
A full list of hundreds of currently shipping Skunkware components can be found at http://skunkware.dev/skunkware/components.html
Open Source Software and SCO Skunkware have an alternative support model. Since the source is available, it is often possible for the end-user to self-support or to easily consult with local experts. Further, due to the communal and open environment in which the software is developed (see below), there are often quite active and technically adept online discussion groups, mailing lists, web sites and ftp download areas for patches and updates.
One drawback to this model is that it is difficult for a vendor to provide monolithic support for a rapidly diverging Open Source product as the user base modifies their source code and rebuilds the system. Note that a recent survey of vendors of an Open Source operating system (Linux) revealed that there are over 40 commercial variants of Linux. This can pose severe compatibility, interoperability and support problems.
Open Source development teams are rapidly emerging as the dominant force behind the continuing evolution of computing. Eric Raymond's paper, The Cathedral and The Bazaar ( http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/) details the philosophy, scope and social organization of this model. "Release early and often, delegate everything you can, be open to the point of promiscuity" is a development philosophy sharply in contradistinction with the conservatively centralized approach of the traditional development model in which large software projects were "built like cathedrals, carefully crafted by individual wizards or small bands of mages working in splendid isolation, with no beta to be released before its time".
SCO is attempting to synthesize these models - carefully protecting those customers heavily invested in the stability, interoperability and compatibility offered by the traditional approach while rapidly deploying emerging technologies and methodologies offered by the bazaar.
SCO recently engaged in an Open Source project which oversees the development and distribution of lxrun, a Linux emulation system. This open source project is being incorporated into UnixWare 7 as a supported feature of the operating system. Additional details on lxrun are available at http://skunkware.dev/skunkware/lxrun/.
The lxrun project is an example of how rapidly an open source project can evolve. It's also an example of one of the many Skunkware components that are being absorbed into the standard supported product.
If you would like to contribute to the ongoing effort to provide quality Open Source products to SCO customers:
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Ronald Joe Record has worked for The Santa Cruz Operation for over 15 years.
Record holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of California.
David Eyes
(davidey@sco.com)
contributed to this document in design, review and editorial matters.
This document was created using SGML-Tools 1.0.6 in conjunction with TeX, Version 3.14159 (Web2C 7.2) running on an SCO UnixWare 7 platform.
The source to this document is maintained at http://skunkware.dev/skunkware/sgmldocs/scoworld.sgml. A Makefile and formatted varieties of this document are also available at http://skunkware.dev/skunkware/sgmldocs/. For instance, you will find a postscript version at http://skunkware.dev/skunkware/sgmldocs/ps/scoworld.ps.