- Actors: Linus Torvalds, Richard M. Stallman, Eric Raymond, Bruce Perens, Larry Augustin
- Directors: J.T.S. Moore
- Writers: J.T.S. Moore
- Producers: J.T.S. Moore
- Format: Colour, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
- Language English
- Region: All Regions
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 2.35:1
- Number of discs: 2
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Wonderview Prod
- DVD Release Date: 30 Sep 2003
- Run Time: 85 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- ASIN: B0000A9GLO
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 96,727 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is an absolute must for a computer geek or someone who is interested in the history of UNIX, Linux and/or open source. The Operating system master Linus Torvalds is interviewed along with Richard Stallman (RMS) the founder of the free software foundation. Revolution OS tells the inside story of the hackers who rebelled against the proprietary software model and Microsoft to create GNU/Linux and the Open Source movement. Eric Raymond, author of the cathedral and the bazaar is also interviewed along with many other well known people. If you are interested in this kind of thing then you will not be disappointed. I would give this six stars if I could
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
27 reviews
33 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Surprisingly Entertaining, Informative and Fun!
23 Sep 2003
Format:DVD
Being a geek, I bought this assuming it was going to be a dry documentary on the history of Linux, but I would enjoy it anyway. I was amazed at how well done this movie is. Not only does it document the general history of Open Source and Free Software issues, but it provides a great story of conflict between 'good' (Free Software and Open Source) and 'evil' (Proprietary Software). I watched this with my girlfriend who is a non-geek and she was able to follow along very easily and enjoyed the movie as much as I did. She even wanted to make the switch to Linux after watching.
The pace is quick, and one of the best aspects of the movie is the music. It helps keep the movie fun and light-hearted, yet provides an intelligent 'edge' at the same time. All of the interviewees have very unique and dynamic personalities; they are the type of thinkers you don't generally meet everyday. Richard Stallman in particular has some of the most convincing comments in the film, and by the end, I was quick to pop in the second disc to see the bonus interviews with him.
Overall, I think this is a film which anyone who uses a computer on a regular basis should watch. We need to not take Microsoft for granted and realize there are alternatives that don't try to control what we do.
This is one of the best movies I've seen.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
a history of linux with open source insights
23 Oct 2005
Format:DVD
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.
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.
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
A More Recent History of Computing
14 Oct 2003
Format:DVD
This is an excellent follow-up to a set of three movies entitled "Triumph of the Nerds", which details the development and successes of Microsoft, Apple, the Internet, IBM PCs, Altair, etc, but which came out in the mid-1990s, and doesn't mention much about Linux. Also, the mood of all these movies is similar. They belong together for a great summary of the development of personal computing since the 1970s, and all are full of interviews with the key players.
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