“In the beginning… open source was pure and unadulterated.
Over time, the idea of community-build software that is free and
unfettered by sticky licensing terms and fees caught on with IT
buyers, and the disruption of the old order began. Now, open source
(Linux, Eclipse, Java, etc.) is mainstream, with many companies
giving away valuable software for free and looking for ways to gain
profits from their largess.“Of course, the business model of free software isn’t very
attractive, so companies providing distributions began offering
support and premium services. Even with support and services fees,
open source, compared to traditional, proprietary software, was a
bargain…”