Abstract

The case discusses the open source movement and the evolution of Linux in early 1990s, which changed the computing world. The case focuses on the open source movement and the reasons why big companies like IBM, HP and Sun extended hardware support to Linux. The case also discusses the initial response of Microsoft towards Linux and the gradual change in response. The case ends with the prospects of Linux and problems that might crop up for Linux in the future.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• The background that led to emergence of the open source movement and its accelerating growth and acceptance by the industry.

Keywords

Open source movement, Linux, 1990, IBM, HP, Sun, hardware, Microsoft, problems, future