Open Source Software (OSS) (Textbook, Ch. 8): Software whose source code is freely available to view, modify, and distribute. Example: Firefox is an open‑source web browser.
Linux (Textbook, Ch. 8): An open‑source operating system that forms the foundation of much of the internet and cloud infrastructure. Example: Most web servers and Android devices run on Linux.
Scalability (Textbook, Ch. 8): The ability of software to handle growth without major redesign. Example: A startup scaling to millions of users using the same OSS database.
Total cost of ownership (TCO) (Textbook, Ch. 8): The full cost of software, including installation, training, maintenance, and support. Example: Hiring specialists to maintain “free” OSS.
Technology stack (Textbook, Ch. 8): A layered set of software components that work together to deliver applications. Example: Web servers, databases, and programming languages.
LAMP stack (Textbook, Ch. 8): A popular open‑source stack consisting of Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP/Python/Perl. Example: Early versions of Facebook ran on a LAMP stack.
Linux Foundation (Textbook, Ch. 8): An industry consortium that supports and protects the Linux ecosystem. Example: Funding maintainers and setting standards.
Niche vertical solutions (Textbook, Ch. 8): Highly specialized software designed for specific industries. Example: Dental practice management software.
Hardened software (Textbook, Ch. 8): Open‑source software that has been professionally tested and supported for enterprise use. Example: Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Heartbleed (Textbook, Ch. 8): A major security vulnerability discovered in the OpenSSL library in 2014. Example: Hackers accessing private data from secure websites.
SQL (Structured Query Language) (Textbook, Ch. 8): A standard language used to manage data in relational databases. Example: Querying a database for a user’s email address.
Cloud computing (Textbook, Ch. 8): Delivering computing services like servers and storage over the internet. Example: Running websites on AWS or Google Cloud.
What characteristic of OSS allows startups to grow without massive licensing costs?
Why does Linux dominate cloud and server infrastructure?
Why do firms pay for OSS support even when the software is free?
Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP together form a:
Why do major competitors collaborate on Linux?