The Future
One question
concerning the future of operating systems revolves
around the ability of a particular philosophy of
software distribution to create an operating system
useable by corporations and consumers together.
Linux, the operating system created and distributed
according to the principles of open source, could
have a significant impact on the operating system in
general. Most operating systems, drivers and utility
programs are written by commercial organizations that
distribute executable versions of their software --
versions that can't be studied or altered. Open source
requires the distribution of original source materials
that can be studied, altered and built upon, with the
results once again freely distributed.
The continuing growth of the Internet and the
proliferation of computers that aren't standard desktop
or laptop machines means that operating systems will
change to keep pace, but the core management and
interface functions will continue, even as they evolve.
