Understanding Open Source

本段落节选自"High Performance Computing For Dummies®, Sun and AMD Special Edition - Douglas Eadline"第五节。

 

... Understanding free and open software is often a hurdle for many organizations. The term “free” is often misunderstood and used in the context of free as in “free lunch” (for instance, we don’t have to pay a license fee for this software). When most open source practitioners speak of “free” they are talking about free as in “free speech.” The distinction is important, and in the case of HPC, a significant competitive advantage.

理解自由和开放的软件往往是许多组织的障碍。“ Free ”这个术语往往被误解成“免费”的意思，如“免费午餐”（例如，我们并不需要为这个软件付软件许可费）。而大多数开放源码的从业者谈论“ Free ”的时候，他们谈论的是“言论自由”。这个区别是很重要的，并且在高性能计算的这个 case 中，是一个显著的竞争优势。

 

Free as in “free speech” software means the user has the right to understand and modify the software as they see fit. In HPC this provides three key advantages. 

将“ Free ”意为“言论自由”软件，是指用户有权了解和为了自己的需要而修改软件。在高性能计算中，这（指自由软件）提供了三个关键的优势。

 

First, software can be customized in any number of ways allowing support for a multitude of file systems, interconnects, peripherals, and other “small market” projects that would otherwise never garner commercial interest. 

首先，软件可被定制在任何支持多种文件系统，互联设备，外部设备以及其他永远不会应用于商业盈利的“小市场”的项目中。

 

Second, it provides a safeguard against unplanned obsolescence. In the past, it was not uncommon for a large computer system to lose software support because a vendor went out of business, the system had been phased out, or the budget may have run out. With open source, users have a choice to continue using these systems and take over the support themselves. 

其次，它提供了防止意外被淘汰的措施。过去，由于供应商倒闭、系统支持被取消或者预算耗尽而导致大型计算机系统软件的支持的情况并不少见。现在，开源让用户可以选择继续使用这些系统，并可在自己内部提供技术支持。

 

Finally, open source allows a high level of optimization. Software installations can be minimized so that only essential HPC software is present. For instance, there is no need for a graphical user interface or sound card drivers on cluster nodes. Customers like choice and vendors like sharing the high cost of software development. 

最后，开放源码允许高层次的优化。软件的安装可以被精简到只有基本HPC软件存在。例如，在群集节点上没有必要存在图形用户界面或的声卡驱动程序。顾客喜欢自由选择，供应商喜欢与其他人共同承担软件开发的高成本。

 

Openness also fosters community and collaboration. In the case of HPC, there is a large ecosystem of users, vendors, and developers from many companies and organizations that freely exchange ideas and software without the need for legal agreements. This community also provides a huge and open knowledge base of ideas, best practices, and experiences that help everyone involved. In HPC,“open” just works better.

开放也鼓励（创建）社区以及协作（开发）。在高性能计算的 case 中，有一个用户，厂商以及许多公司和组织中的开发者组成的大生态系统，在这个系统中，他们可以无须法律制约，自由地交换意见和软件。该社区还提供了大量由思想、最佳实践以及经验的开放知识库，帮助每一个参与到其中的人。对于高性能计算而言，“开放”是更好的选择。

 

Sites such as http://developer.amd.com and www.sunsource.net are examples of how AMD and Sun Microsystems support open source