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A beacon in the world of free software, Linux is used by an estimated seven million people worldwide. Enthusiasts say this operating system is a refreshing alternative to commercial software.

When Linus Torvalds created a "free" operating system called Linux in 1991, little did the young Finnish student imagine he would become the standard-bearer of a crusade to preserve the openness and co-operative spirit that have been the basis of the Internet's and the World Wide Web's success, in the face of "big, bad Bill Gates's" schemes to make them part of his empire.

Defenders of the spirit of the networks, which grew out of public research, say information technology can and must be at least partly protected from market forces. At stake are the free movement of ideas and the dynamism of research. "Free software is an area of technical work, but above all, it is a matter of ethical philosophy," says Richard Stallman, an American computer pioneer and head of the Free Software Foundation.

"Computer programmes can be naturally duplicated to infinity, like theorems," says Bernard Lang of the French Institute for Computer and Automation Research (INRIA). "But nowadays the rules of the material world are being imposed on the immaterial. Research is controlled by a few software companies. They use proprietary standards and formats, which nobody understands, to cling to their monopoly. As a result, they are forced to constantly change their products before other companies figure out how they're made. This control over standards kills competition and fetters creativity, whereas freeware is a source of constant innovation."

Linux proves the point. Available free of charge on the Internet, it is part of cyberhumanity's shared heritage. The programme uses public standards, is close to the Unix operating system and works equally well on a Mac or a PC and even on slower computers. Linux meets three freeware criteria. Its source code is available, so anyone can take part in developing it or can modify it to suit their needs; it can be freely copied and redistributed; and anyone can improve it, as long as they make the source code for the changes available to everyone.

"Linux isn't just one big entity," says Robert Young, president of Redhat Software, an American firm that distributes the product. "It's a collection of lots of little parts. Each has its own team of programmers on the Internet and a team leader who approves or rejects the alterations suggested. And the ultimate boss is Torvalds."

Linux enthusiasts, most of them engineers and science students, unanimously laud the product. "It's quick, compact and very secure - a huge asset if you want to create a patent data base or a secure payment system. It's a far cry from the Microsoft equivalent, Windows NT, which has security gaps," says Jean Roure of Acticiel, a French company that designs websites. "Personally, I'm not waging war on Microsoft," he adds. "I just want to give my customers the best of the Internet and Linux lets me do that. If a private firm came up with a better offer, I'd pay the price."

"We're fighting Microsoft, the most aggressive firm and the one best at marketing its products," says Young. "So why are companies turning to Linux? Because it doesn't crash and it works very well. And why is it so good? Because it has the world's biggest team of software engineers who are constantly improving it, just for the love of it." That's the spirit of the cyber-community. "Free software is a community project and everyone who depends on it ought to look for ways to contribute to building the community," says Stallman. People who work on it don't make money but they do earn a reputation - not such a bad deal. Torvalds was an unknown student in Helsinki. Because of Linux, every firm in Silicon Valley wanted to hire him when he graduated. Today he is working at Transmeta, a new American high-tech company.

Another big advantage Linux offers is efficient "after-giveaway service." "If you have a problem," says Roure, "you log on to a discussion group and even at two in the morning you'll always find someone who knows someone who has an answer. It's free and takes 20 minutes. If there's a hacker attack, for example, the group will tell you 'here's how to defend yourself.' It's invaluable. With commercial software, you're completely at the company's mercy and it may be weeks before you get an answer."

Another fan is Lectra-Systemes, the world's leading computer-assisted textile manufacturer, which recently started using Linux. "The system is generally popular with our customers," says Pierre Ficheux, a senior executive with the company, "especially the ones who don't know anything about computers and think it's Windows!" With no head office, no stock exchange quotation and no advertising visibility, Linux makes some people feel uneasy. "We don't use Microsoft much, but we've kept it to reassure our customers," says Roure. "People think anything that's free must be irresponsible."

Linux's main drawback is its complexity. "Most computer-illiterate people don't know how to use it, although installation is getting easier and the number of simple, automated office-type applications is on the rise," according to Roure. "It's still primarily used for complex applications like setting up network servers or for simulation. By the way, it was used to create most of the special effects in Titanic."

Young explains, "Most companies want a specific application - for example a firm of architects wants a drawing programme - and only afterwards bother about what operating system it uses. Linux has far fewer applications than Windows and that's the main problem. But it's only been in professional use since 1995 and things are changing very quickly."

The outlook for Linux is bright. A number of private firms are starting to live off it. They are prospering and creating jobs by offering Linux users services for a fee. A case in point is Redhat Software, with 40 employees and a $6 million turnover in 1997, a figure expected to rise to $10 million this year. Founded in 1995, Redhat specializes in custom-made systems and sells Linux on a CD-ROM updated every six months. "We're playing with 450 programmes," says Young, "including commercial software compatible with Linux. We put it together according to our customers' needs and set an overall framework. In 1997 we had 150,000 customers, 80,000 of them in the U.S. and 50,000 in Europe. Our CD-ROM costs $50, or nothing if you download it from the Internet, which is what most of our two million or so users do."

So why pay? "It's like asking people who buy bottled water why they don't drink it out of the tap. The answer is that they don't trust it. We're also selling simple installation as well as trouble-shooting in case of a problem."

Young is keeping a cool head under his red hat. The battle against the Microsoft empire has not been won yet. "So far they haven't caused us any trouble," he says. "That's a bad sign. They see us as an interesting, but not very threatening experiment. We get far more new customers from Unix than from Microsoft. We're also expanding the software market by cutting the cost of technology."

On the Web

You can find the playful Penguin family, Linux's mascot, frolicking on the Web. With a cheerful gleam in his eye, the favourite son (right of title) is the most commonly used logo.

http://www.tele.dtu.dk/~riis/linux/logo/penguin/images.html

Linux on the Web:

http://www.linux.org/ http://www.eklektix.com/lwn/ http://www.ssc.com/ http://www.linux-france.com/

Glossary

Format: a way of arranging the characters and "bits" which make up a computer language.

free software (also called freeware): computer programmes that can be downloaded from the Internet free of charge.

Operating system: software essential to the operation of every computer, which enables it to perform basic tasks such as file management, display, input and connecting to a network.

Source code: lines written in computer language which enable software to be written. Commercial programmers do not reveal their source code, but turn it into an "executable" code which only the computer can understand.

Standard: a computer language norm that can be protected by copyright (proprietary standard) or be in the public domain (public standard).