this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2024
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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It's a good question. I don't think there are any widely used ones, but I'd bet there are a few running around for internal use.
I think that due to the nature of Linux in general the only ways to have a successful proprietary software package is by being a hardware vendor, owning a whole format that is widely used and needs to be licensed, or having pretty serious multiplatform support. Desktop environments don't really fall under these.
But I could be way the hell off the mark. I'm just a rambling drunk.
Regarding internal use, if all the users of a piece of software can access the source code by asking to access it, then it's open source, according to GNU.