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Top Ten Open Source Projects

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the what-makes-you-happy dept.

arclightfire writes "We recently wrote an article for The Independent listing the top ten open source projects. It was hard getting the list down to ten, but we did; here's the top ten - Wikipedia, Firefox, Open Office, Bittorrent, MediaWiki, Xvid, pbb, Outfoxed, dyne:bolic, GIMP, Apache and SourceForge." What would you call your favorite projects? Obviously, this list isn't strictly software projects, so be creative.

41 of 234 comments (clear)

  1. Erm by squoozer · · Score: 3, Funny

    Slashdot of course :o)

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    I used to have a better sig but it broke.
    1. Re:Erm by Pieroxy · · Score: 3, Funny

      On a side note:
      It was hard getting the list down to ten, but we did; here's the top ten: *enumerating 12 items*

      It was indeed pretty hard, so hard that the editor couldn't resist the temptation to slip 12 in there!

      lol
      --
      George Herriman's Krazy Kat

      --
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    2. Re:Erm by joeljkp · · Score: 2, Interesting

      phpbb brought forums to the masses. It's much more deserving of a place on the list than a beautifully-written forum that nobody uses.

      --
      WeRelate.org - wiki-based genealogy
  2. Ummmmmmm.....? by diamondmagic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Linux?

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    Wonder what the public key field is for?
    1. Re:Ummmmmmm.....? by oneiros27 · · Score: 4, Informative
      It would be one of the top open source projects, but it seems that the blurb posted on slashdot, and the actual article don't match. The article states:
      Ana Kronschnabl and Tomas Rawlings pick the best open source websites where users can change the content
      Which of course ... would be open content, not open source. (unless the users can change the code used to drive the websites, perhaps).
      --
      Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
    2. Re:Ummmmmmm.....? by smagruder · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What makes phpBB superior to others is its mod community, similar to how Firefox's available extensions make it superior to IE. Yeah, phpBB out of the box is rather bland, but that's actually good... the code is generally well-structured and easy to extend. So, if you're a half-decent programmer, you've got a really good base product you can make into your own vision for a discussion board.

      --
      Steve Magruder, Metro Foodist
    3. Re:Ummmmmmm.....? by gbjbaanb · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If that was the case, why would xVid, Firefox, openoffice, GIMP, and dyne:bolic be listed? They're hardly websites now are they. Really seems they've missed some bloody damn obvious ones (like Linux, d'uh, or Eclipse) or they've just knocked up some spacefiller article for a newspaper that doesn't know or care about the subject.

  3. "this list isn't strictly software projects" by mnmn · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How about the Bible, Quran and Torah?

    How about All classical music? (not just western)

    How about the SI metric standards?

    Or the Human genome? ...lets stick to software projects.

    --
    "Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
    1. Re:"this list isn't strictly software projects" by mwvdlee · · Score: 5, Funny

      How about the Bible, Quran and Torah?

      Hm yes, let's change some of the texts in those books. I'm sure it'll go down well with the readers.

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    2. Re:"this list isn't strictly software projects" by DarkSarin · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Disclaimer--I am not a theologian nor "Bible Expert". That said I do have some knowledge--My dad spoke most of the languages that were used in writing various parts of the Bible, being an expert himself.

      The Bible was not written in any one language originally, nor was it written by a single person. Anyone who makes that type of claim is severely deluded.

      The Old Testament (Genesis through Malachi) was written in Hebrew, but not modern Hebrew. Some parts were written in a form of Hebrew that did not make use of vowels. Talk to an expert about this--my Hebrew is limited to recognizing the script and few historical notes.

      The New Testament, before the Catholics compiled it, was written in a variety of languages, including both Greek and Aramaic (which is probably what Christ spoke). At some point the Catholic Church (Roman), decided that everything should be in Latin, and only distributed the scripture in that language. Various editions have been translated from both the Latin or from more ancient documents. Many of the documents that are out there are so far from the "original" that there is little, if any, hope of knowing exactly how they read.

      Additionally, remember that even the oldest versions in existence today are both ancient and very likely copies (especially with the Old Testament), which means that they have been both translated and transscribed numerous times. So while I believe that the Bible is scripture, and that much of it (not all) was inspired by God, there is a strong need to be very careful in how one interprets the meanings.

      Being a member of the LDS church, I have my own beliefs about what should be done to properly understand the Bible, but that opinion is even less popular than even believing in God in the first place (which in these parts can be a dangerous viewpoint).

      As for being open source, that is out of the question. Public domain != open source. In the case of the Bible, the license (from the Man Himself) allows anyone to publish or distribute the work, but prohibits one from changing the source to help prevent bugs from creeping in. A lot folks have ignored this restriction, resulting in much chaos, but that's another story.

      Hope this helped.

      --
      "We don't know what we are doing, but we are doing it very carefully,..." Wherry, R.J. Personnel Psychology (1995)
    3. Re:"this list isn't strictly software projects" by endoplasmicMessenger · · Score: 2, Insightful
      I assure you, words and passages are completely rewritten from version to version.

      I think you meant retranslated.

      --
      Evolution is a fact. Darwinism is a joke.
    4. Re:"this list isn't strictly software projects" by Cybersaint2k · · Score: 3, Informative

      While the parent humbly admits that he's not an expert or theologian, I must admit that I am. And his father taught him well; everything he says is accurate concerning the linguistic history of the Bible. Except that I would say it is a certainty that all our oldest texts from which we translate the Bible into various languages are copies. Anti-*nix OS Troll-boy who started this Bible thread should not be modded insightful. Where are my meta-mod points....

    5. Re:"this list isn't strictly software projects" by meringuoid · · Score: 3, Informative
      Hm yes, let's change some of the texts in those books. I'm sure it'll go down well with the readers.

      Well, weren't they all the same project originally? St Paul forked the Torah, and then Mohammed did the same a few centuries later? They're still open-source, then.

      Personally, I'd want someone to go in and fix some of the more dangerous exploits in the code. The bit about 'while I'm not around, kids, please obey my official representative, MR BLACK! I'll be coming along real soon now, but for now here's MR BLACK!' has got to be sorted out.

      Oh, and a there are a good few bugs related to conflicting definitions early on in the codebase. The scope of 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' and the scope of 'Kill all the unbelievers in the land I have given to you' really need to be more clearly defined.

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  4. Best projects by squoozer · · Score: 3, Informative

    Some that aren't in the list but I use regularly.

    I suppose the kernel has got to feature in the list because without it a lot of other projects are fairly pointless. I like NetBeans (although it's giving me grief today). Amarok is pretty good (but is let down by the poor state of sound on Linux). KMail is very nice especially as part of Kontact. Synaptic is a very nice project that seems to be coming along well.

    --
    I used to have a better sig but it broke.
  5. dyne:bolic? by md81544 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    dyne:bolic

    "Dyne:bolic is a multimedia studio on a CD that you simply pop into any computer and start it up, instantly turning it into a Linux/GNU [sic] system"

    Why not Knoppix??? Granted, this is more specialised towards creative people, but it never figures on my top ten, whereas Knoppix would do.

    1. Re: dyne:bolic? by torpor · · Score: 2, Informative

      i would say because dyne:bolic is more 'multimedia-oriented' than knoppix, which is still fairly generic/general purpose.

      with dyne:bolic, any PC becomes a multimedia production studio in a heartbeat (well, bootup, anyway), and you really can get to creating with it fast and easily .. this is important in this day of "iWhatever" style apps being churned out by the big-nerds, so i'd wager thats why dyne:bolic is being pitched, in lieu of knoppix.

      which isn't to say knoppix isn't cool .. but its certainly not the first, nor the last, linux-booting liveCD with productivity tools on it (far as i can remember, yggdrasil was first..)

      --
      ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
    2. Re: dyne:bolic? by m50d · · Score: 2, Informative

      Because knoppix sucks in comparison to more modern efforts. It's just going on the name these days. dyne:bolic has better state saving, and actually focuses on and does something better than windows (multimedia), rather than giving you basically a worse equivalent to the OS you're already running.

      --
      I am trolling
  6. Eclipse by thammoud · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I would have to say that Eclipse is one of the most important open source projects out there. Thousands of developers use the Eclipse IDE for day to day developement of enterprise Java applications.

    1. Re:Eclipse by jtwJGuevara · · Score: 2, Informative
      How can a Java IDE be one of the most important Open Source projects when there is no usable Open Source Java implementation available?

      Well, although its just a JRE, I find that Eclipse runs fine using the blackdown JRE. I haven't developed using the blackdown sdk, but I'd consider running eclipse just fine at least one point in favor of blackdown's usabiliy as a Java environment.

      Secondly, Eclipse is more than a Java IDE. It has so many damn plugins it literally is a swiss army knife, albeit a bloated one. I personally use pydev for eclipse as my python editor.

    2. Re:Eclipse by shaka · · Score: 3, Informative

      How can a Java IDE be one of the most important Open Source projects when there is no usable Open Source Java implementation available?

      Eclipse runs very nicely with GCJ thank you very much.

      --
      :wq!
  7. top twelve? by irtza · · Score: 2, Interesting

    here's the top ten - 1) Wikipedia 2) Firefox 3) Open Office 4) Bittorrent 5) MediaWiki 6) Xvid 7) pbb 8) Outfoxed 9) dyne:bolic 10) GIMP 11) Apache 12) SourceForge Front page posts never have errors, so I know I messed something up... what gives? and one more thing, what is pbb?

    --
    When all else fails, try.
  8. Re:RTFA by BenjyD · · Score: 4, Informative

    But how can I change the content on http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/? I would guess that there was a confusion between the author and whoever wrote the summary at the Indy. Another reason for the "Independent isn't a serious newspaper any more" pile, perhaps?

  9. pbb? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    here's the top ten - Wikipedia, Firefox, Open Office, Bittorrent, MediaWiki, Xvid, pbb, Outfoxed, dyne:bolic, GIMP, Apache and SourceForge.

    In case, like me, you're wondering what on earth "pbb" is, let me spare you the searching:

    "pbb" at Wikipedia redirects to "Polybrominated biphenyls", with no disambiguation link.

    "pbb" on Google returns nothing remotely related to open source.

    "pbb open source" on Google returns phpBB at the top.

    So why the zark does the summary say "pbb"?

  10. GNU/Linux Foundation? by xcomm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think without the GNU foundation framework (compiler, libraries, shell etc.) and the Linux Kernel there would be nothing with FOSS. Without all the foundation under the the GPL there would be nothing to build on for the other prograsms.

    BTW: Where the hell is LAMP in the top 10? Apache would be nothing without Perl, PHP, Phyton, MySQL or PostGresSQL.

    1. Re:GNU/Linux Foundation? by LWATCDR · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No not really. Open Souce would still exist without Linux. Firefox and OpenOffice all runs just fine under Windows. The you have the BSD family. If BSD had not been tied up in legal knots Linux might not have gotten as far as it has.
      As to Apache being nothing without Perl, PHP, Python,... Apache was a good webserver long before LAMP took off. CGI doesn't have to be done in Perl or Python. Ruby, c, and even lisp have been used.
      I think that list is pretty much worthless but to bash one project or an other is pretty pointless.
      My list would inlcude.

      gcc
      bind
      sendmail
      apache
      perl
      Linux
      MySql
      BSD
      OpenOffice
      Firefox

      gcc because so many open source programs use it.
      Bind, sendmail. apache, perl Linux, and MySql because they really where the foundation of most of the Internet.
      If you wanted a server back in the good old days and couldn't spend the money for a Sun or a VAX your choices where pretty much Linux or one of the BSDs. Did you know Yahoo used BSD for all it's servers. I don't know if they have moved to Linux or not. Microsoft used BSD code for the TCP/IP stack in Windows.
      OpenOffice and Firefox because they are bringing open source to the masses.
      There are many great OSS projects I did not put on my list. I use PostgresSQL everyday and I like it better than MySQL but it isn't as popular. Python, Ruby, and PHP are also great projects. GIMP and it GTK foundation are very important. Any of these could be somebody's top ten list. Bit Torrent is going to cause more grief for media companies than just about anything we can imagine. It isn't about the piracy. It is the lack of control. Somebody going to combine a good writer, good actors, BitTorrent, and a good business person and create a direct to internet runaway show. TiVO, Replay, or Apple will add it to it's listings and it will take off. No network or media company required. BitTorrent levels the playing field. Distribution becomes more or less free.
      Outfoxed? Never heard of it before now but then documentaries about what I am actually doing are of little interest to me. I would rather live it than watch it.
      What to know what I think may be the next huge open source project? GAIM. More people may end up using GAIM than OpenOffice.

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  11. Linux huh? by juergen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    By many Linux (the kernel) is seen as *the* prototypical OS project, yet it is missing here.

    Oth, I didn't even recognize dyne:bolic without reading the description. And including Outfoxed, while they even admit it is not an OS project per se, shows they were just scrambling to find any 10 points to fill the list and space on their site. Clueless.

  12. GCC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    GCC should be on this list. After all, without GCC, the vast majority of the others would not be possible.

  13. Strictly software... by Noryungi · · Score: 5, Informative
    Watch out, since this is heavily sysadmin biased...
    1. Slackware Linux. Still the best after all this time.
    2. OpenBSD. Just because you are paranoid does not mean they are not out there trying to get you.
    3. OpenSSH. Because you just can't use plain text telnet anymore.
    4. Rsync. Just because.
    5. GNU Screen. Triple your terminal productivity. Now with minty-fresh taste!
    6. GNU Wget. Because you have better thing to do than watch over a download.
    7. Vim.Because Emacs is for losers.
    8. Nmap. Look at 'OpenBSD' above.
    9. IPTables. Lock that machine down, admin boy.
    10. pf. I said, lock that machine down , admin boy!


    Of course, number 11 is Google, Google, and Google. But that's neither software nor open-source.
    --
    The right to offend is far more important than the right not to be offended. (Rowan Atkinson)
  14. industry, economic, and cultural impact list: by CFD339 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Not necessarily in order, these are some top picks based on how they've changed or are changing our entire technology culture:

    Linux. Duh. How much of everything else is built on this fantastic platform for the back end? I'm not personally in support of rolling out desktops to users, but as a server platform its amazing and flexible. More important, it empowers developers to build EVERYTHING.

    Asterisk. If you use an IP phone service, you already have a small hint at how this changes things. If you've developed software that uses SIP or IAX2 to connect things and move streaming traffic you're starting to get the hint. IMO, this is a paradigm shifting technology just at the start of a giant curve up in its attention by the industry.

    Sourceforce. For obvious reasons, this has empowered so many projects.

    Apache, and the things its led to -- like Tomcat, etc.

    Eclipse -- Wow, an open sourced (even if originally sponsored, driven, and to some extent built by IBM) rich user context framework and complete IDE for development that's absolutely a rival to Visual Studio.

    I know I'm forgetting a ton -- but these in particular are real industry driving tools that changed or are about to change (in the case of Asterisk) large segments of the tech world.

    --
    The problem with quotes on the internet, is that nobody bothers to check their veracity. -- Abraham Lincoln
  15. Asterisk by lophophore · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Asterisk. It's the next big thing. Maddog thinks so. And I think he's right.

    --
    there are 3 kinds of people:
    * those who can count
    * those who can't
  16. Linux kernel? by just_another_sean · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Hands down my favorite Open Source project!

    --
    Creationist Textbook Stickers Declared Unconstitutional by CowboyNeal
  17. Filezilla by 16K+Ram+Pack · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Filezilla is one of the best applications I've used because it's a great, free FTP client.

  18. Other FLOSS software... by Ekarderif · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Ogg framework? This is far more significant than XviD. Linux? The one program that started the FLOSS revolution didn't even make it on the list. (No, GNU didn't start it.) GCC? Hell, any part of GNU? BSD? Specifically, OpenSSH? Or the contributions to TCP/IP stack... XWS? The P programming languages?

  19. The actual list by Per+Abrahamsen · · Score: 2, Informative

    The actual list is a mixture of free software projects, and user editable web sites. At least reading the description, it often seems to refer to the software, not the web-site. Despite what the blurp in the article claims.

    Both Wikipedia and MediaWiki is on the list.

  20. Re:Dyne:bolic by joeljkp · · Score: 2, Informative

    dyne:bolic is interesting because it's one of the few completely Free OSs, without a bit of proprietary code in sight. Its default desktop is WindowMaker, too.

    --
    WeRelate.org - wiki-based genealogy
  21. KDE by m50d · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It looks great, it's ridiculously customizable, and it's relatively easy to get involved in development. I think it really shows off the advantages of OSS.

    --
    I am trolling
  22. Freshmeat's Top Goodies Stats. by antdude · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Click here.

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  23. Political agenda by jag7720 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Nice... I would expect this from both sides of the political movements...but from the technology movement... OutFoxed should not be included in this line up. Sure it is an opensource project but would a similar project about CNN have gotten in the top 10... doubtful...

    This choice seems to not really be about "opensource" but rather a way to get the Outfoxed onto Slashdot...cheap

    In the future, leave your petty political agendas out of a "TECHNOLOGY" top ten list.

  24. can't count? by AaronCampbell · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "It was hard getting the list down to ten, but we did; here's the top ten - (1)Wikipedia, (2)Firefox, (3)Open Office, (4)Bittorrent, (5)MediaWiki, (6)Xvid, (7)pbb, (8)Outfoxed, (9)dyne:bolic, (10)GIMP, (11)Apache and (12)SourceForge." Must be new math...6+6=10 now

    --
    Surviving America
  25. gcc by medoc · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There would be no open-source projects without gcc.

  26. Software worth paying for by Noksagt · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I've put my money where my mouth is and have donated to my favorite open source projects. I encourage everyone else to do something similar (as incentive for many in the U.S. at this time of the year: some projects are run non-profit, so your donations may be tax deductible.