Revolution OS

The “open source” movement for free computer software, which gave rise to the Linux operating system lauded as the chief rival to Microsoft Windows, is celebrated in this talking-heads documentary by J.T.S. Moore. Featuring interviews with Richard Stallman, the former MIT professor who's the theorist of the movement; Linus Torvalds, the designer of the base Linux system; and Bruce Perens, co-founder of the Open Source Initiative and the Linux Standard Base project--among other interviewees--Revolution OS portrays its subjects as geeky heroes taking a principled stand against proponents of proprietary software--most notably, of course, Bill Gates--and the corporate control of the computer world. Their mantra is "free" software, a reference not to price, but to access for all to the source code, a concept that is happily made intelligible here, even to the technologically inept. A bonus disc includes over an hour of additional interview footage, along with a collection of OS texts, the “Free Software Song” music video, a stills gallery, and printed biographies of the major players. Recommended. [Note: Seventh Art Releasing (www.7thart.com) is selling this with public performance rights on VHS for $250 and DVD for $300.] Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)