Joe Pruskowski , Feb. 2009

Virtual Worlds Meet Open Source

What is Open Source How does the model

work Open Source

Examples Open Source Virtual

World Technology Virtual World Open

Source Evolution

Joe Pruskowski , Feb. 2009

What is Open Source

Started with BSD decades ago

Linus Torvalds created Linux

Leverage the community

Has worked beautifully

Impact has been felt in all areas

Joe Pruskowski , Feb. 2009

Clients, Servers, & Protocols

Open source applies to all of this

Client s/w is what we use

Server s/w provides the services

Protocols tie clients & servers together

Protocols connect worlds together

Joe Pruskowski , Feb. 2009

Licensing is the Key

Joe Pruskowski , Feb. 2009

Examples of Open Source

Operating Systems - Linux (www.linux.org) OS Spinoffs – Red Hat, Ubuntu, SuSE Office - OpenOffice.org (OOO) Database – MySQL, PostgreSQL Messaging – Zimbra Accounting – OpenBravo, Compiere, OSAS 1,000's more (sourceforge.net)

Joe Pruskowski , Feb. 2009

Open Source Commercial Model

Proprietary value-adds

Installation / Service Hosting Examples are

SugarCRM & Zimbra Many, many others...

Joe Pruskowski , Feb. 2009

Open Source Virtual Worlds

Multi-client support (Mac OSX, Linux, & Windows

Linden client, Hippo Viewer, etc.

Linux server support Open protocols are

the key

Joe Pruskowski , Feb. 2009

Virtual World Open Source... OpenSimulator (www.opensimulator.org)

Virtual World platform runs on Linux (and Win) servers, uses MySQL database, etc.

Its Alpha at this point, but developing rapidly OSGrid Metaverse (www.osgrid.org)

Supports both Hippo & SL viewers Method for testing OpenSim

Hippo OpenSim Viewer (mjm-labs.com/viewer) Open source virtual world viewer Based on SL viewer, but open source

Joe Pruskowski , Feb. 2009

Explore Open Source Virtual WorldsThe future...