The Cathedral and the Bazaar

The Cathedral and the Bazaar ( engl. " The Cathedral and the Bazaar" ) is the title of a famous essay on open source software. It was written by Eric S. Raymond, who is publicly recited in Würzburg for the first time on the fourth International Linux Kongress on May 22, 1997. He describes the advantages and disadvantages of the open- source region now widespread development method of the bazaar from the previously conventional method, which he calls cathedral.

Cathedral

When Cathedrals model of the source code of a program is made available or not at all with each new software release to the public. In developing periods between releases new source code can only be programmed by a single developer group, or a single developer who is / are typically employed by a software vendor. In this case, the source code is often treated as a trade secret and not be published. The way a cathedral is built, symbolizes the traditional mode of development: A chief architect monitors a hierarchically organized group of specialists initiated. Only they can and must contribute to the work. There is a plan, and if this is satisfied, the building is finished.

Bazaar

In the bazaar model of the source code, however, is visible at each stage via the Internet. The development of many open source programs following this scheme. This model has, according to the author, proved more successful than the cathedrals model: On a bazaar many people offer their goods without a would be more powerful than the other. Even large projects are coordinated; the best example is the Linux kernel, whose maintainer Linus Torvalds is. There is usually a person who makes sure that the market law is complied with. In addition, the bazaar of many small parts is built - one of the stands is not even responsible for, the bazaar is as such still complete.

Transferred to the software development are the traders, hawking their wares, the programmers add new parts of the program or make improvements and want to incorporate into the project; the guard on the market right turn corresponds to the maintainer of a software project. What actually should end in a shambles, grows through self- organization to a large software.

One can never tell the software was " finished" it. Raymond talks about it, therefore, that the software industry is not manufacturing, but a service industry.

Development model

In the essay, 19 directives are included, as well open-source software can be programmed: