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The Cathedral and the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary

Raymond, Eric S. (1999). O'Reilly

Threads: Open source

Summary

Contrasts closed, centrally planned development (cathedral) with Linux’s open, distributed model (bazaar). Became a founding text of the “open source” framing.

Why it’s useful here

Essential history of the open source movement. Also useful as a foil: it treats open source as a development method more than a social or governance commitment.

Key ideas

  • “Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow” (Linus’s Law)
  • Release early, release often
  • stallman-2002-free-software-free-society.md
  • eghbal-2020-working-in-public.md

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