在过去的一年中，Linux操作系统和开源软件技术取得了令人振奋的进步。其中包括开源软件更加完善，Linux内核已经逐步进入主流产品，包括机顶盒、移动电话。以下就是10大开源软件的胜利。
The past year brought some exciting advancements for the Linux operating system and open source software. Open technology continues to become more pervasive and the Linux kernel is now widely used in a multitude of mainstream products ranging from set-top boxes to mobile phones. With 2008 coming to a close, we wanted to take a minute to look at some events of significance to the open source software community.
1.Mozilla的Firefox 3发布
Mozilla的Firefox网页浏览器是最成功的开源软件应用，这款浏览器在今年正式推出了Firefox 3，并在发布第一天创造了800万下载量。
Mozilla releases Firefox 3
Mozilla's Firefox web browser is one of the most successful and widely-known open source software applications. The popular browser continued its ascent this year with the official launch of Firefox 3, which attracted a record-setting 8 million downloads in the first 24 hours. The release was widely reported in the mainstream press and even got the coveted Colbert Bump.
2.Google公布Chrome
Google去年放出了浏览器重磅炸弹，Chrome浏览器，这个基于开源WebKit核心的浏览器支持Windows操作系统，同时融合了创新性的技术，包括多进程和内置的任务管理器，用户可以查看每个进程的资源消耗状况，并关闭单独的标签。Chrome在上个月结束Beta测试，并将很快出现在厂商品牌机的预装程序中。
Google releases Chrome
Google also dropped a browser bombshell this year with the launch of Chrome, its own open source WebKit-based browser for Windows. Chrome delivered some excellent innovations, including a process isolation system and a built-in task manager that allows users to view the resource consumption of individual tabs. Google has pushed Chrome forward at a rapid pace and has closed some of the remaining feature gaps by introducing a complete bookmark manager and other capabilities. The browser exited beta earlier this month and could soon land preinstalled on hardware from major manufacturers.
3.手机迎来Android平台
Google去年的另外一个重要举措是，推出基于Linux操作系统的Android开源手机平台。虽然旗舰版G1手机在发布之初略微有些令人失望。不过Google的开源态度决定了这款平台的长期发展。
Android platform arrives on handsets
Another major open source move by Google this year was the launch of the company's Linux-based Android platform for mobile phones. Although Android got off to a rocky start and the flagship G1 device imposed some disappointing limitations, Google made things right by releasing special developer models. The platform source code is now fully available and Google has begun to accept patches.
4.KDE 4发布
Linux桌面环境在去年升级至KDE 4，这个重要更新彻底改变了开源桌面环境的。最初推出的4.0版本稍显粗糙，但是随后更新的4.1环境则彻底解决了问题。预计KDE 4.2环境将在1月份推出，用户体验将得到增强。
KDE 4 officially released
The KDE ecosystem got a major boost this year with the official release of KDE 4, a major update that completely transformed the open source desktop environment. The original 4.0 release had a lot of rough edges that generated considerable controversy. It has improved enormously over the past year and delivered a very strong update with version 4.1. The next point release, which is due in January, will take the desktop even further. The early KDE 4.2 betas are very impressive and many aspects of the user experience have been enhanced.
5.诺基亚解放Symbian
移动电话巨头诺基亚已经成为了开源软件中具有影响力的一员，因为该公司去年重新调整了战略，把Symbian平台作为开源平台推出。Symbian将从诺基亚中解放出来，并最终按照Eclipse公共许可协议分发，并逐渐走向社区开发的道路。
Nokia plans to liberate Symbian
Mobile phone giant Nokia has become one of the most influential players in the open source software landscape. The company completely redefined its software strategy this year and has significantly boosted its commitment to open source. Nokia acquired Symbian this year as part of a bold plan to liberate the platform. It will eventually be distributed under the open source Eclipse Public License and is gradually moving towards a community-driven development model.
6.诺基亚收购Trolltech
在诺基亚收购Trolltech之后，这个开源QT工具包将成为移动桌面开发之间的桥梁，通过Qt工具包开发的程序，可以支持几个不同的移动平台，Qt现在已经增加了Symbian S60平台支持。
Nokia acquires Trolltech
In January, Nokia announced plans to acquire Trolltech, the company behind the open source Qt toolkit. Nokia aimed to use Qt to bridge the gap between mobile and desktop development and also to provide a portable toolkit that would work across several different mobile platforms. The Qt developers have been working to add Symbian S60 support to the toolkit, a feature that is demonstrated in a preliminary technical preview that was released several months ago.
7.Maemo 5发布
Maemo 5是基于Linux的互联网Tablet PC操作系统，据诺基亚Ari Jaaksi表示，Maemo 5提供了令人兴奋的技术改进和用户界面，并已经公布了SDK，这种操作系统可能会成为今后主流的移动互联网设备及Tablet PC的操作系统。
Maemo 5 revealed
Nokia is also pushing forward with Maemo, its Linux-based Internet Tablet operating system. At the Open Source in Mobile conference in Berlin, Nokia's Ari Jaaksi unveiled the roadmap for Maemo 5, the next major version of the platform. The new platform includes a multitude of exciting technical improvements and user interface enhancements that were discussed at the first ever community-oriented Maemo Summit. The first alpha of the Maemo 5 SDK was released this month, fueling lots of fascinating speculation about features that could potentially be included in future Internet Tablet devices.
8.Python 3预览版放出
开源开发语言在去年也取得了进步，Python 3编程语言向后兼容，并支持强大的新功能和语法。另外，Google App引擎也将支持Python 3语言。
Python 3 slithers into view
Open source language development technologies also saw major gains this year. The Python programming language shed backwards compatibility with the long-awaited 3.0 release, which introduces some powerful new features and syntactic improvements. Python has gained significant traction and continued to see more high-profile adoption this year through Google's App Engine and other venues. Python is also one of the most popular programming languages in the Ars Orbiting HQ and we have written several tutorials about it in recent months.
9.Mono 2开源平台公布
Mono 2是一个开源版本的微软.net平台，目前的版本是2.0，它支持C# 3.0，也同时支持Mac OS X操作系统，这位曾经在Windows下编程的程序员提供了便利。另外，去年官方公布了MonoDevelop 1.0开发环境，用于建立基于GTK #的应用程序。据悉该厂商将在今年为Linux用户提供开源版的SliverLight网页插件支持。
Mono 2 released, first Moonlight beta emerges
This was also a big year for the Mono project, an open source implementation of Microsoft's .NET platform. The Mono developers released version 2.0, which supports C# 3.0 and introduced support for Mac OS X, which has helped attract new developers to some Mono-based projects. WinForms support has improved significantly and the runtime itself has become very robust. This year also brought the official release of MonoDevelop 1.0, an open source development environment for building GTK# applications. Mono gained several high-profile adopters this year, including Linden Labs, the maker of the virtual world platform Second Life. The Mono developers also launched the first beta release of the Moonlight project, which seeks to provide Linux users with an open source implementation of Microsoft's Silverlight web plugin.
10. Sun公司的OpenSolaris
去年Sun发布了首个OpenSolaris操作系统，这个平台的目的是建立一个围绕Solaris操作系统相关技术的开发者社区。该项目针对的对象包括致力于开发和改进Solaris操作系统。
Sun's OpenSolaris lights up
Sun released the very first version of OpenSolaris this year. OpenSolaris, which emerged from Project Indiana, was created to build a user-friendly desktop distribution on top of the open source Solaris platform. Despite some early friction, the project shows a lot of promise. The second release, which occurred earlier this month, included some impressive functionality, such as a new ZFS snapshot visualization feature.
展望未来
Looking forward
This year brought many exciting new developments for open source software, but there are many more that we can look forward to in 2009. Intel's intriguing new Linux-based Moblin platform is finally arriving on devices and will make major inroads in 2009 as the platform gains broader acceptance. The ACCESS Linux Platform and other emerging LiMo-compatible platforms could also debut on devices in the coming year and bring the open source operating system to more handsets.
Netbook growth will likely continue to surge, creating many new challenges and opportunities for Linux. Netbook-centric development initiatives, such as Ubuntu's Netbook remix and ARM port will continue to advance. We also expect to see community-driven distros gaining some enterprise traction as companies look for more ways to cut support costs.
Another area where Linux will continue to grow is in virtualization, where the platform's flexibility makes it uniquely suited for JeOS appliances. Major Linux distributors will continue to build robust enterprise virtualization technologies around Xen and KVM.
Although the coming year will bring many exciting new developments, there will be some challenges as well. The ongoing debate about how to bring freedom to the cloud will intensify and become more urgent as more users turn to web-based applications. The role of the open source software community in civic and political issues will become more pronounced, too. The principles of software freedom can make a difference in many critical areas, including national security and election integrity.
The coming year is bright for Linux and open source software. Despite its continued inability to gain a broad foothold on the desktop, the open operating system is practically everywhere else and many believe that it is the platform of the future.
原文地址:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090102-alook-back-at-the-open-source-victories-of-2008.html