Mike Gerwitz

This website and the server on which it is hosted is powered entirely by free software.

So what exactly is running behind the scenes? Below is a list of software that I use both for this website and my server (on which this website is hosted).

Please note: The term “free” below implies “free software”, which signifies freedom, not price. That said, the software mentioned below is also free of price.

Website

PHP

PHP is a free server-side scripting language licensed under the terms of the PHP License. It is a popular alternative to proprietary scripting languages such as ASP.

WordPress

WordPress is a sophisticated “publishing platform” (as they describe it); most call it a “blog”. It has a large focus on usability and web standards (which gives them a good standing in my book) and is backed by a very large community. This entire website is powered by WordPress.

Server Software

There is a great deal of software that goes into running a competent server. Obviously, I will not be able to list it all here. However, I will make an effort to list those that may be the most useful to others.

GNU/Linux

The server runs the completely free GNU operating system with the Linux kernel. Specifically, the server is using the Ubuntu distribution.

Apache Web Server

The Apache web server is perhaps the most popular web server today. It was part of the reason that GNU/Linux initially took off. It provided many features that other alternatives, such as IIS, did not (such as the ability to host multiple domains on a single IP, which we now take for granted). Apache is very robust and feature rich, but some may call it bloated. I tend to prefer lighter solutions like Lighttpd and nginx, but I do use Apache where certain features may be needed (such as .htaccess support or Apache-specific modules).

Dovecot

Dovecot is a robust IMAP and POP3 server for GNU/Linux. This software is configured (on my system) to work hand in hand with Postfix. All mail and authentication can be routed through it, allowing you to tightly (and more easily) integrate your SMTP and IMAP/POP3 services.

Lighttpd

Lighttpd (pronounced “lighty”) is a lightweight and fast HTTP server. It contains many of the core features that Apache includes, so I use it as an alternative wherever possible.

Postfix

Postfix is a free mail transfer agent (MTA). This is used as my SMTP server. I will admit, it had a bit of a learning curve, but it’s a very powerful and highly configurable system.

Flaunt It

Do you use GNU/Linux and free software on your own website? Let others know! Feel free to place the image below on your own website, blog, or anywhere else you see fit to let others know that you support GNU and free software.

This image also helps to bring awareness to the GNU operating system, as well as GNU’s philosophy. The majority of users today consider the operating system to be called “Linux”, which is false. Linux is only the kernel. GNU is the operating system.

The page fold is transparent. It will therefore work well with any background color. Please note that this is a PNG with alphatransparency; older browsers that users shouldn’t be using anymore (such as IE 6) will not render it properly unless you take the necessary precautions.

[Download Source (GIMP)]

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<div id="gnulinux-inside" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px;">
  <a href="http://gnu.org/">
    <img src="http://mikegerwitz.com/images/gnulinux-inside.png" alt="GNU/Linux Inside!" title="GNU/Linux Inside!" />
  </a>
</div>