MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Down 524 this week

Revolution OS (2001)

7.2
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 7.2/10 from 1,455 users   Metascore: 46/100
Reviews: 15 user | 10 critic | 7 from Metacritic.com

While Microsoft may be the biggest software company in the world, not every computer user is a fan of their products, or their way of doing business. While Microsoft's Windows became the ... See full summary »

Director:

Writer:

0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 131 titles created 4 months ago
 
a list of 33 titles created 04 May 2011
 
a list of 53 titles created 4 months ago
 
a list of 17 titles created 6 months ago
 
a list of 151 titles created 5 months ago
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: Revolution OS (2001)

Revolution OS (2001) on IMDb 7.2/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of Revolution OS.

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Religulous (2008)
Documentary | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

Bill Maher's take on the current state of world religion.

Director: Larry Charles
Stars: Bill Maher, Tal Bachman, Jonathan Boulden
Documentary | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8/10 X  

The story of how an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner. The film contains... See full summary »

Director: Banksy
Stars: Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Debora Guetta
Documentary | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.6/10 X  

A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement.

Director: Morgan Spurlock
Stars: J.J. Abrams, Peter Berg, Paul Brennan
Super High Me (2007)
Documentary | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

Stand up comedian and marijuana user Doug Benson documents thirty days of pot free living and thirty days of non-stop use to compare the effects of both.

Director: Michael Blieden
Stars: Brian Unger, Gary Cohan, Robert Gore
Documentary | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

One hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY dirty, filthy joke--one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville.

Director: Paul Provenza
Stars: Chris Albrecht, George Carlin, Don Rickles
Documentary | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

Chris Pontius, Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera, and the whole crew return to the screen to raise the stakes higher than ever before.

Director: Jeff Tremaine
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O
Word Wars (2004)
Documentary | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

A look at the obsessive world of competitive Scrabble.

Directors: Eric Chaikin, Julian Petrillo
Stars: Joe Edley, Matt Graham, Marlon Hill
Winnebago Man (2009)
Documentary | Biography | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

Jack Rebney is the most famous man you've never heard of - after cursing his way through a Winnebago sales video, Rebney's outrageously funny outtakes became an underground sensation and ... See full summary »

Director: Ben Steinbauer
Stars: Jack Rebney, Ben Steinbauer, Keith Gordon
Documentary | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X  

An examination of the widespread fan disenchantment with George Lucas.

Director: Alexandre O. Philippe
Stars: Joe Nussbaum, Daryl Frazetti, Doug Jones
Super Size Me (2004)
Documentary | Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

While examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.

Director: Morgan Spurlock
Stars: Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, Lisa Ganjhu
Comedy | Documentary
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.1/10 X  

Kevin Smith interacts in Q&A sessions throughout various college stops in the USA.

Director: J.M. Kenny
Stars: Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Scott Mosier
Documentary | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.1/10 X  

A humorous look at life for a loser in love.

Director: Chris Waitt
Stars: Danielle McLeod, Olivia Trench, Chris Waitt
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Linus Torvalds ...
Himself - Creator, Linux Kernel
Richard M. Stallman ...
Himself - Founder, GNU Project
Eric Raymond ...
Himself - Author
Bruce Perens ...
Himself - Author, Open Source Definition
Larry Augustin ...
Himself - Co-Founder, CEO, VA Linux Systems
Michael Tiemann ...
Himself - Co-Founder, Cygnus Solutions
Brian Behlendorf ...
Himself
Frank Hecker ...
Himself - Former Netscape Systems Engineer
Chris DiBona ...
Himself (Windows Refund Day Scene)
Nick Moffitt ...
Himself (Windows Refund Day Scene)
Rob Malda ...
Himself (On Inflatable Couch)
Donnie Barnes ...
Himself - Employee, Red Hat Software
...
Narrator (voice)
...
Himself (Silicon Valley Linux Users' Group President)
Terry Egan ...
Himself
Edit

Storyline

While Microsoft may be the biggest software company in the world, not every computer user is a fan of their products, or their way of doing business. While Microsoft's Windows became the most widely used operating system for personal computers in the world, many experts took issue with Microsoft's strict policies regarding licensing, ownership, distribution, and alteration of their software. The objections of many high-profile technology experts, most notably Richard Stallman, led to what has become known as "the Open Source Movement," which is centered on the belief that computer software should be free both in the economic and intellectual senses of the word. Eventually, one of Stallman's admirers, Linus Torvalds, created a new operating system called Linux, a freely distributed software which many programmers consider to be markedly superior to Windows. Revolution OS is a documentary that examines the genesis of the Open Source Movement, and explores and explains the technical and ... Written by Mark Deming, Rovi

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Hackers, Programmers & Rebels UNITE!


Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

15 February 2002 (USA)  »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$3,500 (USA) (23 August 2002)

Gross:

$3,500 (USA) (23 August 2002)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Quotes

John Mark Walker: [Last Line] "Hi! We're the GNU/Stallmans, and this is the Free Software Song!"
See more »

Connections

References Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) See more »

Soundtracks

"The Free Software Song"
Lyrics by Richard Stallman
Performed by The GNU/Stallmans
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
I know nothing about computers (and if you don't either, this film is very interesting)
24 November 2003 | by (Seattle) – See all my reviews

Given that I have no knowledge about computers nor how they operate, I found

this film very informative with some basic descriptions of the free software and open source movement (which have some ideological differences... not that I

had ever heard of either). The film recounts the historical evolution (and

subsequent "revolution") through a series of interviews of key players in the development of the Linux operating systems for computers. If you know nothing about computers, do not assume that you will find this film uninteresting. In fact, although dense with information, the narrative is straight forward and almost all the information is explained for the ignorant like myself.

There are some relatively small problems with the film, mainly near its

conclusion. The finale of the film does not address the disparity between the commercial aspects of open source in the 90's and the long-term growth of the philosophy and practical applications. I assume that the Linux OS and the idea of open source did not lose steam after the dot-com stock bubble burst. Given I don't work around computers, besides for internet research and writing, I must make that assumption. Yet the film implies, for those of us who are ignorant, that perhaps it was derailed by the economic problems. But given the stable

foundation of the idea that the film describes, I cannot imagine that commercial problems would have a long-term affect.

The film ultimately is a nicely constructed lesson for those of us out of the loop. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in watching documentaries or

learning interesting kernels about our world. In terms of emotional involvement, the way the director juxtaposes the interviewees creates interesting moments of humor (there seems to be a jockeying for credit happening within the community of programmers). Where the credit belongs and how people have used this

ideology (which it is according to one of the founders of GNU-- see the movie, it will all be explained) to launch practical business operations creates a nice tension. Of course, there are some mentions of Microsoft's relationship, which is adversarial, to the Linux OS that can help the laymen get emotionally involved in the story by means of creating a hero (the Open Source community) and a

villain (Microsoft). Of course the Microsoft way of business (proprietary rights) is never really given voice with the exception involving an over-dramatized

reading of argumentative letter written in the 70's by Bill Gates (given I am originally from Seattle and some of my friends work for the giant, it seems a little one-sided).

Again, if you have no knowledge of computers, do not avoid this film for that reason alone. If you are on this site, you have an interest in films. You can at least appreciate it as a nicely constructed documentary (although not excellent) that will illuminate a part of recent history.

A small note: although there are some mannerisms of the interviewees that can be regarded as stereotypical regarding computer enthusiasts, they are some of the more well-spoken interviewees I have seen in film in awhile.


16 of 16 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
watch this movie online diego-viola
Free Software Song kahlil88
Discuss Revolution OS (2001) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?