1. A Surprising Twist in the Tech World
On the desktop, for home and office users, Microsoft Windows still has the highest market share, followed by Apple, Linux, BSD, Solaris, and other niche systems. This landscape dramatically changes once we shift our focus from the single-user desktop to the World Wide Web. In the realm of the web, free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is either in the top position or rapidly ascending.
2. Apache: The Web Server Titan
Apache, the open-source server software package, has the most significant market share, not just by a small margin but by a vast percentage. Apache’s HTTP Server is a remarkable success story, which began in 1995.
In those days, most web servers ran on the NCSA HTTPd. However, eight developers started working on patches for the NCSA code to enhance its functionality. Over time, this work evolved into the Apache HTTP Server, which now powers an impressive 24.7% of all active websites, according to W3Techs.
3. Linux: From Obscurity to Ubiquity
The most popular Unix-like system Linux has a sizable chunk of the server market. Its versatility extends to communication devices like routers, smartphones, and GPS systems.
Linux’s story began with Linus Torvalds, who released the first kernel in 1991. Read More