Who is using open source?

When you are using open source software, you are not alone! All over the globe there are millions of people and organisation using open source on a daily basis for all of their computing needs.

It is not possible to define a typical "open sourcer". Users of open source range from enthusiastic individuals, to major organisations and business, to local, regional and national governments.

This chapter gives some real-world examples of the many and varied users and uses of open source software around the world:

• Business
• National & regional governments
• Schools
• Military
• Environmental
• Medical
• Scientific

It is by no means exhaustive: the use of open source software is growing at an enormous rate. The examples in this chapter give a taster of how open source is being used. You will find a much broader range of examples in the chapters of the Packages section.