Brian Behlendorf
Encyclopedia
Brian Behlendorf is a technologist, computer programmer, and an important figure in the open-source software movement. He was a primary developer of the Apache Web server
, the most popular web server
software on the Internet
, and a founding member of the Apache Group, which later became the Apache Software Foundation
. Behlendorf served as President of the Foundation for three years.
Behlendorf has served on the board of the Mozilla Foundation
since 2003.
Behlendorf, raised in Southern California, became interested in the early development of the Internet while he was a student at the University of California, Berkeley
in the early 1990s. One of his first projects was an electronic mailing list
and online music resource, SFRaves, which a friend persuaded him to start in 1992.
Behlendorf was an early participant and the chief technology guru for the Burning Man
festival, and also founded a large online resource devoted to electronic music
and related subcultures.
In 1993, Behlendorf, Jonathan Nelson, Matthew Nelson and Cliff Skolnick co-founded Organic, Inc., the first business dedicated to building commercial web sites.
While developing the first online, for-profit, media project — the HotWired
web site for Wired Magazine — in 1994, they realized that the most commonly used web server software
at the time (developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
) could not handle the user registration system that the company required. So, Behlendorf patched
the open-source code to support HotWired's requirements.
It turned out that Behlendorf wasn't the only one busy patching the NCSA code at the time, so he and Cliff Skolnick put together an electronic mailing list to coordinate the work of the other programmers. By the end of February 1995, eight core contributors to the project started Apache as a fork
of the NCSA codebase. Working loosely together, they eventually rewrote the entire original program as the Apache HTTP Server
- so named because their software patches made it "a patchy server". In 1999, the project incorporated as the Apache Software Foundation.
Behlendorf is currently the CTO of the World Economic Forum
and a Director of CollabNet
, a company he co-founded with O'Reilly & Associates (now O'Reilly Media
) in 1999 to develop tools for enabling collaborative, distributed software development. CollabNet is also the primary corporate sponsor of Subversion, an open source version control system. He continues to be involved with electronic music community events such as Chillits
, and speaks often at open source conferences worldwide.
In 2003, he was named to the MIT
Technology Review
TR100
as one of the top 100 innovators in the world under the age of 35.
Apache HTTP Server
The Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to as Apache , is web server software notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web. In 2009 it became the first web server software to surpass the 100 million website milestone...
, the most popular web server
Web server
Web server can refer to either the hardware or the software that helps to deliver content that can be accessed through the Internet....
software on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, and a founding member of the Apache Group, which later became the Apache Software Foundation
Apache Software Foundation
The Apache Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation to support Apache software projects, including the Apache HTTP Server. The ASF was formed from the Apache Group and incorporated in Delaware, U.S., in June 1999.The Apache Software Foundation is a decentralized community of developers...
. Behlendorf served as President of the Foundation for three years.
Behlendorf has served on the board of the Mozilla Foundation
Mozilla Foundation
The Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit organization that exists to support and provide leadership for the open source Mozilla project. The organization sets the policies that govern development, operates key infrastructure and controls trademarks and other intellectual property...
since 2003.
Behlendorf, raised in Southern California, became interested in the early development of the Internet while he was a student at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in the early 1990s. One of his first projects was an electronic mailing list
Electronic mailing list
An electronic mailing list is a special usage of email that allows for widespread distribution of information to many Internet users. It is similar to a traditional mailing list — a list of names and addresses — as might be kept by an organization for sending publications to...
and online music resource, SFRaves, which a friend persuaded him to start in 1992.
Behlendorf was an early participant and the chief technology guru for the Burning Man
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
festival, and also founded a large online resource devoted to electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and related subcultures.
In 1993, Behlendorf, Jonathan Nelson, Matthew Nelson and Cliff Skolnick co-founded Organic, Inc., the first business dedicated to building commercial web sites.
While developing the first online, for-profit, media project — the HotWired
HotWired
Hotwired was the first commercial web magazine, launched on October 27, 1994. Although it was part of Wired Ventures, Hotwired was a separate entity from Wired, the print magazine, and had original content....
web site for Wired Magazine — in 1994, they realized that the most commonly used web server software
NCSA HTTPd
NCSA HTTPd was a web server originally developed at the NCSA by Robert McCool and others. It was among the earliest web servers developed, following Tim Berners-Lee's CERN httpd, Tony Sanders' Plexus server, and some others. It was for some time the natural counterpart to the Mosaic web browser in...
at the time (developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications
National Center for Supercomputing Applications
The National Center for Supercomputing Applications is an American state-federal partnership to develop and deploy national-scale cyberinfrastructure that advances science and engineering. NCSA operates as a unit of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign but it provides high-performance...
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
) could not handle the user registration system that the company required. So, Behlendorf patched
Patch (computing)
A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...
the open-source code to support HotWired's requirements.
It turned out that Behlendorf wasn't the only one busy patching the NCSA code at the time, so he and Cliff Skolnick put together an electronic mailing list to coordinate the work of the other programmers. By the end of February 1995, eight core contributors to the project started Apache as a fork
Fork (software development)
In software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
of the NCSA codebase. Working loosely together, they eventually rewrote the entire original program as the Apache HTTP Server
Apache HTTP Server
The Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to as Apache , is web server software notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web. In 2009 it became the first web server software to surpass the 100 million website milestone...
- so named because their software patches made it "a patchy server". In 1999, the project incorporated as the Apache Software Foundation.
Behlendorf is currently the CTO of the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
and a Director of CollabNet
CollabNet
CollabNet is a company that sells application lifecycle management software for distributed development teams engaged in both enterprise and open source development.-History:...
, a company he co-founded with O'Reilly & Associates (now O'Reilly Media
O'Reilly Media
O'Reilly Media is an American media company established by Tim O'Reilly that publishes books and Web sites and produces conferences on computer technology topics...
) in 1999 to develop tools for enabling collaborative, distributed software development. CollabNet is also the primary corporate sponsor of Subversion, an open source version control system. He continues to be involved with electronic music community events such as Chillits
Chillits
Chillits is an exclusive annual ambient music festival held every September from 1999 through 2009 at a private retreat center near Willits, California, USA and at an alternate location starting in 2010. There is one main sound stage, with music playing almost continuously through the weekend by...
, and speaks often at open source conferences worldwide.
In 2003, he was named to the MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
Technology Review
Technology Review
Technology Review is a magazine published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was founded in 1899 as "The Technology Review", and was re-launched without the "The" in its name on April 23, 1998 under then publisher R. Bruce Journey...
TR100
TR35
The TR35 is an annual list published by MIT Technology Review magazine, naming the world's top 35 innovators under the age of 35.Some of the most famous winners of the award include Larry Page and Sergey Brin , Linus Torvalds , Jerry Yang , Jonathan Ive , Mark Zuckerberg...
as one of the top 100 innovators in the world under the age of 35.