Open Source

From the very beginning we made a conscious decision to build DreamHost from the ground up using open-source software. Today we even offer automated installations at no extra cost to some of the best-in-breed open source web applications. Among them, WordPress, phpBB, Mediawiki, Zenphoto, Drupal, and Joomla.

These applications can be installed through our web-based control panel for our paid customers, and as well through our free open-source web application hosting service, Dreamhost Apps. We truly want to get these great applications into the hands of as many people as we can with minimal hassle and at no cost.

Ceph

Ceph is an open-source distributed file system that DreamHost has developed in-house. Ceph was originally created to address problems with existing file systems and their (in)ability to quickly store and retrieve large amounts of data across fleets of servers - a problem that nearly every web host struggles with at one point or another.

We saw real value in not keeping Ceph's technology to ourselves. As the Internet is increasingly used to shuffle more and more data across its sinewy pipes we made a conscious decision to share the technology behind Ceph with developers worldwide. Ceph is included in the Linux kernel and will continue to grow and expand thanks to contributions from developers worldwide.

Looking Beyond Ourselves

We recognize the incredible potential of open source software and the communities behind these projects. It's why we strive to make our hosting as developer-friendly as possible. We get excited about promoting open source development through donations, competitions, and personal involvement by some of our staff.

We've contributed in several ways to the following projects, to name a few: