Open Source Software

Open source software is software that has been developed with the source code being available to other people outside the development organization. This source code can be accessed and manipulated by others, allowing the addition of new tools or features that can be used with the original software. This is in direct contrast to proprietary software, which cannot be legally modified or changed, and can only be distributed by licensed distributors.

Why Does Open Source Software Matter?

At first glance, it might be difficult to understand why open source software matters. Why should the average user care whether software was developed from open source code? Why would companies care? It really comes down to control.

Think of it this way. Linux and Windows are both operating systems. They both allow users to control their PCs, achieve tasks, run software and more. However, Windows is not open source software. It’s proprietary. That means you cannot access the source code of the operating system. You cannot create copies of the software and distribute those copies. You’re also limited in terms of the number of machines on which you can install Windows without having to purchase another license.

Linux is different. You’re free to access the source code for Linux, develop new tools and features based on your usage needs, and more. You’re also free to make as many copies of the software as you like and distribute those to others. If you bundle it with tools that you’ve developed or features that you’ve added, you can even charge for the software. You can also install the software on as many machines as you want and never have to worry about buying another license.

Open source software offers quite a few advantages that go beyond the cost or licensing considerations. Most of these are due to the fact that the code can be changed by any developer using the software. This allows communal editing, bug fixing, the creation and sharing of new features and functionality, and more.

Essentially, open source software has the potential to be of higher quality than some commercial software. It also provides affordable learning options for programmers, as there is usually no need to purchase the software, and programmers can improve their skills easily in a community environment. Another advantage here is that there is very little chance that the software will ever become unavailable, thanks to the fact that the source code is in the public domain.

Finally, there is also the potential for open source software to be more secure than proprietary software. This is because bugs are identified and fixed very quickly by a large, passionate community of developers.

Open source software is an important tool for developers around the world, and allows the creation, modification and evolution of powerful solutions that benefit not just developers and development firms, but end users, a well. While open source software will not replace commercial proprietary software, it does provide an important alternative.