Open source software is software with source code that anyone can inspect,
modify, and enhance.
"Source code" is the part of software that most computer users
don't ever see; it's the code computer programmers can manipulate to change how
a piece of software—a "program" or "application"—works.
Programmers who have access to a computer program's source code can improve
that program by adding features to it or fixing parts that don't always work
correctly.
What's the
difference between open source software and other types of software?
Some software has source code that only the person, team, or organization
who created it—and maintains exclusive control over it—can modify. People call
this kind of software "proprietary" or "closed source"
software.
Only the original authors of proprietary software can legally copy,
inspect, and alter that software. And in order to use proprietary software,
computer users must agree (usually by signing a license displayed the first
time they run this software) that they will not do anything with the software
that the software's authors have not expressly permitted. Microsoft Office and
Adobe Photoshop are examples of proprietary software.
Open source software is different. Its authors make its source code available to
others who would like to view that code, copy it, learn from it, alter it, or
share it. LibreOffice and
the GNU Image Manipulation Program are
examples of open source software.
As they do with proprietary software, users must accept the terms of
a license when
they use open source software—but the legal terms of open source licenses
differ dramatically from those of proprietary licenses.
Open source licenses affect the way people can use, study, modify, and
distribute software. In general, open source licenses grant
computer users permission to use open source software
for any purpose they wish. Some open source licenses—what some
people call "copyleft" licenses—stipulate that anyone who releases a
modified open source program must also release the source code for that program
alongside it. Moreover, some open source licenses stipulate
that anyone who alters and shares a program with others must also share that
program's source code without charging a licensing fee for it.
By design, open source software licenses promote collaboration and sharing
because they permit other people to make modifications to source code and
incorporate those changes into their own projects. They encourage computer
programmers to access, view, and modify open source software whenever they
like, as long as they let others do the same when they share their work.
Is open source
software only important to computer programmers?
No. Open source technology and open source thinking both benefit
programmers and non-programmers.
Because early inventors built much of the Internet itself on open source
technologies—like the Linux operating system and
the Apache Web server application—anyone
using the Internet today benefits from open source software.
Every time computer users view web pages, check email, chat with friends,
stream music online, or play multiplayer video games, their computers, mobile
phones, or gaming consoles connect to a global network of computers using open
source software to route and transmit their data to the "local"
devices they have in front of them. The computers that do all this important
work are typically located in faraway places that users don't actually see or
can't physically access—which is why some people call these computers
"remote computers."
More and more, people rely on remote computers when performing tasks they
might otherwise perform on their local devices. For example, they may use
online word processing, email management, and image editing software that they
don't install and run on their personal computers. Instead, they simply access
these programs on remote computers by using a Web browser or mobile phone
application. When they do this, they're engaged in "remote
computing."
Some people call remote computing "cloud computing," because it
involves activities (like storing files, sharing photos, or watching videos)
that incorporate not only local devices but also a global network of remote
computers that form an "atmosphere" around them.
Cloud computing is an increasingly important aspect of everyday life with
Internet-connected devices. Some cloud computing applications, like Google
Apps, are proprietary. Others, like ownCloud and Nextcloud, are open source.
Cloud computing applications run "on top" of additional software
that helps them operate smoothly and efficiently, so people will often say that
software running "underneath" cloud computing applications acts as a
"platform" for
those applications. Cloud computing platforms can be open source or closed
source. OpenStack is an
example of an open source cloud computing platform.
Why do people
prefer using open source software?
People prefer open source software to proprietary software for a number of
reasons, including:
Control. Many people prefer open source software
because they have more control over
that kind of software. They can examine the code to make sure it's not doing
anything they don't want it to do, and they can change parts of it they don't
like. Users who aren't programmers also benefit from open source software,
because they can use this software for any purpose they wish—not merely the way
someone else thinks they should.
Training. Other people like open source software
because it helps them become better programmers.
Because open source code is publicly accessible, students can easily study it
as they learn to make better software. Students can also share their work with
others, inviting comment and critique, as they develop their skills. When
people discover mistakes in programs' source code, they can share those
mistakes with others to help them avoid making those same mistakes themselves.
Security. Some people prefer open source software
because they consider it more secure and
stable than proprietary software. Because anyone can view and modify open
source software, someone might spot and correct errors or omissions that a
program's original authors might have missed. And because so many programmers
can work on a piece of open source software without asking for permission from
original authors, they can fix, update, and upgrade open source software
more quickly than
they can proprietary software.
Stability. Many users prefer open source software to
proprietary software for important, long-term projects. Because programmers publicly distribute the
source code for open source software, users relying on that software for
critical tasks can be sure their tools won't disappear or fall into disrepair
if their original creators stop working on them. Additionally, open source
software tends to both incorporate and operate according to open standards.
Community. Open source software often inspires a
community of users and developers to form around it. That's not unique to open
source; many popular applications are the subject of meetups and user groups.
But in the case of open source, the community isn't just a fanbase that buys in
(emotionally or financially) to an elite user group; it's the people who
produce, test, use, promote, and ultimately affect the software they love.
Doesn't "open
source" just mean something is free of charge?
No. This is a common misconception about
what "open source" implies, and the concept's implications are not only economic.
Open source software programmers can charge money for the open source
software they create or to which they contribute. But in some cases, because an
open source license might require them to release their source code when they
sell software to others, some programmers find that charging users money
for software services
and support (rather than for the software itself) is more
lucrative. This way, their software remains free of charge, and they make money helping others install,
use, and troubleshoot it.
While some open source software may be free of charge, skill in programming
and troubleshooting open source software can be quite valuable. Many
employers specifically seek to hire programmers with
experience working on open source software.
What is open
source "beyond software"?
At Opensource.com, we like to say that we're interested in the ways open
source values and principles apply to the world beyond software. We like to think
of open source as not only a way to develop and license computer software, but
also an attitude.
Approaching all aspects of life "the open source way"
means expressing a willingness to share, collaborating with others in ways that
are transparent (so that others can watch and join too), embracing failure as a
means of improving, and expecting—even encouraging—everyone else to do the
same.
It also means committing to playing an active role in improving the world,
which is possible only when everyone has access to
the way that world is designed.
The world is full of "source code"—blueprints, recipes, rules—that guide and
shape the way we think and act in it. We believe this underlying code (whatever
its form) should be open, accessible, and shared—so many people can have a hand
in altering it for the better.
Here, we tell stories about the impact of open source values on all areas
of life—science, education, government, manufacturing,
health, law, and organizational dynamics.
We're a community committed to telling others how the open source way is
the best way, because a love of open source is just like anything else: it's
better when it's shared.
