Open-Source Software

Open-source software is usually misunderstood as free-of-charge software. However, free has a double meaning here: not only does it not cost money to use the software, but its source code is also freely available to everyone. Some software can be free of charge (freeware), but not free in terms of liberty of use; that is, you can’t access the core, the source code, and modify it to fit your needs.

What open source means is that the user has the power to access the source code of the software and modify it at will. Developers also encourage you to check the code, use the software for commercial purposes, and even redistribute it. Basically, open-source software is the exact opposite of commercial software. You can download this software and immediately use it commercially. The business model of a company that creates OSS is not to sell the software itself, but to sell related services such as instructional material, training, and technical support. This type of company often relies on donations from the public as well.

The good thing about open source is that anyone in the world can download the source code and develop a feature he or she likes, and other people can use that new feature later. You are free to modify the source code, copy it as many times as you want, learn from it, and give it to your friends or classmates. Sometimes, open-source software (OSS) is developed by an individual or a small team. Some OSS is, of course, quite complex and highly organized, and may even have additional companies contributing to its development.

Another fact worth noting is that there are several types of open-source licenses, such as General Public License (GPL), Eclipse Public License (EPL), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology license (MIT). Before using open-source software, you should get some information about the terms of those licenses to make sure you understand what you are allowed do with that software.