What Is Open Source Software?

Answer:

In a nutshell, open source software is computer software that is distributed along with its source code - the code that is used to create the software - under a special software license. The license allows users to use, change and improve the software's source code, and to redistribute the software either before or after it has been modified.

If you make any modifications to the source code, one of the conditions of open source is that you have to provide information to other developers about what has been changed, and how. The software that is created as a result of modifications to the source code may or may not be made available for free.

Differences Between Open Source and Commercial Software

The open source model is an alternative to the commercial model of software, where you pay for the software and you don't get access to the source code because the software is considered someone else's intellectual property.

Open source software, on the other hand, is often developed in collaboration with other contributors, which means the software is shared intellectual property among all who have helped develop or modify it.

One of the advantages of collaborated development is the high quality that results when the source code gets passed around, tested and modified to correct any bugs developers may encounter.

Popular Types of Open Source Software:

• Linux kernel;
• Eclipse software development platform;
• Debian operating system;
• Mozilla's Firefox web browser and Thunderbird email client;
• GIMP image editing software;
• MySQL database system;
• FreeBSD operating system.