You may see a program labeled as open source. But what is open source software and how can you utilise it?
Open source in a nutshell refers to something people can modify and share because its design is publicly accessible.
And here is the thing – it’s everywhere. Whether you are browsing the web, setting up your own online business or managing a website, you are bound to come across some type of open source software. So if you want to find out more about what open source software is then keep reading because this is the article for you.
What Is The History Of Open Source Software?
In order to fully understand the concept of open source software, we’ve got to start at the beginning. OSS (or open source software) was developed in 1983 from an ideological movement informally founded by Richard Stallman who was a programmer at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
He found that many researchers, especially those at MIT, were starting to create and sell software and were becoming hired by private companies. However they all had to sign NDAs and proprietary software licenses to prevent any sharing or collaboration between them.
Stallman wanted this freedom to be available so that other people could understand how software worked, and allow them to make changes to it if they wished. He began a movement which eventually was picked up by many and led to the formation of the Open Source Initiative in 1998.
Today, by definition, the open source initiative sets out the rules that define open source software.
Why Make Software Open Source?
This is a very valid question. If time and effort has gone into creating a new software, why make it open source and allow anyone to access and modify it?
The short answer here is that a software that has been made open source offers the potential for more flexible technology and quicker innovation. It also means that the software itself is not dependent on the company or author that originally created it. So in the future if the company goes bankrupt or dissolves, the code can continue to exist and be developed by the people who use it.
Also, open source software is much easier to obtain than proprietary software, often resulting in increased adaptation and usage of the code. This means that programmers can build custom interfaces, or add new abilities to it in a hassle-free way without having to worry about ownership and liability issues.
What Are The Benefits Of Open Source Software?
The list of benefits that comes with open source software is very long, especially in today’s world.
Every organisation will have a part of it within their day to day business as open source software is implemented into telecommunication systems, inventory, accounting, contact management and operating systems amongst many others. Benefits include:
- It is free. Anyone can install and use open source software without upfront costs making it a cost-effective solution for many companies.
- It is very flexible and available to all. This means that developers can examine how the code works and freely make changes to better suit their application.
- Open source software can also be scaled up or down easily to allow businesses to achieve their desired programming results.
- It comes with a built-in community that continuously improves the source and fixes any bugs as soon as they are identified.
- Open source is very stable. Because the source code is publicly distributed, many people and businesses can depend on it for long-term projects without worrying that it will fall into disrepair or suddenly be discontinued.
- It provides great learning opportunities for new programmers who wish to gain some experience.
The Drawbacks Of Open Source Software
Just like most things in this world, open source software does have some drawbacks. Some people may find it harder to use and adapt to due to difficulty setting it up and the lack of friendly user interfaces.
Also, another drawback is compatibility. Many types of hardware only work with specialised drivers to run open source programs. These can be difficult and costly to obtain and even if an open source driver exists, it may not be compatible with your software as well as the original driver.
Finally, open source software can pose some liability issues. Because it is available freely to all, the licences typically only contain limited warranty and no liability or infringement indemnity protection. This means that the person who is using open source software is also responsible for staying compliant with all legal obligations.
Is Open Source Software Safe?
Upon hearing that open source software is available to all and anyone can freely modify or change it, it is normal to worry about security issues.
And it’s true – due to the community construction and largely unregulated distribution of OSS, a variety of risks such as cybersecurity threats come with the use of open-source software. Other risks include:
- Lack of security
- Intellectual property issues
- Absence of warranty
Although this information may sound scary, there are ways to overcome these risks and make the use of open source software safe for you and your business.
It is very important that any business or organisation that utilises OSS, or acquires codebases that contain open source software, fully understands what is in their code so they can effectively manage and secure it.
This can be done by checking for insecurities or security threats manually, or through automated security tools. For most companies, automation is usually the best option as manually checking your open-source use will require significant investments of time, resources, as well as a large budget.
Examples Of Open Source Software
There are many programs and applications that are considered to be open source software including:
- GNU/Linux
- Mozilla Firefox
- VLC media player
- SugarCRM
- GIMP
- VNC
- Apache web server
- LibreOffice
- jQuery
All the examples listed above, as well as many other OSS softwares mean that any person can access the code and modify it to create new extensions, patches, or solutions.
Due to this any open source software will inevitably contain quality, performance, and security flaws. However, as the broad base of OSS are code contributors it can also mean that bugs are identified and fixed faster.
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