Open-source software

Open-source software is a type of computer software that anyone can use, change, and share with others. The person who owns the copyright allows people to do these things using a special license. This means you can see how the software works, improve it, or share your improvements.

People can work together to build open-source software publicly. Anyone with the skills can join and help, making the software strong and trusted because others can see and check the source code.

Using open-source software can save companies money. It helps businesses worth about $8.8 trillion. Without it, companies would need to spend more to create their own software.

If you know how to use a computer well, you can use open-source code to solve problems that matter to you. You can also share your changes with others, which helps everyone.

Definitions

The Open Source Initiative has a standard way to decide if a software license is open source. They use The Open Source Definition, which was created using ideas from the Debian Free Software Guidelines.

Open-source software lets anyone use, change, and share the software easily. This helps the software improve quickly because many people can work on it together.

Some people talk about "free software" and "open-source software" as if they are the same, but not everyone agrees. Richard Stallman thinks they are different.

Open-source software development

Development model

In a 1997 essay, The Cathedral and the Bazaar, Eric S. Raymond talked about two ways to build software. The "cathedral" model is like building a big structure all by yourself or with a small team. Everyone knows their job, and work happens in one place.

The "bazaar" model is very different. Everyone can help in any way they want. People work together in many places, sharing many ideas. This open way helps software grow faster and better.

In the bazaar model, users are treated like helpers. They can see and change the software’s code, suggest new ideas, and find and fix problems. Sharing the code helps everyone spot and fix mistakes. Releasing the first version early helps find more helpers. Changing the code often keeps problems small. Having different versions lets some users try new features while others use a stable version. Breaking the software into smaller parts makes it easier to work on. Decisions can change based on what users need.

Open-source development starts when developers decide what new features to add or which problems to fix. They talk to the community through bug reports, mailing lists, and project pages. Then they pick a task, find a solution, and start coding. Others test and give feedback. After the leaders and community agree, the software can be released. Only important fixes are made after that.

Advantages

Open-source software can help standards become more popular and last longer. Developers often feel more involved and proud of their work. It can save money on marketing and services. Companies can use it to show they care about good software.

Open-source development can lead to faster innovation and create value for society. For example, when France encouraged the use of open-source software, it led to more contributions, more tech startups, and more jobs in IT.

Open-source software can be very reliable because many people test and fix it. It doesn’t depend on one company — even if that company stops, the software keeps going. It’s flexible, allowing programmers to add new features or change how it looks. Different ideas and goals lead to creative solutions. Free software can focus on what works best, without worrying about selling it.

Development tools

Tools help manage open-source projects. Version control systems like CVS, Subversion, and Git keep track of changes to the code. Git is very popular. These tools are often hosted on sites like GitHub or Gitlab.

Projects use tools to track problems and organize work, like Bugzilla and Redmine. Mailing lists and chat tools let developers talk and share ideas. Websites, wikis, and newsgroups share information with everyone.

Opportunities for participation

Open-source software lets everyone help, no matter their skills. People can lead projects, guide others, or start small and learn as they go. You can help by writing code, designing how the software looks, testing it, or even just writing instructions for others. There are many ways to get involved, even if you don’t know how to code. You can translate the software into different languages, help manage events, or spread the word about the project.

Big companies and industries use open-source software because it helps them work better and save money. Organizations all around the world support open-source software. These groups teach people about technology and help grow the open-source community.

Legal and economic issues

Licensing

Main article: Open-source license

Further information: Free-software license

Open-source software uses special rules called licenses. These rules let people use, change, and share the software freely. There are two main types of rules: permissive licenses and copyleft licenses. Permissive licenses let people use the software in many ways without needing to share their changes. Copyleft licenses require that any changes made to the software also be shared openly.

Legal issues

Participants in the Free Knowledge Game Jam 2015, an open source and open data oriented game jam

There are many questions about how laws apply to software, especially open-source software. Some places think software should be protected like books. The United States supports open-source software, but there are concerns about who owns the ideas in these programs.

Economic/business implications

In open-source software, people work together to build and improve software that everyone can use. Companies and individuals support open-source projects for many reasons, not just money. They might do it to gain respect from others or because they believe in sharing technology.

Even though open-source software doesn’t fit neatly into traditional economic ideas, it works because people invest their time and skills. Many big tech companies now use open-source software, but there are concerns that they might not always give back to the community that created it.

Government uses

Many governments see the value in using open-source software because it can save money and offer flexibility. For example, the UK government has policies that support open-source solutions. However, governments also worry about security. They need to make sure that the software they use is safe and comes from trusted sources.

Countries like the United States focus on national security when deciding how to use open-source software. For instance, after Huawei could not use Google's Android system in 2019, they created their own operating system called Harmony OS. Some countries, like Germany, have even created funds to support the software they rely on.

Open software movement

History

Further information: History of free and open-source software

In the early days of computers, programmers often shared their software to learn from each other. Early systems like Unix let users see and change the source code. But as commercial software grew, companies kept their software private.

The open-source movement began with enthusiastic programmers, sometimes called hackers. One key figure was Richard Stallman, who started the free software movement. In 1984, he left MIT to create a free operating system called GNU. GNU worked like UNIX, so others could use it. Stallman also created the GNU General Public License.

In 1991, GNU was combined with the Linux kernel created by Linus Torvalds, forming Linux. Many other free software projects existed at this time.

Later, the term “open source” was suggested in 1998 by Christine Peterson. This led to the Open Source Initiative, which defined open source software. Some people still prefer “free software,” but many companies now use and support open source.

Future

The future of open source looks bright but also raises questions. Popular systems like Android and Ubuntu show how far open source has come. However, some worry that big companies might change open source in ways that don’t match its original spirit.

More businesses use open source now. Even Microsoft, which once opposed it, now uses open source in its products. As open source becomes more common, the community must decide how to protect its values.

Comparisons with other software licensing/development models

Closed source / proprietary software

Main article: Comparison of open-source and closed-source software

Open source software is different from proprietary software. Everyone can use open source software for free. You can change and share it if you follow the license rules. Proprietary software only lets you use what the company makes. This can limit your choices and cost more money.

With proprietary software, only the company that makes it can fix problems. If you want to use it on a new device, you might need to buy it again. The company can stop making the software anytime, and you cannot change it yourself. This can be risky for businesses.

Free software

Main article: Alternative terms for free software

Open source software lets anyone see and change the code with few rules. This helps the software improve quickly. Some people like the term "free software" because it talks about freedom to use and change the software.

Source-available software

Main article: Source-available software

Sometimes software comes with its source code. This means you can see how it works. But just seeing the code does not always mean you can change or share it freely. To be true open source, the software must let you change and share it under certain rules.

Open-sourcing

Many big companies, like Google, Microsoft, and Apple, have started sharing some of their software with everyone. This can bring new ideas and help solve problems, but it takes work to welcome new people and keep the project going.

Other

Other types of software, like shareware or freeware, might seem similar to open source. But they usually do not let you see or change the code, or they have different rules about how you can use them.

Society and culture

Demographics

People who help create open-source software often live in places like Silicon Valley. They work together because of their jobs or social networks. Sometimes, code from some countries is accepted more easily than code from others. This can be because of language or cultural differences.

In 2021, the countries that helped create the most open-source software were the United States, China, Germany, India, and the UK. Countries with the most helpers for every person included Iceland, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

Motivations

People help create open-source software for many reasons. They can learn useful skills like writing code, tracking problems, and working with others. Even though most of these projects are done by volunteers, people can still build good reputations by doing good work.

Disparities

There are fewer women in tech today than in the past. Women sometimes feel nervous about fitting in. Some people in tech treat women unfairly, which makes it hard for everyone to feel included. Women in open-source software projects often end up doing less technical work, like manual testing or documentation, even though they can do the same work as men.

Adoption and application

Open source software is made and taken care of by a group of programmers, often volunteers. This kind of software is used in both free and paid products.

Some important open source projects include:

Unix: An early operating system made by AT&T in the 1960s. It had ideas that later shaped open source, like working with many people around the world.
BSD: A version of Unix started in 1978. It shared its best ideas publicly, which is a key part of open source today.
GNU: A free operating system started by Richard Stallman in 1984. Its goal was to make a better version of Unix that anyone could use and change freely.
Linux: An operating system part made by Linus Torvalds in 1991. It was inspired by a paid service called Minix but was free and could be changed by anyone.
Apache: A web server made in 1995 by a group of developers. It became very popular quickly and had its own way of sharing code.

The idea of open source isn’t just for software anymore. It’s now used in other areas like ecology, where technologies are shared so anyone can use them. These open ideas help many people work together on different projects.

Value

Many companies use open-source software to help build their own programs. Using or improving open-source software is often a good business choice. Sometimes, a company's own software may compete with open-source software.

Some companies build their business by helping others with open-source software. They don’t charge for the software itself, but for extra help, improvements, and support. Products called Software as a service that use open-source parts are becoming more common. Scientists often like open-source software because it helps them share and check their results more easily.