OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

GROUP 3
WHAT IS OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE?

• Open source software (OSS) is software that is distributed with its source
code, making it available for use, modification, and distribution with its
original rights.
• OSS typically includes a license that allows programmers to modify the
software to best fit their needs and control how the software can be
distributed.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF OSS?

• The idea of making source code freely available originated in 1983 from an ideological
movement informally founded by Richard Stallman, a programmer at MIT.
• Stallman believed that software should be accessible to programmers so they could
modify it as they wished, with the goal of understanding it, learning about it, and
improving it. 
• Stallman began releasing free code under his own license, called the 
GNU Public License. This new approach and ideology surrounding software creation
took hold and eventually led to the formation of the Open Source Initiative in 1998.
WHAT IS THE OPEN SOURCE INITIATIVE?

• The Open Source Initiative (OSI) was created to promote and protect open source
software and communities.
• In short, the OSI acts as a central informational and governing repository of open
source software.
• It provides rules and guidelines for how to use and interact with OSS, as well as
providing code licensing information, support, definitions, and general community
collaboration to help make the use and treatment of open source understandable and
ethical.
HOW DOES OSS WORK?

• Open source code is usually stored in a public repository and shared publicly.
Anyone can access the repository to use the code independently or contribute
improvements to the design and functionality of the overall project.
• OSS usually comes with a distribution license. This license includes terms
that define how developers can use, study, modify, and most importantly,
distribute the software.
 WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF OSS?

• GNU/Linux
• Mozilla Firefox
• VLC media player
• SugarCRM
• GIMP
• VNC
• Apache web server
• LibreOffice
• jQuery
IS OSS BUG-FREE?

• The short answer is no. With multiple parties making modifications and improvements,
it’s inevitable that open source software will contain quality, performance, and security
flaws.
• However, the broad base of code contributors can also mean that bugs are identified
and fixed faster.
• No matter the type of software—open source or commercial—code flaws will exist.
The main difference is who is responsible for fixing the bugs; for commercial software,
vendors are responsible, whereas the consumer is responsible for open source software.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
OPEN SOURCE AND CLOSED SOURCE SOFT
WARE?
• Closed source software is usually sold to end users, although sometimes it
is available for free. Importantly, when purchasing software, the user does
not buy the software itself, but buys a licence to use the software. Open
source software is software for which the source code is freely available to
download.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADV
ANTAGES OF OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE?
Advantages
• Open-source software is free to use, distribute, and modify. It has lower costs, and
in most cases this is only a fraction of the cost of their proprietary counterparts.
• Open-source software is more secured as the code is accessible to everyone.
Anyone can fix bugs as they are found, and users do not have to wait for the next
release. The fact that is continuously analyzed by a large community produces
secure and stable code.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADV
ANTAGES OF OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE?
Disadvantages
• Open source can be harder to use and adopt due to difficulty setting it up and the lack of friendly user
interfaces.
• Open source can pose compatibility issues. When attempting to program proprietary hardware with OSS,
there is often a need for specialized drivers that are typically only available from the hardware
manufacturer.
• Open source software can pose liability issues. Unlike commercial software, which is fully controlled by
the vendor, open source rarely contains any warranty, liability, or infringement indemnity protection. This
leaves the consumer of the OSS responsible for maintaining compliance with legal obligations.
LINKS

• Open and closed source software - Isaac Computer Science

• CloudTweaks | Advantages And Disadvantages Of Open Source
• What Is Open Source Software and How Does It Work? | Synopsys
• https://www.wired.com/story/wired-guide-open-source-software/
• https://opensource.org/history
• https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-open-source-software-2071941
• https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/disadvantages-open-source-software
• https://www.howtogeek.com/129967/htg-explains-what-is-open-source-software-and-why-you-should-care/