Have you heard the term "open source" when talking to programmers? Do you know what open source software entails?
Small businesses and startups that have recently started their work are always looking for ways to reduce costs due to budget and manpower constraints. One of the most common ways to do this is to use open-source software. These businesses can use a small income and expenditure on open-source software codes to turn it into custom software for themselves.
By doing this, many of the design and development costs for software are reduced. The interesting advantage of open-source software is the existence of an internal forum that constantly refines and improves source codes; in this way, any problems in the system will be quickly resolved through the internal forum.
In this article, we intend to provide a comprehensive answer to the question "What is open-source software?" to examine the advantages and merits of this type of software. Stay with us for a deeper exploration of the subject.
What is open-source software?
Open-source software is software with a source code that anyone can modify and improve. Open-source software is always distributed with its source code and its original license, making it available for users to study, modify, and improve. The source code is the non-visible part of the software; this code is only accessible to programmers, who can control and modify the behavior of the software.
Open-source software is usually cheaper, more flexible, and more durable than other software that is designed specifically. As open-source software has become increasingly popular, it has become a movement and a different way of designing and developing software.
History of Open-Source Software
The idea of making source codes freely available was first proposed by Richard Stallman, a programmer from MIT, in 1983. He believed that all software should be accessible to programmers so that they could improve it or modify it to their own liking. He started to distribute his codes for free under the GNU General Public License. Stallman's ideology was widely accepted by programmers, and eventually, in 1998, the concept of open source or open-source software was officially released into the world of programming.
How is the open-source software development model?
This model of development is a process used by an open-source project to develop open-source software. After development, the software will be released under an open-source license, so that anyone can view or modify the source code. Pay attention to the fact that many of your open source projects are hosted on GitHub, where you can access the code or participate in social projects. Linux, Ansible, and Kubernetes are three examples of the most popular open source software.
What differences does open source software have compared to other software?
Probably, with the information you have gathered so far about open source software, you can give an approximate answer to this question. However, there are many features that differentiate open source software from other software. The four main differences of these software are:
Pricing
We usually recognize open source programs as free or no-cost software; however, in some cases, these programs may have additional costs such as support fees, added services, or special features. At the same time, closed source programs are usually commercial software, and the cost of designing and developing them is directly proportional to the complexity of the software. In order to make users willing to pay the fee, most companies provide demo versions of the software.
Security
The most fundamental challenge for software developers in designing software is security. As you know, the code of open source software is available to everyone, allowing people to fix bugs and upgrade the software. On the other hand, access to software code can also be available to hackers. Closed source software, however, is only modifiable and upgradable by the seller. That is why when security is discussed, most businesses consider it one of their fundamental challenges.
Support
It is obvious that closed-source software has stronger support compared to open-source software. Custom software usually has support and communication with units that open-source software does not have. However, bug fixing and troubleshooting of open-source software is much faster than other software because there is an active and strong community behind the source code.
Access to source code
We know that open source software can provide the ability to make changes to source code without any restrictions, allowing users to develop their desired features and upgrade existing codes. This is one of the main benefits of open source for developers; the ability to make changes to source code without any restrictions, allowing users to develop their desired features and upgrade existing codes.
What are the benefits of open-source software?
Many developers and active users in this field take open source software instead of proprietary software for many reasons. Some of the most common benefits of open source software include:
The ability to deposit and withdraw using codes
You should know that open source codes are available to users, and since the open source community is very active, the codes are constantly improved and changed. For this reason, as someone who is just entering the world of open source, it is better to be aware that open source codes are actually live codes that are being updated all the time, not static and locked!
Transparency
You should know, as a programmer, what kind of data is transferred to where and what processes need to be put in place to make changes to the code. In open source software, you can easily find these accesses without needing help from a software designer.
Reliability
Private codes are relied upon by code or corporate authors to control and maintain them. This is in contrast to open source codes, which often have a much longer lifespan as they are constantly active through communities and open source forums and are regularly updated.
High flexibility
It is obvious that you will be obligated to use a specific method in changing and developing these codes, and you can take action to develop the software and change the codes according to your business needs. Flexibility is one of the aspects highly valued by open source software enthusiasts.
There is no vendor lock-in
It is obvious that in the development of proprietary software, the seller or developer company will put certain locks on the code and only the company will be able to change the code if necessary. However, with open source software, users can have free access to the code and use it at any time
Final musings
In the article "What is Open Source Software?" we became familiar with the concept of Open Source and the benefits of this type of software. We know that open source communities and their supporters have formed a large part of the developer community. Now we know that the advancement of such software has a direct relationship with the developer community. The open source approach and thinking has been responsible for the advancement and development of software, as well as knowledge and technology; the GandoTech group is also striving to contribute to this advancement.
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