What is open source?
Well, to begin with, this website is open source! So that’s a start!
Open Source: Denoting software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified.
- Publicly accessible code
- Available for modification or enhancement by anyone
What’s the difference between open source and other types?
Some software can’t be altered
- These are often called proprietary software or closed source
- They are the property of original authors
- E.g. Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop
- It’s all in the license agreements
- Some are called freeware
- An example of freeware is the web browser Internet Explorer, or the software Skype
- You get them for free but the code can’t be changed or modified by anyone but the authors
Where did Open Source begin?
GNU (pronounced like g-noo)
GNU was the precursor to Linux and is still available today through GNU/Linux distribution
GNU stands for “GNU’s Not Unix” (a recursive acronym) and was created by Richard Stallman in 1983.
The creation of GNU marked the beginning of the free software movement, basically saying that code should be visible to all and shouldn’t be restricted from programmers
Quick breakdown of Linux
- Linux is an open source operating system
- It was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 based on the UNIX code (from the 60s)
- Though the kernel is owned by Linus still, no one person owns Linux
“Linux is developed collaboratively, meaning no one company is solely responsible for its development or ongoing support.”
- Because Linux was created on the basis of the UNIX system, the operating system of Linux is also modular.
- Modular basically means that components of the code can be added or taken out when needed without disrupting the code.
- This allows Linux’s operating system to be used on a computer, a handheld device, or a GPS unit, without being slowed by unnecessary processes.
Benefits of Open Source
You have more control.
- WordPress compared to Tumblr
“Matt Mullenweg (WordPress Founder): we need a place on the web where people are in control, and really belongs to them, right down to the code – “that’s the beauty of open source”
- Like owning a house versus renting
- WordPress: you “own” your site.
- Tumblr: you “rent” your site (and forever at the mercy of the landlord, Yahoo!)
Open source helps up-and-coming programmers (maybe even you!)
- Publicly accessible = learn what other programmers have written
- Share your work – allow it to be critiqued and even grow
Open source can actually be more secure
- Because the code is open and viewable to anyone, more errors can be found and fixed
- Updated and upgraded quickly
- An example of an open source code that has been viewed and worked on by numerous people:
- BRL-CAD
- 30 years of active deployment
- “Primary system used by U.S. military to model weapons systems for vulnerability and lethality analyses”
- A way to render objects in 3 dimensions
- Estimated size of code: 1.1 million lines
- Estimated effort: 314 person years
- And the quality of the code for BRL-CAD is always maintained
- Updated and upgraded quickly
- However, open source can also be more dangerous.
- Malware and viruses are notorious for attaching themselves to these types of files
- Always be wary when downloading!
Where can I get some of that delicious, free open source code?
- Well it’s not quite free – yes, most of the time the source is free in price, which means you can take the code and do whatever you like to it as long as you attribute the copyright to the person or group
- Some programmers opt to charge for support and services
- That way people still get the code and the programmers can make money to help troubleshoot problems
GPL and Copyleft
- Richard Stallman created the General Public License (GPL) to apply to open souce codes.
- Most open source codes use this license
- Allows individuals to:
- use the software for any purpose;
- alter the software to meet individual needs;
- share the software with others; and
- freely distribute the changes one makes to software
- Once you reproduce and distribute copies of a software program’s source code, you must provide a copyright noice, a disclaimer of warranty, a copy of the GPL, and GPL notices
- GPL is often referred to as Copyleft (as opposed to copyright)
- Most open source codes use this license
- There are other licenses, such as Berkeley Software Distribution Licenses (BSDL), the Mozilla Public License, the NASA Open Source Agreement, and the Common Public License.
- 70% of open source software use the GPL license
- Open source is also mostly a personal-use kind of deal
- Not recommended to download for commercial use – seek out author if you do.
The Philosophy of Open Source
“The open source way”:
“means expressing a willingness to share, collaborating with others in ways that are transparent (so that others can watch and join too), embracing failure as a means of improving, and expecting—even encouraging—everyone else to do the same.”
Sources
http://opensource.com/resources/what-open-source
http://opensource.com/life/13/5/tumblr-open-publishing
http://opensource.com/government/13/2/bug-fix-day
Corbly, James E. “The Free Software Alternative: Freeware, Open-Source Software, And Libraries.” Information Technology & Libraries 33.3 (2014): 65- 75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. <http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? sid=ad4b650d-945f-4b5e-9c39- c4398195cdfa%40sessionmgr113&vid=6&hid=101>
English 401 - Web Design 