Open Source
Software with publicly accessible source code
Overview
Software whose source code is made freely available to the public, following the Open Source Definition. This collaborative development model promotes transparency, innovation, community involvement, and peer review. Open-source software contrasts with closed-source software, where the source code is proprietary and restricted.
The Open Source Definition
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) maintains the following criteria that all open source software must meet:
| Criterion | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Free Redistribution | No restrictions on selling or giving away the software; no royalty requirements |
| 2. Source Code | Must include source code and allow its distribution; source must be human-readable |
| 3. Derived Works | Must allow modifications and derived works under the same license terms |
| 4. Integrity of Author's Source Code | May require modified versions to use different names/versions |
| 5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups | Must not discriminate against any person or group |
| 6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor | Must not restrict use in specific fields (e.g., business or research) |
| 7. Distribution of License | Rights must apply to all recipients without additional licensing |
| 8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product | Rights must not depend on being part of a specific distribution |
| 9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software | Must not place restrictions on other distributed software |
| 10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral | No provisions specific to any technology or interface |
Key Characteristics
Publicly Available Code
- Complete source code access
- Ability to study implementation
- Transparency in development
- Community code review
Collaboration and Innovation
- Community contributions welcome
- Shared development resources
- Distributed improvement
- Rapid iteration cycles
Quality Assurance
- Peer review process
- Community testing
- Public issue tracking
- Transparent fixes