Open-source software is software whose underlying source code, the human-readable instructions that make the program work, is made publicly available, allowing anyone to view, use, modify, and often redistribute it, subject to the terms of a specific open-source license.

This contrasts with proprietary, or closed-source, software, where the company that owns the software keeps its source code private and typically restricts users to only using the finished, compiled program without insight into how it actually works internally.

Publicly Available Source Code

How It Differs From Proprietary Software

Open-source projects are often developed collaboratively by communities of volunteer and paid contributors from around the world, who can review code for bugs or security issues, suggest improvements, and build on the existing work rather than starting from scratch.

Well-known examples of open-source software include the Linux operating system, the Firefox web browser, and countless programming libraries that underpin much of the modern internet, demonstrating that open-source projects can be just as robust and widely used as proprietary alternatives.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia β€” overview of open-source software and its licensing models
  2. Open Source Initiative β€” official organization defining open-source licensing standards
  3. Linux Foundation β€” background on major open-source software projects

FAQ

Is open-source software always free of charge?

Usually yes for personal use, though the term 'open source' technically refers to code availability and modification rights, not necessarily price.

Who is allowed to modify open-source software?

Anyone can generally view, modify, and often redistribute it, subject to the terms of whatever specific open-source license the project uses.

What's a well-known example of open-source software?

The Linux operating system and the Firefox web browser are both widely used examples of open-source software.

About the Author

We reference Wikipedia, Open Source Initiative, and Linux Foundation to explain the background and current understanding of this topic.

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