...What Is Open Source? Technically, “open source” means software that issupplied with the original code in which it was written allowing others to view, modify, adapt, and improve this code. This can include software that cannot be redistributed without explicit permission (and often a payment) to the software owner. Most people now define “open source” more narrowly to as software with the following further characteristics: • It is protected by copyright, but not patents. • It has a “copy-left” license (GNU license or similar), which states that it can be redistributed for no charge, but the source code and modifications must be licensed out under the same terms that it was licensed in. Sample licenses are available at http://www.opensource.org. Please note, that it is acceptable to sell commercial software in a bundle with this “open source” software. Open source software is not the same as “shareware” or “freeware” which often does not come with source code and has zero cost as its defining characteristic. Open source software, may or may not be zero cost. The benefit of open source software is that when people are allowed to read, distribute, and modify the source code for a piece of software, the software evolves and gets better. Open Source in Brief In practice, a typical open-source project uses a web or other internet site as the repository for the source code, documentation, discussions, design documents, bug and issue lists, and other artifacts associated...
Words: 2667 - Pages: 11
...Open Source: Salvation or Suicide? OPEN SOURCE DEFINITION: Open source doesn't just mean access to the source code. The distribution terms of open-source software must comply with the following criteria: 1. Free Redistribution The license shall not restrict any party from selling or giving away the software as a component of an aggregate software distribution containing programs from several different sources. The license shall not require a royalty or other fee for such sale. 2. Source Code The program must include source code, and must allow distribution in source code as well as compiled form. Where some form of a product is not distributed with source code, there must be a well-publicized means of obtaining the source code for no more than a reasonable reproduction cost preferably, downloading via the Internet without charge. The source code must be the preferred form in which a programmer would modify the program. Deliberately obfuscated source code is not allowed. Intermediate forms such as the output of a preprocessor or translator are not allowed. 3. Derived Works The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the original software. 4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code The license may restrict source-code from being distributed in modified form only if the license allows the distribution of "patch files" with the source code for the purpose of modifying the program at...
Words: 1780 - Pages: 8
...and Open-Source Software NT1430 – Linux Networking Research Paper: Free and Open-Source Software As the name so aptly implies FOSS is software that is both free and open source. It is liberally licensed to grant users the right to use, copy, study, change, and improve its design through the availability of its source code. This practice is becoming increasingly widespread and gaining acceptance because of the potential benefits that could arise from its use. The “free” part of the title refers not to price, but more so to the idea of freedom for the user. The user of this type of software has the ability to copy and to reuse the software which usually is not the case. The open source part of the acronym refers to the use of the peer to peer model of development. In the 1950’s to 1970’s, advanced user privelages in reference to software were the norm. Most software allowed the user to share and copy at this time, since most of the companies who dealt in the field were more focused on marketing the hardware the software was almost always complimentary. This however, began to change when software development costs began to escalate and companies began competing for the software market. Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel began to shift things back in 1991. His software was a freely modifiable source code. Over the years the idea gathered much more momentum. It has burgheoned so that now major IT companies are now developing projects with open source applications...
Words: 343 - Pages: 2
...What is Open Source? Open Source is a philosophy regarding software copyright under which one software developer is granted permission to use another developer’s code without having to individually ask permission. It may also refer to the genre of software that encompasses that philosophy and utilizes open source licensing. Why is Open Source good? There may be several reasons why a developer may favor the Open Source philosophy. Primarily, Open Source fosters creativity. Software products can often require an overwhelming amount of code for one individual or even a few individuals to write, especially if all that code needs to be original so that it does not infringe on another person’s copyright. This may not be a problem for large companies with armies of engineers. But this can be an insurmountable hurdle for individuals or smaller groups. Open source licensing enables developers not only by providing sets of code that can be appropriated towards their final vision, but it also enables others to actively contribute to or improve upon another developer’s product. A great metaphor for the effect of Open Source is Wikipedia.org. Wikipedia’s content is licensed under a Creative Commons license, which achieves the same goals as open source software licenses. Much like encyclopedia volumes, which are collections of articles that contribute to the whole set, software products may be seen as a collection of coded functions. Traditionally, each article of an encyclopedia...
Words: 1239 - Pages: 5
...Closed and Open Source There are a lot of things that go into a practical and an efficient operating system; one of which consist of a closed and an open source. To understand the sources of an operating system, it is best to find out and figure out what closed and open source is. Closed and Open source can be a disadvantage or an advantage of software development and cost sharing. The initial step is to recognize what it means to have a closed or open system, and what components are needed and will make up the requirement for software or an application to function. With both closed and open sources functioning differently as to how the system is programmed and structured and how the system will function within a software application or program. OPEN SOURCE Operating systems of an open source can be defined as free software developed by corporations or individuals to develop an alternate to not having to rely on any individual or one company to modify or change the software and maximize its used for the individuals or companies' advantages. Open source are typically free to use by each individual or companies to modify and changed without having to worry about the licensing and compliance to the original developer of the software being used. These are the advantages to an open source system. * Unlimited Community Support: With the public support, the alteration and transformation of the system is more frequently, more elaborating on time to develop a greater...
Words: 714 - Pages: 3
...Open Source Software Intro While knowledge is the public good, there is discussion whether or not all knowledge should free for public. Today society chose suffer the loss of knowledge for certain years. They use intellectual property law to encourage individuals to invest in research and development and creating knowledge they can profit. We want to analyze an alternative way in distributing knowledge specifically open source software and how useful it is to both creators and society. Definition and characteristics Open source licenses promise to everyone what many in the community refer to as software freedom. The terminology of Freedom is emotionally satisfying, but it has proven to be very confusing. Not that software freedom isn’t definable. The Free Software Foundation lists four essential kinds of software freedom: 1. The freedom to run the software for any purpose 2. The freedom to study how the software works and to adapt it to your needs 3. The freedom to redistribute copies of the software 4. The freedom to improve the software and distribute your improvements to the public Confusion about the term Freedom was the very reason the term open source was created. The newer term refers to an important concept well understood by anyone who has ever written computer software: Programmers write source code to direct computers to perform specific tasks, while the computer itself takes care of the routine task of translating the source code into an...
Words: 3534 - Pages: 15
...Open and Closed Source Systems Students Name POS/355 Date Instructors Name Open and Closed Source Systems Open and closed sources is a term that not many people know the difference. According to Damicon (2003-2009), “True-open-source development requires that a community of software engineers band together to work on the software.” What the company is stating is the more minds are used to develop the software the better it will be. Now a closed source is a little different. “Closed-source programs are owned by someone (or some organization) and distributed through a variety of retail channels including the owner's website Damicon (2003-2009).” Basically a closed source is the complete opposite of an open source. Now that the two are clearly defined to a better understanding users will be able to tell the difference. Open sources are gathering of many users and putting the knowledge and experiences that they have obtained over the years and used to make software. Like the saying goes, “Two heads are better than one (Two heads better than one 2014).” Typically open sources are free of charge and can easily be download. For example most people have at least either downloaded one of these browsers; Goggle Chrome, Firefox, Java, or BitTorrent. There are many more open source systems, but these that were just mention can be installed in MAC OS, Microsoft Windows, and LINUX. The positive about having open source is that it is able to be customized to the users liking and can...
Words: 770 - Pages: 4
...Open/Closed Source Heidi Mitchum POS 355 May 6, 2013 Michele Gamberutti Open/Closed Source The background behind an operating system stems into different branches of a tree. There are many items that go into a functional operating system. One of which includes open and closed source. To understand what may be a source for an operating system is the first step to understand what an open or closed source is. Even though at times it can be a wasteful effort, open/closed sources can be an advantage of cost sharing and software development. First it is a good idea to find out what it means to have a open or closed source system, meaning components that make up the functions needed for an application or software. With both open and closed working very differently as to how the system is developed and how they run within a software program or application. Each of these sources will be discussed. Open source systems are typical used for everyone to see and for anyone to use, and this is why the name is open. There are advantages to having an open source system which include: • Larger Development Support – Giving a large support system the developers feel as though they can make changed when and where every needed (Vidal, 2013). • Customizable – Having full control of the system gives developers a sense of control to make changes to the programs for advancement in all areas (Vidal, 2013). • Security – Having two eyes is better than one, having more security...
Words: 996 - Pages: 4
...vs Open Source versus Closed Source Open Source versus Closed Source There are basically two types of operating systems when it comes to how the code is handled. These are open source operating systems and closed source operating systems. One isn’t necessarily better than the other, but they both have situations and areas that they work best in. Open source isn’t for everyone, and neither is closed source. It’s always better to have both sides available so there is some variety. Open source and closed source operating systems have are completely different, almost like night and day. Closed source operating systems like Microsoft Windows, for example, are developed by an individual or a company. The final product is available to run on a system, however all the source code, the recipe for the operating system, is kept secret and no one except the developers have access to it. The closed source operating system is exactly the opposite, because the source code is made readily available to the user, and if they have programming knowledge, they can debug it and tweak it into their own style. Basically they can personalize it to fit what suits them and their needs. Closed source operating systems, such as Windows can definitely meet the needs in a market. Because people pay for closed source operating systems, they can be guaranteed to get documentation and support for the software. One bad thing about closed source software is that developers often rush it...
Words: 668 - Pages: 3
...to choose: closed-source or open-source. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, and mainly depends on the organization itself; where one will benefit, the other will face some difficulties. For example, open-source software is usually is more flexible, but it sometimes requires some extra work or knowledge from the user to customize the database. The main reason why I would prefer using open-source database, is that in closed-database systems it is not possible to see the source code. It means that the user cannot detect bugs and other system vulnerabilities. The crucial factor in favor of the open-based system is the question of the price, as open-source database systems are free. Open-source database systems, such as MySQL, are great for users, who agree to tolerate some minor limitation (which sometimes do not matter for a particular company) in preference to simple and fast performance. Many organizations remain cautious about using new open-source software. For these companies, they might use systematic software implementation; for instance, start using open-source databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL, after they have successfully tested Linux or Open Office (Amant & Still, p. 259). Moving in that direction will lead to a formation of a strategy, which I would suggest using - the hybrid strategy. In order to use any benefits of open-source database systems and to lower the risk, this strategy suits perfectly. With the help of the open source concept, it emphasizes...
Words: 345 - Pages: 2
...OPEN-SOURCE MOVEMENT AND THE FUTURE ITSU1003 INTRODUCTION TO OPEN-SOURCE Generally computer software sources (the human readable version of the software) are of two kinds; closed and open. Open-source programming has been prominently growing in the past ten years. In this model, programmers share their codes freely in order to be modified and used by others. They are allowed to alter and change the original software as much as they like. This in turn will produce higher quality software with improved features. For the open-source programs to be reliable, some sort of licenses has been approved by Open Source Initiative (OSI) which is a “non-profit corporation dedicated to managing and promoting the open-source definition for the good of the community, especially through the OSI Certified Open-source software certification mark and program.” HISTORY OF OPEN-SOURCE Open-source began to form in the hacker’s society of the United States computer science laboratories such as Stanford and MIT in the late 1960’s. Programmers were members of societies in which each member was expected to share his or her code among the society members. This would apply improvements on different codes by members of the society. In addition, programmers were able to use each other’s knowledge in their own interest mutually. By the early 1980’s the university hacker societies began to collapse, and the hackers were hired by commercial companies producing proprietary systems (systems that required...
Words: 1851 - Pages: 8
...applications make new information administration challenge. Organizations have understood the significance of implementing accomplishments of the objectives characterized by their business methods through BI ideas. It depicts the experiences on the part and necessity of constant BI by analyzing the business needs. BI has two essential various implications identified with the utilization of the term Intelligence. The important, less frequently is the human intelligence applied in business issues/activities. Business intelligence is a new field of the analysis of the application of human cognitive to the administration and choice in different business issues. The paper gives the idea of BI, types of BI, open source software, review on some popular open source tools of BI, and Benefits. Open Source Business Intelligence Tools Business intelligence is a technology driven procedure for analyzing information and displaying significant data to help corporate administrators, business chiefs and other clients to make more informed business decisions. The process of taking substantial measures of data, examining that data, displaying a high level set of reports that gather the essence of that data into the premise of business activities, and empowering administrations to settle on major day by day business choices. BI as way and system for enhancing business performance by giving capable assists for executives to empower them to have actionable data at hand. BI tools are seen as technology...
Words: 2171 - Pages: 9
...Open Versus Close Source Software Tristan San Juan 03/17/2015 POS/355 Brian Davis Open versus Closed Source software? Which is better? There are many questions behind which software is better. There are literary many pros and cons on both of the soft wares. It comes down to the users’ limitation and preferable on which one is to use. Some people have both and use them for different reasons. As you read on we going to clarify some features on each kind of software to further explain the difference between the two kinds of software. Closed source Software, most users are going to be familiar with this. Windows, Adobe (Photoshop), Norton Anti-Virus and Mac OS are very fine example of what closed software are. In definition a closed software or aka a proprietary software is, “any software that is copyrighted and bears limits against use, distribution and modification that are imposed by its publisher, vendor or developer. Proprietary software remains the property of its owner/creator and is used by end-users/organizations under predefined conditions ("Proprietary Software", 2015).” Meaning it is what it is you cannot edit it in source code level, I mean you can hack it but most likely as users who doesn’t know anything about coding will most likely break it. One of the biggest sign when people see closed source software is it cost money, yes it does and you pay for what you get. Some of the benefits of having a closed source software is that is one its reliable quality...
Words: 942 - Pages: 4
...Open Source and Closed Source Operating Systems POS/355 Jim W November 3, 2013 History repeats once again and proves that the saying, (two heads are better than one) continues to be true! The movement for the collaboration of the thinkers, inventors, and creators; to come together and share ideas and concepts that advance the development of mature and immature open source code is here to stay. The original hackers from the 1950’s (computer enthusiasts’) at MIT’s Tech Railroad Club left their programs in drawers for others to work on. This concept of sharing and developing source code for a wide range of functionality continues to enable programmers and students to use source code as a learning tool that sparks worldwide innovation! Open Source operating systems are usually free OS’s that can be manipulated via the source code format rather than the compiled binary code format, which is only available by closed source code. There are quite a few different open source code providers with the three most popular being GNU/Linux, BSD UNIX, and Solaris. Not only did the GNU/Linux open source operating system serve the standard OS features and function, it also produced many UNIX-compatible tools, including utilities, compilers and editors, but never released a kernel. The advantage of collaboration of the open source OS, Linus Torvalds, a student from Finland released a rudimentary UNIX-like kernel using the GNU compilers and tools and invented contributions worldwide. This...
Words: 716 - Pages: 3
...OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE What are reasons for business to use open source software? With the current economy difficulties, companies are trying to find areas in their businesses where they can save money. Many companies are having no choice but to let people go. Some businesses try to avoid lay-offs and instead are looking in other areas to save money. One of the areas is, of course, the IT department; software application acquisition is an area that might lead to a big money savings. Even in financially difficulties times, businesses want or need to improve their application environment. Sometimes it might even be necessary to invest in the IT infrastructure for long-term savings, which may result in the company not needing to close their doors. But many business owners or CEO’s will question if open source software is ready for business. This research paper intends to answer this question. The best reason to use open source software in a business environment is cost savings. This gives the business freedom to use software and change the source code in other words, modify how the software application is used, as it is needed. Open source removes the need for dependence on single vendor solutions and it provides very high quality applications and very good support. To understand open source software it is important to know what open source is, and what the meaning of open source software is. This research paper will also show where open source came from; the history of open...
Words: 2520 - Pages: 11
