Licences: Website solution properties

Open source

Open source software is a term used to describe software whose source code is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. Open source software has become increasingly popular over the years, and it has a number of unique properties that set it apart from proprietary software.

One of the most significant properties of open source software is that it is free. Anyone can download and use open source software without having to pay any fees or royalties. This means that individuals and organizations can save a considerable amount of money on software development and licensing costs.

Another property of open source software is that it is customisable. Because the source code is freely available, developers can modify the software to suit their specific needs. This means that organizations can create custom software solutions that are tailored to their specific requirements.

Open source software also tends to be more secure than proprietary software. Because the source code is available for inspection, it is easier for developers to identify and fix security vulnerabilities. This means that open source software is often more secure than proprietary software, which may contain hidden vulnerabilities that are only discovered after a security breach has occurred.

However, there are also some legal issues associated with open source software. For example, some open source licenses require that any derivative works be released under the same license. This means that organizations that use open source software may be required to release their modifications as open source software as well. This can be problematic for organizations that want to keep their software proprietary.

Another potential issue with open source software is that it may be less reliable than proprietary software. Because open source software is often developed by a community of volunteers, there may be fewer resources available for testing and quality assurance. This means that open source software may be more prone to bugs and errors.

Despite these potential drawbacks, open source software has a number of significant benefits. For organizations looking to save money on software development and licensing costs, open source software can be a great solution. And for developers looking to create custom software solutions, open source software provides a high degree of flexibility and customisation.

Open source code is the modern railway, necessary since many software systems communicate with other systems. Other systems build on top of client systems. therefore, the code used in such systems may be worked on my multiples collaborating entities concurrently. As systems must must exchange information with all other systems, it becomes beneficial for these core components to be release with very open licences. Open licenses encourage usage and promote the robustness property, since own code you use.