Open and closed source software

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Send me the guide. Open source software OSS is distributed under a licensing agreement which allows computer code to be shared, viewed and modified by other users and organizations. Or in slightly more user-friendly language, open source software is available for the general public to use and modify from its original design free of charge. What it means is that a piece of software can evolve and be iterated upon by other developers anywhere in the world. Ideally, this means that the software is improved over time, but it can often take plenty of interesting twists and turns with all of that evolution and can change form and shape entirely.

Open Source feels inherently cool and well In theory, it feels like what the Internet was supposed to be all about. But it should also come with a warning label. It delves into the idea of the open web and the principles of self-governance that drive the ethos of open source software. Whilst an open and peer to peer oriented web is to be applauded philosophically, it can leave us vulnerable to rogue developers who choose to break things for their own benefit.

Hence the need for a warning label. Closed source software can be defined as proprietary software distributed under a licensing agreement to authorized users with private modification, copying, and republishing restrictions. Or in layman terms, the source code is not shared with the public for anyone to look at or change.

Failure to do so can lead to complexities while upgrading the software. Undoubtedly, one of the greatest advantages of open source software is that it helps organizations avoid vendor lock-ins. This also makes it highly auditable. With open software, organizations have the advantage of long-term viability.

Proprietary software, also known as closed-source software, is a non-free computer software for which the software's publisher or another person retains intellectual property rights—usually copyright of the source code, but sometimes patent rights.

Closed source software is usually sold to end users, although sometimes it is available for free. Importantly, when purchasing software, the user does not buy the software itself, but buys a licence to use the software. Open source software is software for which the source code is freely available to download. Advantages of Open Source Software Open-source software is free to use, distribute, and modify.

It has lower costs, and in most cases this is only a fraction of the cost of their proprietary counterparts. Improve Article. Save Article. Like Article. Last Updated : 14 Oct, Previous Difference between Webinar and Video Conference. Recommended Articles. Article Contributed By :. Easy Normal Medium Hard Expert.