what is open source software?

 what is open source software:

Software that has its source code available for anyone to see, alter, and improve is known as open source software.

A "program" or "application"'s "source code" is the portion of the software that most users never see, but computer programmers can alter to alter how a piece of software functions. When a computer program's source code is available to programmers, they can enhance it by adding new features or correcting malfunctioning areas.

Certain software has source code that can only be altered by the individual, group, or company that produced it and still has complete control over it. This type of software is referred to as "proprietary" or "closed source" software.

                                                             

What distinguishes open source software from other kinds of software?

Proprietary software can only be lawfully copied, inspected, and altered by the original creators. Additionally, computer users must promise not to use proprietary software for any purpose other than that which its creators have specifically authorized by signing a license that is often displayed the first time the program is used. Examples of proprietary software are Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office.

Software that is open source differs. Those who wish to see, copy, modify, distribute, or learn from its source code can do so by contacting its authors. Examples of open source software are the GNU Image Manipulation Program and LibreOffice.

Users of open source software must agree to the terms of a license, just as they must with proprietary software; nevertheless, the legal requirements of open source licenses are very different from those of proprietary licenses.

Open source licensing have an impact on the distribution, modification, study, and usage of software. Open source software may generally be used on computers for any purpose within the terms of the license. Certain open source licenses, commonly known as "copyleft" licenses, require that anyone releasing a modified version of an open source program also release the program's source code. Furthermore, a program's source code must be shared without charging a licensing charge by anyone who modifies and distributes it with others in accordance with certain open source licenses.

Because they allow others to alter the source code and incorporate those changes into their own projects, open source software licenses are intended to encourage cooperation and sharing. As long as programmers allow others to do the same when they share their work, they encourage programmers to examine, access, and edit open source software anytime they like.

Are programmers the only people who should care about open source software?

No, both programmers and non-programmers may profit from open source technology and mindset.

Anyone using the Internet now benefits from open source software because early inventors constructed a large portion of the network on open source technology, such as the Linux operating system and the Apache Web server program.

Users of computers connect their computers, mobile phones, or gaming consoles to a worldwide network of computers via open source software to route and transmit their data to the "local" devices they have in front of them whenever they view webpages, check email, chat with friends, stream music online, or play multiplayer video games. The computers that perform all of this crucial work are usually situated in remote locations that people cannot physically reach or see, which is why some

People are depending more and more on distant computers to do jobs that they could have previously completed on their local devices. They might utilize online word processing, email management, and picture editing programs, for instance, instead of installing and using these programs on their desktop PCs. Rather, they only use a Web browser or a mobile application to access these programs on distant machines. They are utilizing "remote computing" when they act in this way.

Why is open source software preferred by users?

For several reasons, people favor open source software over proprietary software, such as:

Mastery:

 Since they have more control over open source software, a lot of people favor it. In addition to changing the bits they don't like, they can inspect the code to make sure it's not doing anything they don't want it to. Because open source software can be used for any purpose one chooses, not only what someone else believes is appropriate, users who are not programmers can also profit from it.

Instruction:

 Some people enjoy using open source software because it advances their programming skills. Open source code is easily studied by students as they learn how to create better software because it is publicly available. As they hone their talents, students can also share their work with others, asking for feedback. People can communicate errors they find in the source code of programs with others in order to assist them avoid making the same mistakes twice.

Safety:

 Because they believe it to be more reliable and safe than proprietary software, some people favor open source software. Open source software can be viewed and modified by anybody, therefore mistakes or omissions that the program's original creators may have overlooked can be found and fixed. Additionally, programmers can patch, update, and upgrade open source software more quickly than they can proprietary software because so many of them can work on it without requesting permission from the original developers.

Steadiness:

 For large-scale, protracted projects, many users favor open source software over proprietary software. Because open source software's source code is made available to the public, users who depend on it for important tasks can be certain that their tools won't vanish or become unusable if their original developers cease working on them. Furthermore, open source software frequently uses and incorporates open standards.

Community:

 A user and development community is frequently formed around open source software. Meetups and user groups are centered around a lot of popular apps, not just open source software. However, in the case of open source, the community consists of the individuals who create, test, use, promote, and eventually impact the software they love, rather than merely being a fan base that financially or emotionally supports an elite user group.

More Info:https://opensource.com/resources/what-open-source