Open source primer

Open Source Basic Primer

Open source is a reference to software (in source code form) that is available for use, modification and distribution under several specific community-based rules (aka license regimes) designed to ensure that anyone can benefit from modifications and enhancements to the software. Open source regimes are in contrast to private, closed software license regimes like the one that comes with Microsoft products or freeware (where no rules exist at all). One of the most well-known open source regimes is the GNU regime. Open source is not, however, software with no rules and it is not public domain.

Warning: The most obvious implication is that if your software product is considered a derivative work of the GPL, then you MUST release the source code (with some exceptions). This could be a bad thing. Is your code a merely aggregated with GPL code or combined with the code? (See below) Derivative works include: (i) incorporating GPL code into your proprietary code so that it becomes one (I call this the cut and paste); (ii) interacting with GPL code through dynamic calls so that your code is combined with the the GPL code. Linking with non GPL code has specific implications.

 

Examples. The most spoken-about open source product is Linux, which is used as the operating system on approximately 25% of the server computers in use. Apache, which represents at least 60% of the market for web servers, is the open source operating system of choice due to its stability. Also-rans are PERL and Mozilla, the parent code of what we all know as the Internet browser.