Open Source Software Questions & Answers

This page answers several questions people ask about Open Source Software.  If you have additional questions, send me an e-mail. 

• What is Open Source Software?
• Why would software developers reveal their source code?
• Is it really free? How can companies stay in business if it's free?
• Why should I use Open Source Software instead of ...?

What is Open Source Software?

Open Source Software is software (computer programs) for which the source code (the computer language instructions) are publicly available.  This is in sharp contrast to most proprietary (closed source) software, where the source code is strictly guarded by the company which owns the rights to the software. 

Linux, a free operating system for various computers, is perhaps the most famous Open Source Software available.  Here's a chart listing a variety of popular Open Source Software. 

Why would software developers reveal their source code?

Many developers feel that opening the source code to scrutiny by the community results in better software.  If the software has a flaw, members of the community will spot the problem and either report it to the author or fix the problem and give the fix to the developer.  Also, the function of the program is plain for all too see, so it's very hard to incorporate dangerous or sneaky features such as spyware.  This process results in better, more reliable, more trustworthy code.

Is it really free? How can Linux companies stay in business if it's free?

Linux and most of the programs distributed with it are developed and made available under the GNU General Public License, or GPL.  The GPL requires that the source code be freely distributed and available to the general public.  The GPL does not prevent anyone from charging money for the product, but since anyone could get it free if they really wanted to, there's not much point in charging for it.  This is just fine with most of the Linux community, since they tend to believe that software should  be freely available. 

Although the underlying source code is free, many consumers see the benefit of having it neatly packaged and ready to install, so many are willing to pay to buy the CD's from an on-line merchant or pay a local merchant for a nicely boxed distribution with a printed manual.  Businesses, realizing that time is money, are generally willing to pay someone to set up and maintain their computer systems.  They would pay these IT costs regardless of which operating system they use.  Therefore, there is money to be made supplying and supporting free software.     

Why should I use Open Source Software instead of "closed" software?

There are lots of reasons (too many to cover here), but the three leading reasons are security, flexibility, and cost. 

• Security:  Most of the viruses, trojans, and worms circulating on the internet take advantage of flaws in the Microsoft Windows Operating System and Microsoft applications.  Many of these flaws are unintentional and get fixed sooner or later.  However, some flaws are the result of well-intentioned attempts to make the operating system more flexible or easier to manage.  Microsoft is *very* slow to change these flaws because they are considered "features" rather than bugs. 

  One example of this is allowing programs to run directly from e-mails --  You know, the messages that say "click on this attachment to see pics of your favorite star", but launch a virus when you click on them.  After many years of grappling with this same problem, Microsoft eventually changed Outlook Express to warn people of potentially dangerous attachments.  A better solution is to use a entirely different (non-Microsoft) web browser and e-mail program such as Mozilla, which has several built-in security and privacy features. 

• Flexibility:  Microsoft licensing policies are becoming more restrictive with every new release.  The cost of complying with the license terms (license tracking, purchasing upgrades, etc.) can become quite significant for businesses with multiple licenses and multiple licensed products.  With Linux and other Open Source Software there is no time or effort lost tracking licenses and there is no barrier to moving the software from one machine to another.  In fact, you can install Linux and Open Source Software on all of your systems so that they all have a standard configuration -- everything you might need is on every system.  You're also free to upgrade the Open Source Software whenever you want to rather than using old software in an attempt to avoid the cost of buying new versions.

• Cost:  Since most (all?) Open Source Software is free, it's clearly much more affordable than most commercial software (excepting, of course, free versions of commercial software).  Furthermore, since major Linux distributions come with office productivity software, you're saving hundreds of dollars per system by not having to buy office software from Microsoft, Adobe, etc.  Open Source Software also has lower support costs due to lower impact of viruses and due to the ability to deploy more standardized software configurations.