Open Source Software

Full Title or Meme

Open Source Software means just, and only, that. The software source code is opening available to all, typically on a free web site like https://github.com.

Context

• A common problem with code that was developed in closed, even secretive, environments was often buggy and of unknown quality.

Problem

• The opposite is closed source software which is the way that software was originally written.
• The meaning of Open Source Software is sometimes conflated with Free Open Source Software, which is a common attribution that is not shared by all.
  • For example the Mil-OSS site claims that "Derivative works – The open source software licenses must allow the distribution of software containing modified source code in the same name as of the original software." Which most people consider to be a feature of Free Open Source Software.

Solution

• Open Source web site contains a list of FOSS organization and claims the meaning of open source to be FOSS.

References

• For security of Open Source Software see the wiki page Open Source Security