Today we will talk about a topic about which many people do not know. Whatever work we do in computer and mobile, we can do it with the help of different software. These are written and developed by software programs. If you are a computer student or have done a computer related course, then you must have heard about Open-Source Software. If you do not know about this important term related to the computer world, then we are going to bring the solution to your problem in today’s article. Yes, in today’s article we will give you all the information related to open-source software. We will share in today’s article that you will know what is open-source software and what are the advantages and disadvantages of open-source software?
What is open source software?
What is Open source software is this type of software which is publicly available to everyone. Any person can download this software and can add or remove something in it, that is, they can modify it as per their wish. Open Source Both the source code and license of the software are provided free of charge by the developer. Mostly all the free software and applications we download are open source software or open source software. The source code of open source software is viewable and changeable. Software which cannot be downloaded for free and whose source code cannot be changed is called closed source software or proprietary software.
Source code is not normally visible on any software application. Because source code is a type of computer programming i.e., machine language, due to which you are able to perform various types of activities in that application. Inside the source code, instructions are given to run the software on which that software works. Hopefully, now you have understood well what open source software is.
How does open source software work?
Open source software and closed source software look similar and open source software works much like closed source software. But if we look at it like developers, there are some differences between open source software and closed source software which make them different-
The advantage of open source software is that its source codes are available for free. Because of which any other developer living anywhere in the world can look at that source code and make changes in it to make it better or give suggestions. Thus, when developers from all over the world work on one software, its development happens rapidly and it emerges as a good software. New software is created only through open source software. New developers are able to apply programming and gain experience only with the help of open source software. If a developer wishes, he can modify the source code of open source software as per his wish and make it completely different from before.
Dissimilarities between open source software and closed source software
Open source software and closed source software are almost similar but open source software and closed source software have their own differences due to which they differ from each other.
- The source code of open source software can be viewed by any person or developer all over the world and can copy it or make some modifications in it. source code of open source software is made available by the developer who created it along with the license of his source code.
- Whereas source code of closed source software cannot be seen by any other person, that is, closed source software can be seen only by those people who have created that software. Or the people of the organization which handle the development and control of that software and make new versions available by making modifications in it from time to time. Apart from them, no other person can access the control of closed source software, this type of software. Also called proprietary software.
- Any person can easily download and use open source software without any money. Whereas to download or use closed source software, we have to pay some money and at the same time, before using the closed source software, an agreement is given to us which has to be accepted. Only after that we are able to use closed software, meaning to use closed source software we have to give it permission.
- Mozilla Firefox, LibreOffice, VLC Media Player, etc. are open source software that anyone can view and make changes. MS Office, Internet Explorer, Notepad, Paint etc. are closed software in which not everyone can make changes.
- Developers of open source software provide the source code in which the person/developer can easily make modifications i.e. add or remove something. Whereas this is not the case at all in closed source software, in closed source software only permission is given to use it. No person can see its coding i.e. machine language.
