What is Open Source?

What is Open Source?

What is open source? Open Source can be defined as sharing the source code of different types of software and allowing it to be used by anyone. Thanks to the shared source code, software developers can create new technologies and improve existing software as they wish. Open Source software, which enables the collaborative development of technology with this aspect, is based on the free exchange of information. Open Source software, which stands out for creating great freedom for the software field, has managed to globalize in a short time and has many more usage areas from smartphones to computers. What is Open Source Code? To briefly explain the question, it is a code whose source codes are shared with the public and can be used and developed by any software developer as they wish.

What are the Features of Open Source Software?

What is Open Source Code? After the question, users may want to learn about the features of Open Source software. It is essential to know the features of open source software before using it. The features of Open Source software can be listed as follows:

• One of the most important features of Open Source software is that it is free of charge. In this way, users can have the chance to develop software for free without license costs.
   
• The open source code of Open Source software makes it accessible to everyone. With this feature, Open Source software is highly accessible, transparent and reliable.
   
• Open Source software ensures that the software industry is always evolving. Software that is open to everyone is developed by different people working in cooperation, and bugs, if any, are noticed in a short time and tried to be solved.

What are the Advantages of Using Open Source?

The advantages provided by Open Source software are a very curious subject for people interested in the software field. Open Source software has a wide usage area thanks to the advantages it provides. It is possible to list some of the many advantages that Open Source software provides to users as follows:

• Ease of Use: Open Source software has open source codes and it provides the greatest convenience to access its content at any time. In this way, it is very easy to make development and changes in open source software. At the same time, the use of Open Source coded software by many people makes it possible to easily access the solution to problems encountered during use.
   
• Allowing Development: Open Source software allows technology to evolve with great collaboration. New technology is continuously produced by editing and improving earlier software. Thanks to Open Source, which provides a free flow of information, many software developers have the chance to benefit society by developing projects. The fact that it allows different people to work on software also ensures that the mistakes of software can be easily recognized and developed by feeding on different ideas thanks to Open Source coded software. In short, this free software, which is easily accessible to everyone, creates an important and free comprehensive resource for users to develop themselves and show their creativity.
   
• Security: The fact that Open Source software is reliable is effective in having a wide user base. Being able to see and manage every detail in Open Source software is also a feature that shows that it is secure. Another secure feature of Open Source software is that it notifies users by notifying them of external transactions.

What are Open Source Code Software Examples?

Open Source Code software, whose use has increased rapidly especially since the 2000s, is very popular with many advantages it offers to software developers, users and anyone who wants to improve themselves in this field. There are many examples of this type of software. We can list the best known open source software as follows:

• Linux: It is a completely free operating system software that can be used and developed by anyone interested in this field.
   
• WordPress: A content management system software that allows you to create sites and blogs for free.
   
• Python: Python, a programming language, is well known for being understandable and easy to learn and can be used in many applications.
   
• Kubernetes: Open Source software is written in Go by engineers at Google that enables applications to be automated.
   
• LibreOffice: LibreOffice is a free open-source office software set that allows you to easily create slides, drawings, formulas and much more.

What Are the Main Differences Between Open Source Software and Other Software?

Those who do not want to opt for Open Source software can use a closed source, so-called proprietary or proprietary software. There are fundamental differences between this type of software and open source software. These differences are:

• Closed source software is mostly developed by companies, while open source software is mostly developed by individual users.
   
• Closed source software can only be edited by the organization or individual who developed the software and they have the right to keep all information confidential. This is very different from open source software. Everyone has the right to use the software as they wish by making edits and changes.
   
• Bugs in open source software are generally recognized quickly and therefore take a short time to fix. This advantage is not available in closed source software. Bugs in closed source software can take longer to fix as they can only be fixed by the people working on the software.

What are Open Source Software License Types?

What is open source software? The question brings with it the question of which license types are available. License types determine the limitations of those who want to use open source software on its distribution and development and the level of permission on the software. While some of the license types restrict the user on most issues, others provide more freedom. There are more than 100 Open Source Code licensing types in the world.  If we list the popular Open Source software license types:

• Apache License: This license type allows users to do many things. By using the license, users have permission for commercial use, distribution, modification, and private use. The terms of the license include the requirement to keep a copy of the license and to indicate any changes to the license.
   
• MIT License: One of the most widely used license types, the MIT License allows commercial use, distribution, modification and private use. Another advantage of this license is that the software developer is not held responsible for any problems that may occur with the software. As a condition, the MIT License requires users to keep a copy of the license and provide references.
   
• GNU: (General Public License) Another very common open source software license, GNU leaves its users free to use, distribute, modify, modify, and make private commercial use. However, this type of licensing has more conditions than others. One of these conditions is that users must make the software they use open source. Users must also specify changes to the software and license the new software with the same license or a compatible license.