On a computer, there must be an operating system and software installed so that the computer can function properly.
The operating system and software installed on the computer must have made it, and some distributed it so that everyone could use it. However, everything that is created and distributed is also called a license, including the operating system and software contained in the computer.
License is something that is used to protect copyright, regardless of software or hardware. Licenses are made to appreciate and protect someone’s copyright so that one’s work is considered more valued.
An operating system and software made for computers are usually paid. For example, the Windows operating system, along with Microsoft Office applications, is one of the paid software. They paid in the sense that you need to pay the maker first before you can use it legally.
However, apart from being paid, the operating system and software were also created and distributed free of charge by the developer. Usually, operating systems and software that are made for free are often called “Open Source,” which do not require users to pay, even operating systems and software labeled “Open Source” can be accessed for free and legally.
✅ Understanding Open Source – What Is Open Source?
Open Source is a development license that is controlled by an individual or a central institution, and its management is not coordinated. Instead, open source is coordinated by users who cooperate in the use of source code (source code) that is freely available and can be accessed or modified by anyone.
Thus, everyone can use a program labeled open source for free. And even if the application is lacking or requires additional features, anyone – including you – can modify it and contribute to making the program better.
In essence, an operating system or software that uses open source labels or licenses certainly always free the user to create at will without any intervention to learn, change, manipulate, add certain parts, fix, or state that an open source program has errors.
Even so, users are still required to take full responsibility and not carelessly in making modifications to the operating system and software.
✅ What are the Advantages of Open Source?
The advantage of open source software is that it can be obtained free or free without the need to pay for a software license. And usually, open source software can be obtained on the internet, one of the famous open source software is the Linux computer operating system.
The internet strongly supports the open source software. Initially, open source is downloaded from the internet and then used by people who use it and can be repaired or developed again if there are deficiencies in the software. And the results of its development will be published on the internet again and can be used by many people. At this time, it is very easy to get open source software on the internet.
Of course, in the development of open source software involving a lot of people from various parts of the world, who interact through cyberspace or the internet network. So as technology develops, more and more various kinds of software created based on open source are uploaded to the internet. This pattern of open source has spawned a lot of development that is very reliable.
✅ Examples of Open Source Licensed Operating Systems and Software
The following are some examples of popular open source software, including as below:
- Linux, a free and very popular operating system software.
- XAMPP, a software package that is useful for simulations and web development, including Apache and MySQL (database).
- Mozilla Firefox is a software that is useful for browsing web pages on the internet.
- OpenOffice, an office software package that is useful for processing words, tables, and databases.
- osCommerce is a web application software used for online stores.
- ClamAV & ClamWin is antivirus software.
- Audacity is a recording and audio processing software.
- GIMP is a photo processing software and digital image.
- VideoLAN, a multimedia file player software.
- Blender is a program for making 3 (three) dimensional models, such as animation and games.
- FileZilla, network software that functions to transfer files via the FTP protocol on a computer network or internet network.
- Mplayer is an open source music player software.
How do you understand what is meant by open source? Thus the discussion about the understanding of the open source and hopefully this article can be useful.
