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Why is Unix open source?
Unix is not open source, it is proprietary. Linux is the open-source version of Unix.
Is open source software freely developed and continuously improved by a large community of software developers?
Open source refers to code that is distributed outside of the manufacturer's company. Microsoft does not allow the code the programmers write for their programs outside of their company, so their code is proprietary, closed source. OpenOffice allows their code to be used by others. The reason for this is so that others can make improvements and customized enhancements. Open source is almost always free, where proprietary software has to be paid for, and is sometimes quite expensive.
What is the difference between open source and closed source software?
commercial software is made for profit. it is maintained by a company, and it's code is a trade secret, hidden, "closed source", because you can't see it (and therefore steal it) open source software is free to use. it is created not for profit, typically maintained by a community of individuals. its code is free for everyone to look at, modify, steal, etc. sometimes you will have trouble downloading open source software - make sure you download the "windows binaries" or "windows compile" and not the source code
How does Open Source Software brings about Innovation?
The open source movement remains a font of innovation to this day, and not just in the commercial sector. Numerous projects founded by universities, loosely knit communities, and individuals are exploring areas yet to be taken on by mainstream, proprietary software products. Here are just seven examples of exciting new ideas in software that you may be able to buy from proprietary vendors someday, but that you can only get for free from the open source community today. Proprietary software vendors, including Microsoft, would have you believe the open source movement has produced nothing but knockoffs of existing products and cast-off code that couldn't cut it in the free market. But while many open source projects, such as OpenOffice.org, do in fact represent well-established categories, to claim that open source has contributed nothing new to the software landscape is a gross exaggeration. For starters, much of the software in use on the Web today -- from the Firefox and Chrome browsers to the Apache Web Server to scripting languages such as Perl, Python, and Ruby -- began life as open source projects.
What is the definition of open source software?
Open source software (OSS) is defined as computer software for which the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that meets the Open Source Definition or that is in the public domain. This permits users to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified forms. It is very often developed in a public, collaborative manner. Open source software is the most prominent example of open source development and often compared to user-generated content. The term open source software originated as part of a marketing campaign for free software. A report by Standish Group states that adoption of open source software models has resulted in savings of about $60 billion per year to consumers.The term open source ("OS") describes a type of production, dissemination and exploitation of software opposed to the so-called "proprietary" way of distribution. OS-software is usually produced in a collaborative process by a web-based community. The ultimate aim is to create stable, compatible and free software. In order to achieve this, the source code is "open" for anyone to see and distributed along with the software and the according license. By these means, any user of the software has access to the code, can learn about it and develop it further Free use, modification and distribution is the core concept of OS. Many, but not all OS-licenses are distributed with a so-called copyleft-clause. Copyleft licenses do not only license the aforementioned types of exploitation, they do so only under the condition of re-distribution under the same license. The Open Source Initiative awards a cachet to all licenses that are in compliance with its Open Source Definition, which is a worldwide acknowledged standard. OS-licenses have been successfully tested in courts.
