What is Open Source?
Open Source refers to software that is made publicly available with its source code accessible for anyone to view, modify, and distribute. Open source projects promote collaboration, transparency, and innovation within the developer community.
Key Features of Open Source Software:
- Accessibility: The source code is available for review, modification, and contribution. For example, the Linux operating system is open source, allowing developers to customize and build upon it.
- Collaboration: Community contributions help enhance and improve the software. For instance, developers from around the world contribute to projects like the Apache web server.
- Transparency: Users can inspect the code to understand how the software works and ensure it meets their needs.
For example, an open-source project like Mozilla Firefox allows developers to contribute code improvements, resulting in a browser that evolves through collective input and collaboration.