Open source software (OSS) is software that is distributed with its source code, making it available for use, modification, and distribution with its original rights. Source code is the part of software that most computer users don’t ever see; it’s the code computer programmers manipulate to control how a program or application behaves. Programmers who have access to source code can change
a program by adding to it, changing it, or fixing parts of it that aren’t working properly. OSS typically includes a license that allows programmers to modify the software to best fit their needs and control how the software can be distributed. The idea of making source code freely available originated in 1983 from an ideological movement informally founded by Richard Stallman, a
programmer at MIT. Stallman believed that software should be accessible to programmers so they could modify it as they wished, with the goal of understanding it, learning about it, and improving it.i Stallman began releasing free code under his own license, called the GNU Public License. This new approach and ideology surrounding software creation took hold and eventually led to the
formation of the Open Source Initiative in 1998.i The Open Source Initiative (OSI) was created to promote and protect open source software and communities.ii In short, the OSI acts as a central informational and governing repository of open source software. It provides rules and guidelines for how to use and interact with OSS, as well
as providing code licensing information, support, definitions, and general community collaboration to help make the use and treatment of open source understandable and ethical.ii Open source code is usually stored in a public repository and shared publicly. Anyone can access the repository to use the code independently or contribute improvements to the design and functionality of the overall project. OSS usually comes with a distribution license. This license includes terms that define how developers can use, study, modify, and most importantly, distribute the software.iii According to the Synopsys Black Duck® KnowledgeBase, five of the most popular licenses are:
When source code is changed, OSS must include what was altered as well as the methods involved. Depending on the license terms, the software resulting from these modifications may or may not be required to be made available for free.iii What are some examples of OSS?
Is OSS bug-free?The short answer is no. With multiple parties making modifications and improvements, it’s inevitable that open source software will contain quality, performance, and security flaws. However, the broad base of code contributors can also mean that bugs are identified and fixed faster. No matter the type of software—open source or commercial—code flaws will exist. The main difference is who is responsible for fixing the bugs; for commercial software, vendors are responsible, whereas the consumer is responsible for open source software. With a robust set of AppSec tools and practices in place, OSS can be easily secured. What are the differences between open source and closed source software?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of open source software?Advantages
Disadvantages
Cheat Sheet: Your Recipe for an Actionable SBOM Recommendations you should consider when finetuning your SBOM effortsHow can you ensure open source software security?While open source software offers a multitude of benefits, it introduces a whole new level of code management that does not exist when solely using commercial software. It is critical that an organization utilizing OSS, or acquiring codebases that contain OSS in a merger or acquisition, truly understand what is in their code so they can effectively manage and secure it. The Synopsys solution suite offers complete open source coverage, so you can use OSS confidently. What are the Synopsys offerings for OSS security?Black Duck software composition analysis (SCA) tools help teams manage the security, quality, and license compliance risks that come with the use of open source and third-party code in applications and containers. SCA helps you understand what’s in your code, and provides a comprehensive software bill of materials (BOM). Black Duck Audit Services provide fast analysis of open source, legal, security, and quality risks for merger and acquisition due diligence or internal reporting. Black Duck offers several audits:
Read this datasheet for more detailed information on Synopsys’ open source security offerings. i https://www.wired.com/story/wired-guide-open-source-software/ ii https://opensource.org/history iii https://opensource.com/resources/what-open-source iv https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-open-source-software-2071941 v https://www.howtogeek.com/129967/htg-explains-what-is-open-source-software-and-why-you-should-care/ vi https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/disadvantages-open-source-software What operating system is based on open source code?Because early inventors built much of the Internet itself on open source technologies—like the Linux operating system and the Apache Web server application—anyone using the Internet today benefits from open source software.
What is an open operating system?What is an Open-Source Operating System? The term "open source" refers to computer software or applications where the owners or copyright holders enable the users or third parties to use, see, and edit the product's source code. The source code of an open-source OS is publicly visible and editable.
Is Linux open source operating system?Linux is a free, open source operating system, released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Anyone can run, study, modify, and redistribute the source code, or even sell copies of their modified code, as long as they do so under the same license.
Which of the following operating system is free and open source?LINUX is a free and open-source operating system.
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