Scribd
Upload
4 views

OSPO Explainer What is Open Source Software Slides

Open source software is software with publicly available source code that allows for use, inspection, modification, and distribution by anyone under specific licenses. There are two main types of open source licenses: 'copyleft' licenses, which require modifications to be shared under the same license, and 'permissive' licenses, which allow broader use. Open source promotes collaboration, transparency, and community involvement, and individuals can contribute to projects regardless of their skills or experience.

Uploaded by

domem78162
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
4 views

OSPO Explainer What is Open Source Software Slides

Open source software is software with publicly available source code that allows for use, inspection, modification, and distribution by anyone under specific licenses. There are two main types of open source licenses: 'copyleft' licenses, which require modifications to be shared under the same license, and 'permissive' licenses, which allow broader use. Open source promotes collaboration, transparency, and community involvement, and individuals can contribute to projects regardless of their skills or experience.

Uploaded by

domem78162
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 11

What is

Open Source Software?

JHU Open Source Programs Office

Explainer
Open source software is software with
publicly available source code that is
licensed to allow use, inspection,
modification, and distribution by anyone.
Source code is the human-readable
instructions that tell a computer what to do.
Source code is written in a programming
language, such as Python, Java, or C++.
The rights to use, inspect, distribute, and modify
source code are granted by the open source license,
an intellectual property license and legal agreement.
Research software, the collection of tools, code, or
libraries that allow a researcher to generate new data or
analyze and make meaning of existing data, can also be
open source.

Making your research software open source can lead to


greater transparency and collaboration opportunities.
There are two primary types of open source licenses.

1. “Copyleft” or “reciprocal” licenses require users to release any


modifications made to the software under the same license.
Examples include the GPL and AGPL licenses.
2. “Permissive” licenses allow significant freedom to use the
software for a variety of purposes, including within
commercial products. Examples include the Apache, BSD,
and MIT licenses.
For many, open source is not just a license, but
also a set of core values including collaboration,
transparency, and community.
Open source projects often:

● Share their code and ideas with others


● Have a transparent development process
● Support strong communities of contributors
● Have participatory governance (aka decision-
making)
Open source software is a powerful tool that can be used to
create innovative solutions to a wide range of problems.

There are many ways to contribute to open source software


projects, regardless of your skills or experience.

Contact the OSPO to learn more about open source software


and to find ways to contribute to open source projects that you
are interested in.
To learn more open source software basics, visit:

❖ Open Source Guides, https://opensource.guide/, a collection of resources


for individuals, communities, and companies who want to learn how to
run and contribute to an open-source project
❖ The Open Source Initiative, a non-profit that educates about and
advocates for the benefits of open source: https://opensource.org/
❖ The Open Source Way, a guidebook for open source community
management best practices: https://www.theopensourceway.org/
❖ Karl Fogel’s (free) book, Producing Open Source Software, available via:
https://producingoss.com/
Questions? Ask the
JHU Open Source Programs Office
[email protected]

https://ospo.library.jhu.edu

You might also like