It is time to share a list of the best free and open-source software I found during the year 2023. Some of these programs may not be new in that they werent released for the first time in 2023, but they are new and have been helpful to me. It is in the spirit of sharing that Im writing this article hoping you find some of these programs useful as well.

To begin, you may want to search for the program using your distributions package manager, like so:

The RHEL-based distribution users can use the yum or dnf package manager:

The Debian-based distribution users can use apt or aptitude package manager:

OpenSUSE and derivatives can use the zypper command:

Arch Linux and derivatives:

If your search returns no results, head over to the website of each tool where you will find the standalone package for download and installation instructions, along with information on dependencies.

You can use Simple Screen Recorder to make audio and video screencasts (entire screen or selected area). It is easy to install and use, but powerful at the same time.

We already covered Simple Screen Recorder in-depth, so just go through it and learn how to use it to capture and record the screen of your Linux computer.

Jaspersoft Studio is a report designer program that allows you to create simple and sophisticated reports as well with charts, tabs, tables (and everything you can expect to see in a world-class report) and export them to a wide variety of formats (with PDF perhaps being the most common).

With Q&A forums and User groups, plus several samples and examples, the community website is a great resource for help to master this versatile program.

Visual Studio Code is a free and open-source code editor developed by Microsoft that has reached a significant level of popularity among web and cloud developers who are also Linux users since it provides a nice programming environment out of the box that supports extensions to add functionality.

If youre like me and music (especially the guitar) is one of your passions, youll love this TuxGuitar program, which will let you edit and play guitar tablatures like a pro.

Jitsi is a free and open-source audio/video conferencing and instant messaging platform for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android.

It provides complete encryption with support for protocols such as SIP, XMPP/Jabber, AIM/ICQ, IRC, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo!, Google Hangouts extensions, as well as OTR, ZRTP, etc.

GCompris is a cross-platform high-quality complete educational software collection for children aged between 2 to 10, and it comes with more than 140 entertaining activities.

That helps little children learn skills such as the identification of letters and numbers, the use of the mouse and keyboard, primary algebra training, reading time on an analog clock, vector drawing, language learning through games, and much more.

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a multi-platform, free, and open-source photo editing software used for image manipulation and image editing, free-form drawing, transcoding between different image file formats, and more specialized tasks.

FreeCAD is a general-purpose 3D Computer-Aided Design program fit for use in engineering and architecture. Given the fact that FreeCAD is FOSS, it is easily customizable and extensible through the use of Python scripts.

Although not a new kid on the block in any way, I chose to include OwnCloud in this review due to its importance. As an alternative to commercial Dropbox, security, and privacy are achieved without much hassle and allow you to easily set up customized cloud storage and file-sharing solution.

We already covered installation about Owncloud in-depth here: Create Personal/Private Cloud Storage Solution in Linux

MediaWiki is a program for creating and managing a Wikipedia-like website (in fact, Wikipedia itself is based on MediaWiki) where a community can add, remove, update, and revert entries, and authors are notified of such changes.

You can think of Bleachbit as the CCleaner for Linux but more powerful. It will not only recover disk space by deleting temporary or otherwise unnecessary filesbut will also improve Firefoxs performance and securely destroy unnecessary files to prevent recovery.

We already covered the installation of Bleachbit in-depth here: Disk Space Cleaner and Privacy Guard for Linux

CodeMirror is a very powerful Javascript-based text editor for the web browser. CodeMirror includes syntax highlighting for over 100 languages and a robust API. If you own a website or blog that provides programming tutorials, you will find CodeMirror to be a very useful tool.

GNU Health is a free, extremely scalable Health and Hospital Information Platform, which is used by health professionals across the world to enhance the lives of the underprivileged, offering a free technique that optimizes health promotion and disease prevention.

Open Computer and Software Inventory Next Generation, or OCS Inventory NG for short, is a lightweight web application that can help network and system administrators to keep track of 1) all the devices connected to the network, and 2) machine configuration and software installed in them.

The projects website (listed below) has a fully functional demo in case you want to check it out before attempting to actually install the program. In addition, OCS Inventory NG relies on well-known technologies like Apache and MySQL / MariaDB, making it a robust program.

Often used in conjunction with OCS Inventory NG, GLPI is a multilingual, free IT asset management software that not only provides the tools to build up a database with an inventory of your network devices but also includes a job tracking system with mail notifications.

Other distinguishing features include, but are not limited to:

We already covered the installation of the GLPI IT Asset Management tool in-depth here: Install GLPI IT and Asset Management Tool in Linux

With Ampache, you can set up your own home media center or online audio and video streaming application and access it from anywhere with an Internet connection.

Although it is designed as a personal application, Ampache allows for public registration if an administrator chooses to enable that feature.

Master PDF Editor is an easy-to-use pdf editing tool for working with PDF documents that comes with powerful multi-purpose functionality.

It helps you to easily add text, create and modify pdf, add images, and encrypt files. Master PDF also allows you to merge files into one or split documents into multiple files.

LibreOffice Draw is an application that is inbuilt into the LibreOffice suite that enables you to create anything from an easy sketch to a complex one and provides you the means to communicate with graphics and diagrams. With Draw, you can easily open and edit basic PDF files.

If you own a small or medium business you will undoubtedly need a Point Of Sale program. As such, uniCenta oPOS may be a lifesaver for you. It uses a MySQL / MariaDB database for data storage, and thus a single database can be used with multiple active terminals at the same time.

On top of all that, uniCenta oPOS also includes a search panel, a price-checker utility, and a tool to create printed reports.

OpenShot is a FOSS video editor for Linux that can help you create the film you have always dreamed of (in the words of its developers) with your home videos, pictures, and music files.

It also allows you to add subtitles, and transition effects, and export the resulting video file to DVD and many other common formats.

LAN Messenger is a multilingual (a language pack is needed) and cross-platform (works in Linux, Windows, and Mac) IM program for communication over a LAN. It provides file transfers, message logging, and event notifications all without the need to set up a server!

Cherrytree is a free and open-source hierarchical note-taking program that comes with rich text formatting, syntax highlighting, and advanced customization options. Its advanced search feature enables you to search files across the file tree irrespective of their path.

It comes with keyboard shortcuts, importing and exporting notes, syncing with cloud platforms like Dropbox, and password security to keep your notes secure.

FlightGear is an awesome open-source flight simulator tool, that is used to create a knowledgeable and open flight simulator system for use in experiments or academic environments, pilot training, an industrial engineering program, for DIY-ers to chase their chosen exciting flight simulation design, and last but surely not least as a fun, practical, and demanding desktop flight simulator for Linux.

MuseScore is an open-source and free professional music notation application that is used to create, play and print beautiful sheet music using easy to use, yet powerful interface.

Tmux is an open-source Linux terminal multiplexer that allows you to run multiple terminal sessions in a single window.

It is useful for running several programs in one terminal, detaching them (they keep running in the background), and reattaching them to a different terminal.

qBittorrent is a free and open-source BitTorrent client that helps users to download and share files over the network in a decentralized manner.

It allows users to connect to peers and seeders to download and upload files efficiently by connecting to a swarm of other users who are sharing the same file. It uses the BitTorrent protocol, which breaks files into smaller parts and allows users to download those parts from multiple sources simultaneously.

Described as a safe home for all your data, NextCloud was started as a separate project by one of its ownClouds first collaborators.

Although it raised a few sparks between him and the ownCloud community, NextCloud seems to be here to stay and compete with ownCloud as a private cloud solution to access and share your files, calendars, contacts, and office documents.

Using dozens of third-party apps available on the official App Store, you can equip your Nexcloud instance with new features and turn it into a powerful collaborative environment that cares with respect to your personal data.

Because even system administrators and developers need a little distraction, you can use Celestia (a free 3D astronomy program) to navigate the universe.

Celestia serves as a 3D planetarium that seamlessly simulates various celestial objects whose position and movement are calculated accurately in real-time. It also comes with a large database of stars, galaxies, planets, asteroids, comets, and other celestial bodies.

As opposed to other planetarium software, Celestia allows you to travel throughout the solar system and the galaxy, not just the surface of the Earth. To infinity and beyond!

If your system administration tasks include managing Windows servers via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), FreeRDP is a tool that you will want to try out.

It is described by its developers as an RDP client for Windows Terminal Services. The project is hosted on GitHub and released under the Apache license, so you are welcome to collaborate with it if you wish.

Again, I may be a little biased on this one. If you are searching for a bug-tracking and project management solution, dont look any further Flyspray, a web-based tool powered by Apachehas exactly what you need. And dont just take my word for it: even ArchLinux uses Flyspray for bug-tracking.

Flyspray is a lightweight bug-tracking system written in PHP that runs on any OS and focuses on a very intuitive design allowing you to handle multiple projects at once.

It supports MySQL or PostgreSQL as database servers and provides voting functionality, email notifications (requires a separate mail server to be installed and configured), and optional Single-Sign-On (SSO) using a Facebook or Google account.

If you have been using a spreadsheet to keep track of your personal, family, or business finances, it may be time to try a more suitable solution such as GNUCash.

This FOSS accounting software allows you to keep an eye on your bank accounts, expenses, and income and to create custom, complete reports with this data. Its user-friendly interface is a plus to the solid accounting principles GNUCash uses under the hood.

The official website includes an exhaustive FAQ section, the application Manual, and a Tutorial guide. With these materials, learning how to use GNUCash will be a play in the park. On top of that, you can subscribe to the mailing lists in case you need help or run into any problems with GNUCash.

Like many other open-source projects, GnuCash is entirely developed, maintained, and translated entirely by volunteers and enthusiasts.

Both available as Enterprise (paid) and Community editions, LogicalDOC is an award-winning, web-based Document Management System (DMS). As such, it aims to provide a high-quality method for sharing business documents and records in a low-cost and secure way.

Additionally, LogicalDOC allows you to control access to these resources via security roles, and to easily track changes through version control. LogicalDOC can be installed both on a single computer in standalone mode, on a dedicated server as a shared service, or as a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution.

LogicalDOC comes with features for content processing and information management that are more suitable for enterprises and businesses but its also great for personal use.

If you are into game development, video editing, or 3D modeling, I am sure you must have already heard about this tool. If you are considering any of these activities either as a hobby or a career change and havent heard about Blender, it is definitely time to check it out.

As a FOSS solution, it does not come short when compared to commercial tools. On top of it, Blender is cross-platform which means you can not only run it on Linux but also on macOS and Windows.

Among the standard Blender features, you can find rendering, 3D modeling, digital sculpting, video editing, and simulation tools.

DVDStyler is a cross-platform, FOSS DVD authoring tool that allows you to create nice-looking and professional DVDs with your video and image files.

As such, DVDStyler allows you to create your own interactive menus or choose from the built-in ones, add subtitle and audio files, and use video files in different formats. Additionally, you can create photo slideshows and place graphic objects like buttons, text, images, and so on.

In addition, this awesome tool integrates with your DVD burner to burn the disk from within the same application.

As its name suggests, OSQuery provides access to real-time system information in the form of tables and events that can be queried using SQL-like syntax via an interactive query console.

With osquery, you can explore your system to perform intrusion detection, diagnose a problem, or just produce a report of its operation all at your fingertips using a single tool.

If you have at least a basic understanding of SQL, getting details about the operating system using the built-in tables in OSQuery will be a piece of cake.

OSQuery runs flawlessly on Windows, macOS, CentOS, and all other Linux OS released since 2011 and requires no dependencies.

Need yet another reason to convince you to give OSQuery a try? It was developed and maintained by the folks at Facebook.

I have to deal with so many programs, websites, and services that I often forget my passwords. There is no doubt that this also happens to other Linux users, so here is the solution KeePass. Its a free open-source password manager that allows you to manage and keep your passwords in a secure way.

KeePass stores all of your passwords in a single database locked with a master key. Thats why you need to remember one single master key to access the database.

All passwords are encrypted using the most secure encryption algorithms. In fact, KeePass is compatible with the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES, Rijndael) and the Twofish algorithm.

Alternatively, KeePass allows you to use key files instead of master keys. You just need to always have the key file with you. For example, you can carry it on a floppy disk or USB stick.

I dont often edit PDF files but when I do, I usually use PDF Mix Tool, which is a simple and lightweight open-source program that makes it possible to perform common PDF editing operations, such as file merging and page rotation.

Apart from that, you can also use PDF Mix Tool to generate booklets, delete and add pages to a PDF file, extract pages and even edit the PDF document information.

This tool is good for basic editing operations. If you need a more complex and powerful program, take a look at the best pdf editors for Linux.

When it comes to email management, one of my favorite tools is Mailspring, which is an open-source and cross-platform email client that allows you to create a single inbox for all your email accounts.

Mailspring is compatible with all popular email providers, including Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Office 365, Yahoo!, etc., and supports IMAP/SMTP.

The Mailspring user interface is visually pleasing and there are a few beautiful themes. It also comes with a signature editor that allows you to create custom signatures, even with images and links to social media, which looks great.

If you work on several projects and have a lot of tasks to do at a time, you definitely need to try OpenTodoList, which is a simple note-taking application that allows you to stay organized.

With this tool, your information is organized in libraries. A library can contain to-do lists, notes, and images that are stored locally.

More importantly, you can synchronize your information with NextCloud, ownCloud, other WebDAV services, or any third-party synchronization tool of your choice. OpenTodoList lets you keep track of your tasks and enhance your productivity in a simple way.

Many Linux users have been lacking a decent Microsoft Office alternative for years. From my point of view, one of the best replacements for the MS Office suite is ONLYOFFICE, an open-source project that revolves around office software and productivity tools.

ONLYOFFICE offers a self-hosted office suite called Docs and a free desktop editor for Linux, Windows, and macOS. Both online and desktop editors are based on the same engine and allow you to create and collaborate on documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and fillable forms in real-time.

The ONLYOFFICE suite is fully compatible with DOCX, XLXS, and PPTX files and also makes it possible to open and view PDF and DjVu files. Conversion to DOCX is available, too.

ONLYOFFICE comes with integration apps for the most popular file-sharing and document management platforms, so you can embed the online editors to enable document editing and real-time co-authoring within Nextcloud, ownCloud, Moodle, WordPress, Seafile, etc.

In this article, I have described free and open-source applications that I have found during the year 2023, and hope that it sparks your interest in one or more of them.

Would you like us to cover any of them in greater detail on this site? Have you found another great FOSS application that you would like to share with the rest of the community? Just let us know using the comment form below. Questions, comments, and suggestions are also welcome.

Read the rest here:
40 Must-Have Free Open Source Software for 2023 - Tecmint

Factors

Open source

Closed source

Price

Available for nominal or zero licensing and usage charges.

Cost varies based upon the scale of the software.

Freedom to customize

Completely customizable but it depends on the open source license. Requires in-house expertise.

Change requests must be made to the company selling the software. This includes bug fixes, features, and enhancements.

User-friendliness

Typically less user-friendly, but it can depend on the goals of the project and those maintaining it.

Typically more user-friendly. As a for-profit product, adoptability and user experience are often key considerations.

After-sales support

Some very popular pieces of open source software (e.g., OSS distributed by Red Hat or SUSE) have plenty of support. Otherwise, users can find help through user forums and mailing lists.

Dedicated support teams are in place. The level of service available depends on the service-level agreement (SLA).

Security

Source code is open for review by anyone and everyone. There is a widespread theory that more eyes on the code makes it harder for bugs to survive. However, security bugs and flaws may still exist and pose significant risk.

The company distributing the software (i.e., software owner) guarantees a certain level of support, depending on the terms of the SLA. Because the source code is closed for review, there can be security issues. If issues are found, the software distributor is responsible for fixing them.

Vendor lock-in

No vendor lock-in due to the associated cost. Integration into systems may create technical dependency.

In most cases, large investments are made in proprietary software. Switching to a different vendor or to an open source solution can be costly.

Stability

This will depend on the current user base, the parties maintaining the software, and the number of years in the market.

Older, market-based solutions are more stable. New products have similar challenges as open source products. If a distributor discontinues an application, the customer may be out of luck.

Popularity

Some open source solutions are very popular and are even market leaders (e.g., Linux, Apache).

In some industries, proprietary software is more popular, especially if it has been in the market for many years.

Total cost of ownership (TCO)

TCO is lower and upfront due to minimal or no usage cost, and depends on the level of maintenance required.

TCO is much higher and depends on the size of the user base.

Community participation

The community participating in development, review, critique, and enhancement of the software is the essence of open source.

Closed community.

Interoperability with other open source software

This will depend on the level of maintenance and goals of the group, but it is typically better than closed source software.

This will depend on the development standards.

Tax calculation

Difficult due to undefined monetary value.

Definite.

Enhancements or new features

Can be developed by the user if needed.

Request must be made to the software owner.

Suitability for production environment

OSS might not be technically well-designed or tested in a large-scale production environment.

Most proprietary software goes through multiple rounds of testing. However, things can still go wrong when deployed in a production environment.

Financial institution considerations

The financial industry tends to avoid open source solutions. If used, a vetting process must take place.

Financial institutions prefer proprietary software.

Warranty

No warranty available.

Best for companies with security policies requiring a warranty and liability indemnity.

See the original post here:
What Is Open Source Software and How Does It Work? | Synopsys

Open-source software (OSS) is released with its source code, allowing it to be used, modified, and distributed under its original license terms. Most computer users never view source code, which is the code that computer programmers edit to control how a program or application operates. Programmers with access to the source code can change a program by adding to it, altering it, or fixing errors. OSS is frequently accompanied by a license that allows programmers to tailor the software to their own requirements and decide how it is disseminated. Best open source software are the ones that are supported by a huge community of developers.

The fact that open source software is both free and secure should be enough to persuade you, but if you're still not convinced, consider the following:

The developers work exclusively for the project's passion, not for profit. As a result, a better product emerges, focusing only on usefulness rather than bloat to attract more clients.

There are fewer issues since hundreds of volunteer engineers manage the code. More eyes enhance the likelihood of catching bugs more quickly.

They have a simpler interface (in most cases) because developers prefer to focus on getting the work done rather than adding unnecessary features to entice clients.

Hundreds of developers (depending on project popularity) can introduce and manage features in extremely sophisticated programs.

Hundreds of plugins are available in many open-source apps' plugin repositories to further expand the app's capabilities. The plugins are also created by volunteers.

Popular open-source programs have their own forums and communities where users can get support and learn more about them.

Best open source applications are also incredibly versatile for businesses since if they want a new feature, their own developers may contribute to its development.

Here are the 15 open-source applications that you should definitely try this year.

Notepad++ is a text editor that replaces the Windows notepad software. It is a lot chevalier and one of the best open-source software. You can also use Notepad++ to keep track of your notes and content ideas because it immediately saves all changes and has numbered lines.

Most coders use it to write code, and use it for its capabilities, such as auto-complete depending on the current context, aid in coding.

An all-in-one picture editor that is suitable for both novice and experienced users. GIMP includes everything you need, whether you want to conduct simple editing like resizing, annotating, and effects, or utilize complex painting tools. GIMP also supports almost every photo format, and plugins may be used to extend its capabilities. Is it really the best open-source software? It is one of the best for sure.

7-zip is unquestionably one of the most effective programs for managing archives and compressing data. It can be packed and unpacked in a variety of formats, and data can even be encrypted using AES-256 encryption. It also has a strong compression engine with several compression techniques. Some of the applications here may not be the best open source software for everyone but professionals can make the best use of these.

Audacity is still one of the most commonly used and best open-source software two decades after its first release. It is a free audio editor that runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

After installing this handy little software, you'll discover everything you need to record, edit, and improve sound files. Furthermore, you may use Audacity's library of third-party extensions to add any functionality that isn't available by default, owing to the program's large development community. You'll be able to do everything from adding sound effects to auto-tuning your tracks with them.

Thunderbird is one of the best open-source software solutions if you want to use one email client to handle all of your email accounts. It doesn't require any setup; simply enter your email address and password, and it will take care of the rest.

Attachment reminders, handling many emails at once, advanced search, sending large files, and add-on support are just a few of the highlights.

Brave is a web browser based on Google's open-source Chromium project aimed to keep your browsing behavior private by deactivating website trackers and preventing annoying adverts. It contains a built-in Tor capability for even more secure browsing.

The main benefit of using Brave is that it allows you to use many of the Google Chrome store's thousands of extensions while also providing a speedier surfing experience than a regular Chrome browser making it one of the best open-source software. Brave uses fewer resources than Google's standard Chrome package, allowing it to load pages faster.

There are several excellent password managers available, but KeePass Password Safe stands out due to its ease of use and extensive feature set. It is one of the best open-source software as it uses industry-standard (and virtually unbreakable) AES encryption and two-factor authentication to safeguard your account information.

Because of its mobility, KeePass deserves to be included in our list of the finest open source platforms. You may store your database and the application on a USB stick for safekeeping, even though this open-source tool can be installed on Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile devices.

FileZilla is a free FTP client that allows you to administer server file systems from a remote location. If you operate a website, you already know how unpleasant it can be to execute FTP operations using a web client. FileZilla delivers a more consistent and pleasant FTP experience than most web hosts' default FTP software and is the best open-source software for that specific purpose.

This free FTP client has a number of sophisticated features, including huge file transfer capability, synchronized directory browsing, and filename filtering. A network configuration wizard is also included if you have any difficulties connecting to your website's server.

Obviously, this list would be incomplete without discussing Linux, the most well-known open-source operating system. Since its inception in 1991, Linux has evolved into a vast family of operating systems, including desktop variations like Chrome OS and Ubuntu and server stack solutions like LAMP.

Due to the complexity of installation and the amount of tinkering with Linux computers required to function, it was previously only used by a few developers and they still think it is the best open-source software to date. However, Linux distro developers have made a concerted effort to make them more user-friendly packages in recent years. Running a virtual Linux workstation or re-partitioning your hard disc to add Linux as an additional OS is now easier than ever.

VLC Media Player is a notable example of open source software that you may use for free. It is one of the best open-source software when we talk about media playback. This multimedia player plays discs, cameras, streams, devices, and video, media, and music files. The majority of users also use it to listen to podcasts.

It allows you to optimize your audio and video files for a certain hardware setup and build unique designs using a variety of extensions and skins. It also operates on a variety of platforms, including Android, Mac OS X, Linux, Windows, iOS, and others.

The GNU Compiler Collection is a set of tools for developing software in C, C++, Ada, Fortran, and other programming languages.

It consistently produces high-quality releases and works with both native and cross-platform targets. The sources it provides are accessible for free via weekly snapshots and SVN.

OCS Inventory NG, or Open Computer and Software Inventory Next Generation, is a lightweight online application that can assist network and system administrators in keeping track of 1) all devices connected to the network and 2) machine settings and software loaded on them.

The project's website offers a fully working demo if you wish to try it out before installing it. Furthermore, OCS Inventory NG is a strong software that uses well-known technologies such as Apache and MySQL/MariaDB.

LibreOffice is effectively a free version of Microsoft 365, the world's most popular office productivity suite, with support for documents, spreadsheets, databases, presentations, diagrams, and mathematical formulas.

Some could argue that LibreOffice is the more feature-rich of the two, given to its active developer community, always introducing new tools and techniques. LibreOffice, for example, just launched a QR code-generating feature to make it easier to produce mobile-friendly connections. LibreOffice has risen to the top due to its excellent ability to preserve Microsoft file types.

You may use Ampache to create your home media center or online audio and video streaming application, which you can use from any computer with an Internet connection.

Although Ampache is intended to be a personal application, it does allow for public registration if an administrator decides to permit it.

oPOS uniCenta can be the best open-source software if you operate a small or medium business as you will almost certainly require a POS system. As a result, uniCenta oPOS could save your life. It stores data in a MySQL / MariaDB database, enabling the usage of a single database with numerous active terminals simultaneously. A search panel, a price-checker application, and a tool for creating printed reports are all included in uniCenta oPOS.

Open-source software are getting more and more attention. Despite the fact that the open-source community has been actively promoting the benefits of open source for years, there have never been more open-source projects in use than there are now. This article provides you with a summary of the top and most important open-source software, so you can get benefited from them.

Read the rest here:
15 Best Open Source Software You Must Try in 2023 - Turing

Cyber Security Today, Feb. 24, 2023 Holes in open source software, ransomware gang tries to evade cyber insurers and more  IT World Canada

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Cyber Security Today, Feb. 24, 2023 Holes in open source software, ransomware gang tries to evade cyber insurers and more - IT World Canada

Open source software (OSS) is a type of computer software that is made freely available to the public with minimal restrictions. OSS allows anyone to access, modify and distribute the code for any purpose, including commercial purposes. Open source software includes web browsers, operating systems, and many other applications.

Open source software has become increasingly popular over the years due to its ability to provide users with high-quality solutions while allowing developers to innovate without expensive proprietary licenses. OSS also eliminates some of the risks associated with purchasing costly licensed products that may not be compatible with a users system or needs. As open source projects are created by volunteers from around the world and are typically distributed for free or at very low cost, users can benefit from quick responses to bugs and feature requests as well as tailor-made solutions that meet their specific requirements.

Open source software provides users with more control over their technology investments while offering them reliable solutions at a much lower cost than proprietary counterparts. With its widespread availability, improved security features and innovation potential, open source has quickly become one of the preferred methods for creating powerful applications across many industries.

In recent years, open source software has become increasingly essential for businesses looking to maximize their success and remain competitive. In the ever-evolving world of technology, open source software provides companies with the flexibility, scalability, and cost savings necessary to remain agile and successful. Open source software is a key factor in helping organizations develop innovative products quickly and efficiently.

Open source software is becoming more popular as it helps organizations increase their efficiency by leveraging existing resources to create new products and services. By using open source code from other developers, companies can quickly build applications without needing to reinvent the wheel. This allows them to focus on developing new ideas instead of wasting time reinventing the same thing multiple times.

Additionally, open source software allows businesses to access vast amounts of knowledge that they may not have access to otherwise. Open source projects often involve collaboration between many different contributors who share their combined knowledge on how best to solve a particular problem or task. This shared knowledge base greatly expedites development processes while also allowing organizations to benefit from the experience of others who are familiar with similar technologies or coding practices.

Open source software also offers tremendous cost savings compared to proprietary solutions. Since most open source projects are free of charge or offered at vastly reduced costs compared to commercial alternatives, companies can drastically reduce their overhead when sourcing software for business needs. Not only does this save money upfront but it also eliminates ongoing licensing fees associated with commercial products which can really put a strain on company finances in the long run.

Finally, open source projects tend be more secure than proprietary offerings due to their transparency and openness anyone can look at the projects codebase for potential security issues or bugs before deciding whether or not its suitable for use in business environments. Additionally since open source projects tend receive regular contributions from community members around the world theres usually someone available immediately who can fix any security issues that arise quickly and efficiently something that may not be possible with proprietary solutions where users must wait until an official patch is released by the vendor before any security issue is resolved completely.

All things considered its easy see why open source matters so much in todays tech landscape increasing efficiency while reducing costs makes adopting open sources solutions an attractive option for many businesses looking maximize success while minimizing expenses.

There are countless examples of open source software, including many popular and widely-used programs. Some of the most well-known open source software includes:

And many more. View and compare over 500,000 open source projects using SourceForges open source software directory.

There are several advantages to using open source software. Some of the key advantages include:

Further reading: Compare open source vs. closed source software.

See original here:
What is Open Source Software? - SourceForge Articles

As steward of the Open Source Definition, we set the foundation for the Open source Software ecosystem.

The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a California public benefit corporation, with 501(c)3 tax-exempt status, founded in 1998.

We are also actively involved in Open Source community-building, education, and public advocacy to promote awareness and the importance of non-proprietary software. OSI participates in Open Source conferences and events, to meet with open source developers and users, and to discuss with executives from the public and private sectors about how Open Source technologies, licenses, and models of development can provide economic and strategic advantages.

As the leading voice on the policies and principles of open source, the OSI helps build a world where the freedoms and opportunities of open source software can be enjoyed by all. The OSI supports institutions and individuals working together to create communities of practice in which the healthy open source ecosystem thrives.

The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a non-profit corporation with global scope formed to educate about and advocate for the benefits of open source and to build bridges among different constituencies in the open source community.

Open source enables a development method for software that harnesses the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open source is higher quality, better reliability, greater flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in.

One of our most important activities is as a standards body, maintaining the Open Source Definition for the good of the community. The Open Source Initiative Approved License trademark and program creates a nexus of trust around which developers, users, corporations and governments can organize open source cooperation.

Please contact the OSI if you are interested in having us help you develop, arrange, or conduct educational conferences, programs, courses of instruction, and/or online educational seminars relating to Open Source (non-proprietary) software.

Our website has a contact form that can be used to reach us over the internet, or we can be contacted at our mailing address:

Open Source Initiative8605 Santa Monica Blvd PMB 63639West Hollywood, CA 90069-4109United States

The Open Source Initiative's IRS Tax ID Number (TIN) is 91-2037395.

The Open Source Initiative's EU Transparency Register Number 672028337929-77

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About the Open Source Initiative | Open Source Initiative

Wikimedia list article

This comparison only covers software licenses which have a linked Wikipedia article for details and which are approved by at least one of the following expert groups: the Free Software Foundation, the Open Source Initiative, the Debian Project and the Fedora Project. For a list of licenses not specifically intended for software, see List of free-content licences.

FOSS stands for "Free and Open Source Software". There is no one universally agreed-upon definition of FOSS software and various groups maintain approved lists of licenses. The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is one such organization keeping a list of open-source licenses.[1] The Free Software Foundation (FSF) maintains a list of what it considers free.[2] FSF's free software and OSI's open-source licenses together are called FOSS licenses. There are licenses accepted by the OSI which are not free as per the free software definition. The open source definition allows for further restrictions like price, type of contribution and origin of the contribution, e.g. the case of the NASA Open Source Agreement, which requires the code to be "original" work.[3][4] The OSI does not endorse FSF license analysis (interpretation) as per their disclaimer.[5]

The FSF's free Software definition focuses on the user's unrestricted rights to use a program, to study and modify it, to copy it, and redistribute it for any purpose, which are considered by the FSF the four essential freedoms.[6][7] The OSI's open-source criteria focuses on the availability of the source code and the advantages of an unrestricted and community driven development model.[8] Yet, many FOSS licenses, like the Apache License, and all Free Software licenses allow commercial use of FOSS components.[9]

For a simpler comparison across the most common licenses see free-software license comparison.

The following table compares various features of each license and is a general guide to the terms and conditions of each license, based on seven subjects or categories. Recent tools like the European Commissions' Joinup Licensing Assistant,[10] makes possible the licenses selection and comparison based on more than 40 subjects or categories, with access to their SPDX identifier and full text. The table below lists the permissions and limitations regarding the following subjects:

In this table, "permissive" means the software has minimal restrictions on how it can be used, modified, and redistributed, usually including a warranty disclaimer. "Copyleft" means the software requires that its source code be made publicly available and that all provisions in the license be preserved in derivative works.

Other licenses that don't have information:

This table lists for each license what organizations from the FOSS community have approved it be it as a "free software" or as an "open source" license , how those organizations categorize it, and the license compatibility between them for a combined or mixed derivative work. Organizations usually approve specific versions of software licenses. For instance, a FSF approval means that the Free Software Foundation (FSF) considers a license to be free-software license. The FSF recommends at least "Compatible with GPL" and preferably copyleft. The OSI recommends a mix of permissive and copyleft licenses, the Apache License 2.0, 2- & 3-clause BSD license, GPL, LGPL, MIT license, MPL 2.0, CDDL and EPL.

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Comparison of free and open-source software licenses