Introduction

Today we will talk about a topic that not many people know about. Whatever work we do in computer and mobile, we can do with the help of software. This software is written and developed by the program. If you are a computer student or have done a computer course, then you must have heard the name of open source software.

But if you do not know about this important term related to the computer world, then you will definitely get the solution to this problem. We are going to share all the information related to open source software with you. You will know about open source software and its benefits. So let’s first of all welcome you all to the quick support channel.

What is Open Source Software?

First of all, now we know what open source software is. When a developer makes a software with his technical knowledge, then to make that software, The source code written with a license allows all humans to read the source of that software, improve it, and change it according to their wish. That software is called open source software.

That is, open source software is a software that is made with source code, which can be read or validated by the user, and its source code is available for free on the internet. In the context of open source software, These are the kind of software’s whose source code is available to everyone with that software. Generally, for open source software, a group of developers, which is also called the developer’s community, work together here.

Open Source Software in India

National Resource Center for Free and Open Source Software is a government organization that has been created in India to promote open source software. If you use a computer or smartphone, Then when you search on the internet to download any software or app on your devices, then you must have seen a lot of such software that are available for free. All these softwares are made by open source software.

How Can Users Modify Open Source Software?

Now you must be thinking that how can a person change in open source software? Whereas there is someone else who makes that software. So let me tell you a little more about it. Coding is required to make any software and coding is of two types. One is source code and the other is object code.

As long as a programming language like C, C++ or Java writes a program in the same language, then the program is not of 5 or 10 lines, but of many lines. That group is called program instructions in the language of the computer, which is like a code. This code is called source code.

We make software to run on computer devices but the computer cannot understand this source code. Because source code is in human-readable format, which only we and you can understand. To understand the source code written by the computer, the computer is used. For this, the computer is used, which converts the source code into object code. The computer understands only 0 or 1 bytes. It is called object code or machine code.

This object code is a sequence of 0 and 1 bytes, like 010110101. which we humans cannot understand, but the computer can understand them. After that, it runs the software. Then it becomes a software and gets ready. That’s why when we get a source code of any software, then we can change the source code according to our needs and add new features to it. Or we can improve the software by improving it. By using the source code, we can develop new software and sell it for free or with some profit. There is no restriction on any of these things.

Difference Between Open Source and Closed Source Software

It is not that all the apps or software you get on the internet are all available for free. There are some such software that you have to pay to use. The software we use by paying is a closed source software, which is also called proprietary software. You do not get the source code of this software with the software, so no person can change it according to him. The source of proprietary software is kept very safe. Only the company can modify and develop it, which has made this software. A simple example of closed source software is Windows and iOS operating system software, which is a closed source operating system.

Nnow we will know what is the difference between open source and closed source software. Open source software is better than closed source software because we can modify the source code in open source software and make it easy to use, whereas it is not possible to do this in closed source software. Therefore, most new developers use open source software to test their own programs and try to develop new software.

Examples of Open Source Software

In open source software, Linux, Symbian, APEC, Tomcat Web Server, Joomla, In the programming language, PHP, Python, in the web browser, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, etc. There are many famous examples. The biggest and most popular example of open source software is Android, which is used by millions of people today. Android is an open source operating system software created by Google, which can be used by anyone. And according to him, by changing, adding new features, it can also be distributed with other people.

If you want to become a developer and you need open source software from where you can work on making software, then there are some websites available for it on internet.

Benefits of Open Source Software

Did you know what are the benefits of open source software? Here is your answer.

1. Free of Cost: The first benefit is free of cost. All the software developed under open source software is provided to the initial. The source code of this software is also provided completely for free, which can be modified by anyone. One assumption has been found that due to the availability of open source software for free, almost 60 billion dollars of money is saved every year.
2. High Quality: Second advantage High quality The quality of open source software is even better than that of commercial software, because they are developed by different developers of the world according to their needs with joint efforts. That’s why in this software, All kinds of user needs are taken care of. Along with this, small and big shortcomings are fixed in time.
3. Security: Open source software is more secure along with better quality. These are also updated from time to time. Where its bugs and errors are also fixed. Due to which this software is completely secure. Because it is supported by developers from all over the world. That’s why they are very powerful.
4. Training: The fourth advantage is training. Many people like open source software because they can make better programs by using it. This software is open, in which anyone can easily learn programming by looking at the source code. In this, children studying computer can also learn coding and increase their programming and developing skills.
5. Control: With open source software, source codes are also available. Therefore, the user can also make necessary changes in these softwares by self-examining the code according to his needs. The user is given full control to modify the source code.
6. Continuous Development: Open Source Software Due to the free availability of source code, everyone can contribute to the further development of open source. It provides a continuous development cycle, which increases and improves software quickly in a short time.

To see or edit the source code of open source software, you can use the development platform you will get the source code for free. GitHub is the most famous name from the development platform, where you will get the source code of many popular open source software.

Conclusion

Open source software is really helpful. It doesn’t cost money, it’s made well, and it’s safe to use. Plus, it’s great for learning how to make your own programs. With open source software, you can change things to fit your needs. open source software provides some major benefits compared to traditional closed-source or proprietary software.

One of the biggest advantages is that the source code is freely available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute as they wish. This allows a community of developers from around the world to collaborate on improving the software and adding new features.
Because so many people can contribute, open source software tends to be high quality, secure, and continuously updated to fix bugs and issues. It’s also free to obtain and use, saving billions of dollars annually. From a learning perspective, having access to the source code makes open source software invaluable for training new programmers and developers.