What is a Open-source software (OSS)?
Open-source software (OSS) is a computer software that is released under a license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and distribute the software and its source code to anyone and for any purpose.
In other words , open source software is software develped and maintained via open collaboration, and made available, typically at no cost, for anyone to use, examine, alter and redistribute however they like.
What is a source code?
Open-source software have source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.
“Source code” is the part of software that most computer users don’t ever see; it’s the code computer programmers can manipulate to change how a piece of software—a “program” or “application”—works.
Programmers who have access to a computer program’s source code can improve that program by adding features to it or fixing parts that don’t always work correctly.
What is a closed source software?
Closed source softwares are those softwares which are sold to end users by the creator or copyright holder, and cannot be edited, enhanced or redistributed except as specified by the copyright holder. For e.g. Microsoft Word, Adobe Illustrator, etc.
What are the different alternative terms for open source software?
The terms open source software (or OSS), free software, free and open source software (FOSS) and free/libre-open source software (FLOSS) all refer to the same thing: software with source code available for public use and customization.
Give some examples of the most prevalent open source software applications.
Some of the most prevalent open source software applications include:
The Linux operating system, an open source alternative to the Unix operating system.
Mozilla Firefox, a web browser originally based on Netscape Navigator.
LibreOffice, a suite of office productivity apps that rival Microsoft Office.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), an open source alternative to Adobe Photoshop.
VLC Media Player, a cross-platform app for viewing videos.
Why should a company choose open source software over a proprietary alternative?
A company might choose open source software over a proprietary alternative for its low (or no) cost, the flexibility to customize the source code, or the existence of a large community supporting the application.
Many companies feel more comfortable with open source solutions because they can inspect the program code and understand exactly what they are adding to their computing infrastructure.
Is there any policy in India to encourage open source?
Recognising its potential, in 2015, the Indian government announced a policy to encourage open source instead of proprietary technology for government applications. However, the true potential of this policy is yet to be realised, largely due to constraints in public procurement processes.
What are the advantages of open source?
1 . Open source can help reduce costs, avoid the trap of vendor lock-ins, and also build greater trust within the ecosystem by allowing a community of actors to examine code for adherence to data privacy principles, help find bugs, and ensure transparency and accountability.
For example, CoWin and Aarogya Setu, built as open source digital platforms, greatly benefited from inputs provided by the open source developer community.
2 . Open source systems also enable solving global level problems with the help of large global communities.
3 . Open source systems represent what internet truly meant to represent – democratisation of technology.
4 . Open source systems are expected to bring about a cultural shift which will give rise to decentralised networks and autonomous organisations operating over the networks, marking the advent of Web3 into the daily lives of netizens.
What are the challenges associated with open source systems?
Open source systems come with challenges that require strong attention.
Civic DataLabs State of FOSS in India report points out that India still lags behind the global landscape in building sustainable home-grown projects.
Certain key challenges, particularly when it comes to FOSS for GovTech, range from a lack of awareness, misconceptions about FOSS being less secure than proprietary software, a lack of customisation for government use, a preference for engaging with known vendors rather than a dispersed ecosystem of developers,etc.
For more information https://www.ibm.com/in-en/topics/open-source
Web 3.0 – next phase of the evolution of web https://fotisedu.com/web-3-0-next-phase-of-the-evolution-of-web/
Software as a service (SaaS) – a software distribution model https://fotisedu.com/software-as-a-service-saas-a-software-distribution-model/
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES 1 . Consider the following: UPSC 2022
1 . Aarogya Setu
2 . COWIN
3 . DigiLocker
4 . DIKSHA
Which of the above are built on top of open-source digital platforms?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(d) EXPLANATION: ֍ DIKSHA: DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) is a national platform for school education, an initiative of National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT), Ministry of Education. DIKSHA was developed based on the core principles of open architecture, open access, open licensing diversity, choice and autonomy as outlined in the Strategy and Approach Paper for the National Teacher Platform released in 2017. ֍ DigiLocker is an initiative by the government to offer Indian citizens a free platform to store and access important documents. The platform uses several open source technologies to deliver a mass solution and contributes back to the ever-growing community. ֍ COWIN: CoWIN is an Indian government web portal for COVID-19 vaccination registration, owned and operated by India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It displays booking slots of COVID-19 vaccine available in the nearby areas and can be booked on the website. Initially it was not an open-source digital platform, but in July, 2019 it was made open source. ֍ Aarogya Setu: On 2nd April 2020, India launched Aarogya Setu mobile App for helping augment the efforts of limiting the spread of COVID19, with an objective of enabling Bluetooth based contact tracing, mapping of likely hotspots and dissemination of relevant information about COVID19. It is open source now.
