Open source refers to software whose source code is made freely available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute. Open source software (OSS) is developed in a collaborative public manner and often maintained by a community of developers.
Open source software encourages transparency, collaboration, and community-driven development. Anyone can contribute to open source projects, improving the software and adding new features. Licenses for open source software, such as the MIT License, GNU General Public License (GPL), and Apache License, define the terms under which the software can be used, modified, and distributed.
Examples:
- Linux: An open-source operating system kernel.
- Git: A distributed version control system.
- Mozilla Firefox: An open-source web browser.