Having the source code for a software product available so that others can study it and collectivily improve on it.

Program code made available to others, more information ...

A term used to describe software developed under some specific conditions, see the OSI's definition of the term.

A program whose source code is available to the general public

A source other than a sealed (or closed) source, for example, a radioelement kept in a vial

An application that not only is freeware but the source code for the application itself is also available for developers to use and adapt as needed.

An application for which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge.

A definition of software that includes freely available access to source code, redistribution, modification, and derived works. The full definition is available at www.opensource.org.

Software whose programming instructions are available for perusal, copying, and personal modification.

a source which everyone can access (change to fit their needs, modify, etc

Software that is intended to be freely shared and possibly improved and redistributed by others.

Programs that have their source code available to the public at no cost. People can use and modify the programs as they like.

Any software whose code is available for users to look at and modify freely. Linux is the best-known example; others include Apache, the dominant software for servers that dish out corporate web pages.

Usually refers to programming code. This is coding that is available for free to the general public to use and even alter at will.

A computer programming movement based around programme codes that are both written and licensed in a way to let other users adapt and develop the programmes without fear of litigation. It involves commitment to ideas such as free redistribution and non-discrimination between users and technologies.

A software development model that harnesses the many programmers spread throughout the Internet, rather than the traditional model of harnessing a few programmers in a specific location. See http://www.opensource.org

Software which includes its source code along with the program itself.

Programs where the source code is freely available and can be shared

Software for which the original code is publicly available. It can be modified by anybody - and is thus more likely to be bug-free than is proprietary software such as that produced by Microsoft. Much Open Source software is written for the operating system called Linux.

A certification mark owned by the Open Source Initiative (OSI). Software developers can use the Open Source trademark for distributing share/free software if their distribution terms conform to the OSI's Open Source Definition.

Both a movement and a process of creating software that believes that the underlying source code of products should be freely accessible to users. Many open source programmers believe Bill Gates is Satan. Bill Gates believes many open source programmers are communists.

Open Source is a programming movement characterized by creating 'open' code that can be modified or distributed without paying a licensing fee. Members of the movement participate voluntarily in the development of the code and typically publish new code on the Internet for common use. More information about this movement can be found at the Open Source Initiative.

There is a non-proft organization dedicated to encouraging open source programming called the Open Source Initiative, and they explain it best: "The basic idea behind open source is very simple: When programmers can read, redistribute, and modify the source code for a piece of software, the software evolves. People improve it, people adapt it, people fix bugs. And this can happen at a speed that, if one is used to the slow pace of conventional software development, seems astonishing. We in the open source community have learned that this rapid evolutionary process produces better software than the traditional closed model, in which only a very few programmers can see the source and everybody else must blindly use an opaque block of bits.". Read more about it on the wikipedia.

Software that is open-source is software for which the source code is freely available. This means that another developer is free to modify the code according to his/her needs, or to reverse-engineer a product created by the software. Language documentation created using open source software is likely to last longer than that created using proprietary software because many programmers will be able to understand, and if necessary reconstruct, the software that makes it intelligible. Proprietary software, on the other hand, is impenetrable after the developer ceases to support it.

Software with source code that is freely viewed and altered by its users. Often the software is released under the license of the GNU General Public License which requires further distribution be free of cost or usage restrictions, and that program source code be made available.

Free software whose source code is available under a copyright license that permits users to study, change, and improve the software. Free Open Source software is often technically more advanced, efficient and reliable than branded products.

is the name given to free source code of a program that is made available to development community and public at large. The theory behind this is that allowing source code to be used and modified by a broader group of programmers will ultimately produce a more useful product for everyone. Some popular open source programs include Apache, sendmail and GNU/Linux.

Software whose source code is published and made available to the public, enabling anyone to copy, modify and redistribute the source code without paying royalties or fees. Open source code evolves through community cooperation. The open source concept is also applied in other areas, such as business and medicine. See Wikipedia: Open Source. See also: Drupal, GNU/GPL

Programs for which the original source code is available, for which relatively permissive opportunities to modify the code and share the results with others exist, and which are developed by people whose primary means of communication with each other is the Internet.

Free software that allows anyone to modify, read, or build new versions of the software.

A derivative from Free Software, which more or less means the same thing (but don't say that to Richard Stallman).

The Open Source model describes a new way of developing software. Interested people build a virtual community and solve a common problem by developing working software. Contrary to the traditional approach of starting with a detailed specification, milestones, and information hiding, the Open Source model starts with a problem to solve, a typically very large community, and full, free access to the sources. An important rule of the Open Source model is that everybody has the right to change the sources as long as they make the changes available to the community. This sets the stage for a fruitful competition of ideas and solutions within the community and can lead to stable and reliable software. Successful development projects under the Open Source model include Linux - a free operating system also supported by SAP.

Software that has the source code used to build it available for everyone to view, enabling other people to modify the code if necessary.

Open source refers to software products that are freely available and offered by development communities online. They come with no warranty but are usually very well tested by development groups. Open source software can help reduce costs, but only a limited number of products are available via this channel. The most renowned open source product is Linux. This is a free UNIX-type operating system (see www.linux.com).

Open Source Software is software for which the programming code is available to the users so that they may make changes to it, building their own version if required. It is subject to licensing conditions which determine how modified copies of the source code must be redistributed.

Refers to software that is created by a development community rather than a single vendor. Typically programmed by volunteers from many organizations, the source code of open source software is free and available to anyone who would like to use it or modify it for their own purposes. This allows an organization to add a feature itself rather than hope that the vendor of a proprietary product will implement its suggestion in a subsequent release. Open source developers claim that a broad group of programmers produces a more useful and more bug-free product. The primary reason is that more people are constantly reviewing the code. This ''peer review,'' where another programmer examines the code of the original programmer, is a natural byproduct of open source. Peer review is an important safeguard against poorly written code.

Software developed by teams of volunteer programmers, and made public for little or no money. Since the source code is available, people who find bugs can contribute fixes, so the software grows and evolves with time. Prominent examples are the Apache webserver software, PHP, and the MySQL relational database. This type of software is updated more often, and is typically more stable, than commercial software.

Open source or open-source software (OSS) is any computer software distributed under a license which allows users to change and/or share the software freely. Many programs use a specific license agreement satisfying the Open Source Definition.

In general, it is any program whose source code is made available for use or modification by users, developers, or hackers. Historically, the makers of proprietary software have generally not made source code available. Open source software is usually developed as a public collaboration and made freely available. For example, in an effort to stay viable in its browser competition with Microsoft (prior to its acquisition by AOL), Netscape made its browser source code (Mozilla) freely available, encouraging users to improve it. The open source movement has gained momentum as commercial enterprises have begun to consider Linux as an open alternative to Windows operating systems.

the underlying code of some software is published and reviewed in a manner analogous to academic research. It is added to the public commons rather than kept as a proprietary secret. These "open source" programs often cost nothing, yet are superior in many respects because they can be scrutinised and customised by other programmers. There are open source programs for just about any application, including browsers (q.v.) and groupware (q.v.).

the philosophy and practice of production that promotes open access to source content and values collaborative creation. [ Wikipedia

The belief that software should be free to distribute and free for the user to modify in order to embrace the full possibilities of technology.

" Free software" and " open source" describe the same category of software, more or less, but say different things about the software, and about values. The GNU Project continues to use the term " free software", to express the idea that freedom, not just technology, is important. Source: http://gnuwww.epfl.ch/gnu/thegnuproject.html

When a programs source code is available for use or modification.

adj. Pertaining to software source code that is available to the general public and does not have licensing restrictions that limit use, modification, or redistribution.

Community of volunteers dedicated to writing and enhancing software for the purpose of freely distributing it. When software is developed by the open source community, it cannot be sold for profit.

Source code to the program is available for anyone to use or change, but under one of many various license terms.

Often referred to as a movement, open source software (or other content) is publicly shared intellectual property. One of the best known open-source software applications today is the Linux operating system. All of the source code is "open" and available for any and all developers to add to and improve, on the condition that it remains open and free - the software cannot be sold (although "packaging" of the software, with manuals, CD's, etc. is permitted). Other popular open source applications include the Firefox web browser, the Apache web server, and the mySQL database format.

Open source software is free, available to anyone, and developed through collaboration among many programmers. When a programmer creates an open source program, he or she also makes that program's source code-- the "guts" of how it works-- freely available. Other programmers can then study the code, learn from it, or make their own improvements to it. Popular open-source programs include the Linux operating system (http://www.linux.org), the PHP scripting language ( http://www.php.net) and MySQL database software ( http://www.mysql.com).

a licensing mechanism whereby users are allowed to use, modify, re-distribute, and even sell copies of a software program. The only stipulation is that, if the program is re-distributed with modifications, the source code of the modifications must be provided.

A method and philosophy for software licensing and distribution designed to encourage use and improvement of software written by volunteers by ensuring that anyone can copy the source code and modify it freely. The term Open Source, is now more widely used than the earlier term, free software, but has broadly the same meaning: free of distribution restrictions, not necessarily free of charge.

CLICK HERE for definition definition of open source defined Tim Berners-Lee's definition of open source

A certification standard issued by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) that indicates that the source code of a computer program is made available free of charge to the general public. The rationale for this movement is that a larger group of programmers not concerned with proprietary ownership or financial gain will produce a more useful and bug -free product for everyone to use.

When you buy a computer application or an operating system it is usually closed source. This means that the programming behind the product is set and inaccessible- what you buy is what you get. Unless the original programmers wish to change or update the program, it will stay as is. Open Source lies in opposition to this. Any programmer can get a copy of the code and attempt to rewrite, expand, improve upon the original. In many cases it is free to access the raw code and many programmers will make their changes for free too.

"Open Source" is a term originally used to describe software where the source code to the program is as readily available as the program itself. The generally accepted definition of Open Source is the Open Source Definition (OSD), originally derived from the Debian Free Software Guidelines and now maintained by the Open Source Initiative (OSI). The OSD is available from http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php. See also Open Source Initiative.

A software development model which provides the program code to all users and developers alike. This allows increased scrutiny of the code and is a catalyst to more features being added and more bug and security fixes being implemented. When Open Source projects are developed across the Internet, they often reach a critical mass of developers working on a single project. BrightSparks use a large amount of Open Source software in our school Internet solution and actively take part in the development of Open Source software so our improvements may benefit others. Check out Open Source Schools for more details on Open Source in schools.

Software whose code is available for users to look at and modify freely. Linux is the best-known example. You can find many open source projects at http://www.sourceforge.org

The growing movement in software development under which software is made available for use free of charge. Additionally, the source code (ie the actual programming code used to create the software) is also made freely available in order that any interested parties may modify/improve the software on condition that any derived software is also offered freely as open source.

Open Source projects are those where the software's source code is publicly available for download and alteration. A key benefit of Open Source software is the fact that many different programmers can locate bugs and contribute to the project's development. LiteStep is released under the GNU General Public License, which can be found in the license.txt file in your LiteStep directory.

Open Source is a kind of software for which the source code is available. The term was coined by the Open Source Initiative which determines which software licenses are considered open source. You can find out more information by visiting www.opensource.org.

Open source software is software that is released with source code. People are allowed to make derivative works from open source software as long as it is released under the same open source agreement. The Apache webserver is an open source project that often runs on a version of the Linux operating system-another open source project.

Software that can be freely distributed, and must be distributed along with its source code. Thus the source can be changed easily, and the program can...

The term describes the practice of allowing general open access to software. This means that not only the software of an application is delivered in a fully functional version but also the underlying source code, which the user can then modify.

Open source is generally a philosophy or otherwise a pragmatic methodology related to production practices that promote access to the origins of the products. Developers or producers used many equivalent phrases before the open source label became widely adopted, as the early Internet years provided a rapid convergence of very diverse production models. With the increase of interactive communities and their direct involvement with the Internet, open-source software yields the most prominent society of open source. The Internet started in 1969 with open standards like the RFCs, but it wasn't until 1998 that open source became a label to denote to software the same effort which began the Internet.

Software that is free from copyright and as a result, can be used and adjusted by everyone. An example of open source software is the operating system Linux.

Open Source Software Open source software is software that is made publicly available in source code form. Open source projects are generally worked on by a number of contributors. Advantages of open source software include improved security through analysis of the source code by many individuals and speedy responses to issues.

Open Source is a general term describing several parts of the Free Software Licence movement. All the source code for Joomla is open source and is readable and changeable by any user.

Software where the source code is available for anyone to extend or modify. http://www.opensource.org

A software whose code is available for any developer to see and modify. It is often used to allow collaboration.

Open source software is a licensing model for software which gives free access to the source code of the software to allow interested parties to modify or contribute to the software as they see fit. Commonly created as collaborative projects and shared at no cost.

Open source software is usually freely available - meaning the customer can download it, install it and begin using it without paying.

Describes software that comes with permission to use, copy and distribute it, either as is or with modifications, and that may be offered either free or with a charge. The source code must be made available.

A common used marketing term for free software that was introduced by the Open SOURCE Initiative. This initiative was found by Eric Raymond and Bruce Perens in 1997.

Any application code that has been made available to developers to view and modify freely. Examples of Open Source applications are MySQL and PHP

Open Source software refers to any software that is freely distributed along with its source code, allowing anybody to change and improve the software.

Software (usually developed by a group of volunteers) with no restrictions on other people using it for free, rewriting parts of the code, or redistributing it in its original form.

An open source program is one where the source code is available for all to see. Anyone can use and alter the software code to their requirements under a general public licence without a fee. This fosters a collaborative approach to software development where users improve and extend the core by adding their own work back into the project for free. There is usually an enthusiastic and free support network and frequently the development of the programme is faster and more user oriented than many paid-for products. Examples of open source software are MySQL, PHP, Apache, Mozilla Firebird and the Linux kernel.

Open source refers to software products that are freely available and offered by development communities online. They come with no warranty but are usually very well tested by development groups. Open source software can help reduce commercial licencing costs, but there are still deployment, customisation and maintenance service costs involved in using it. The most renowned open source product is Linux. This is a free UNIX-type operating system (see www.linux.com).

Open source software is distributed with the source code freely available for alteration and customization. The idea behind open source software is the exact opposite of the old "too many cooks spoil the broth" adage. Theoretically, through the collective work of many programmers, the resulting software can become more useful and free of holes and bugs. One of the most well-known pieces of open source software is Linux.

A type of software in which the code is available for perusal, copying, and modification, notwithstanding the copyright status of the software.

Open source software can be distributed freely and users are free to make changes to the source code and modify (or screw up) the program as they please. Many open source software projects, such as Linux, Apache, and FreeBSD, are the work of a team of individuals from around the world. Source: TechSoup.org

I'd recommend mentioning in some way that Open Source means that all the source code for Mambo is readable and changeable by any user but that changes to Mambo core may create difficulties for upgrading.

software distributed under a license that guarantees the right to read, redistribute, modify, and use the software freely; see the Open Source Initiative

An operating system with a source code that's free and available to the general public. Open source software is easy to modify and adapt.

In the weak form, the philosophy that the source code for software should be open to all. In the strong form, the philosophy that the ability to provide corrections and additions should also be open to all. Such software is often covered by the Gnu General Public License. AIPS++ is Open Source in the weak form, but we prefer to get to know our developers. If you are interesting in developing for us, please contact us at [email protected].

Any kind of computer software, program, application, script, etc, who's source code can be legally viewed and modified. Software that is often developed by a community. Open Source software is usually free to use.

Open source software is software where anyone can view and distribute the source code (see http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition_plain.php) .

This is a less-confusing name for what is also called 'Free Software'. It describes the development method used for many pieces of software, including the Linux kernel, where the source is freely available for anyone to work on, or modify, or learn from, or use in other projects.

Projects that are open to the public and which draw on other projects that are freely available to the public. For example, if a computer program is open source, the code used to create it might be available on the Internet. You could then use that code to change or improve the program in ways that suit your personal needs.

Open source software is software which makes its source code freely available. This is intended to give you more freedom to modify the software however you want (or pay someone to modify it for you), instead of tying you to a company and relying on them for updates. In practice, this means that the software is available for download at no cost. Visit www.opensource.org for more information.

Computer software source code that is released under an open-source license or to the public domain. Open source licenses include the GNU General Public License. Popular open-source software includes: Apache, PHP, Mozilla Firebird and the Linux kernel.

The distribution of software including the source code. The open source method is a community development model.

programs and data freely available, modifiable and redistributable under license ( http://www.opensource.org)

Synonyms: open source software Related Terms: Lucene Software that is available for free, sometimes with copyright restrictions. Good resources include http://sourceforge.net and http://apache.org

Computer programs whose original source code was revealed to the general public so that it could be developed openly. Software licensed as open source can be freely changed or adapted to new uses, meaning that the source code of the operating system is freely available to the public. Programmers may redistribute and modify the code, as long as they don't collect royalties on their work or deny access to their code. Since development is not restricted to a single corporation more programmers can debug and improve the source code faster.

Software in which the source code is available free to users, who can read and modify the code.

a software development ethos in which the product and its sources are licenced without charge under very liberal licencing conditions. See OpenSource.org.

General term describing several parts of the Free Software Licence movement, which allow anyone to freely access the source code. All the source code for Joomla! is open source and is readable and changeable by any user.

Implies that the online system is developed and maintained using open source code that can be transferred into other open source environments.

Software developed by a community of developers. The license does not have copyright protection (see'Intellectual Property'). The source code of open source software is openly available and can be modified by the user. The list of open source software is long and includes Linux, FreeBSD (an operating system), Apache (a web page server), TomCat et JBoss (an application server), MySQL (a database), Sendmail (an email server), OpenOffice (a Microsoft Office-compatible office productivity suite).

Open Source means that the online learning software system is developed, maintained and distributed in a free manner that preserves future users' ability to view and modify the source code.

Programs that are distributed in source format under conditions that allow free modification and distribution. Since the source code is available, people can see how it works and are able to change it. The authors of Open Source code often encourage other programmers to participate in the further development of the programs. Open Source also includes software that is given away for free and many Open Source programs, both free and for sale, offer functionality that is similar to proprietary programs that may costs a substantial amount of money. Sometimes Open Source programs are incorporated into fee-based programs in special licensing arrangements. See www.opensource.org and www.fsf.org for additional information.

Computer programs or operating systems for which the source code is publicly available are referred to as open-source software. Inherent in the open source philosophy is the freedom of a distributed community of programmers to modify and improve the code. The most widely known example of open-source software is the Linux operating system.

A non-copy righted program code.

Software that is free on the Web for anyone to use. Additionally, the code can be modified and improved by anyone. Examples of open source software include the Linux operating system and almost all of the programs we use at AIMS. Examples of software that is NOT open source include Windows and Microsoft Word.

Software whose source code is freely distributed and modifiable by anyone.

Commonly used to refer to software that is released with its source code. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with "free software." The Open Source Initiative ( www.opensource.org) Web site states that the term should be used only to describe software that has been certified by OSI.

Software that is intended to be freely available, for use or for improvement and redistribution by users.

Open source refers to any program whose source code is made publicly and freely available for use and/or modification.

160;– Any software whose code is available for users to look at and modify freely.   Linux is the best-known example.

Open source software is usually developed as a public collaboration and made freely available. A popular example of open source software is PHP.

adj. A vague term describing any software that comes with source code, no matter how its use is or is not restricted. Unfortunately, there is no clear definition for "open source software" and no standard license. Many companies are using the term open source these days, but in far different ways. Although the idea is similar to that of free software (you can generally still use, modify, and redistribute the software), there is far less emphasis on the right of the source code to be free. Although not as true with respect to Linux, many open source companies seem to be unwilling to give up central control of their software. (Free software, on the other hand, has no owner.) What's important about open source software, particularly for embedded systems developers, is that its licensing terms are more like LGPL than GPL. In other words, you are typically free to add your own proprietary software to the open source code and produce a proprietary result. The free software movement doesn't much like this but is otherwise more in alignment with the newer open source movement than in opposition to it. Contrast with free software, proprietary software. [ more

Open source is a work methodology that fits the Open Source Definition, and generally is any computer software whose source code is either in the public domain or, more commonly, is copyrighted by one or more persons/entities and distributed under an open-source license such as the GNU General Public License (GPL).

A concept describing the development and distribution of software. The open source movement revolves around the idea that software evolves faster and becomes more stable as more people work on it.

In early 1998, Netscape announced that it would release the source code of its next-generation browser as a part of its open source strategy. The source code contains the programming elements that make up the Communicator software application. It is not a compiled program and thus cannot be used by traditional software end-users. Mozilla, as it is called, was released as C++ source code and caused a flutter of excitement in part because of its implementation of the World Wide Web Consortium's standards, eXtensible markup language (XML), and the resource description Framework. (see Aurora)

In general, open source refers to any program whose source code is made available for use or modification as users or other developers see fit. Open source software is usually developed as a public collaboration and made freely available.

Software that is not only free, but the source code is also openly available for modification and development. The Linux operating system, OpenOffice suite, mySQL databases, Joomla CMS (which this site uses) and SugarSuite CRM systems are good examples of this.

Software whose source code freely available.

Open source software is similar in idea to free software. Users of open source software are generally able to view the source code, alter and re-distribute any open source software. Open source software is what makes the programming world go round and round and has spawned some excellent applications that have been handled by many different programmers on route.

A computer program where the underlying code is made available to the public is referred to as 'open source'. With the networking of computers enabled by the internet, what computer programs 'are doing' has become a cause for concern. Open source programs address this by making the program code available for general inspection. A significant byproduct of this transparency is the ability for programmers to actively contribute to the continued development of a shared code library.

Freely distributable and modifiable software to which the source code (or uncompiled software) is available. Hosting

Open source describes the principles and methodologies to promote open access to the production and design process for various goods, products and resources. The term is most commonly applied to the source code of software that is made available to the general public with either relaxed or non-existent intellectual property restrictions. This allows users to create user-generated software content through either incremental individual effort, or collaboration.

Open Source is a radio show hosted by Christopher Lydon, previous host of The Connection. It is produced at the studios of WGBH (Boston, Massachusetts) and distributed by Public Radio International. The executive producer for the show is Mary McGrath.