Editing Open-source software (section)

{{short description|Software licensed to ensure source code usage rights}}
{{Hatnote|Open-source software shares similarities with [[free software]] and is part of the broader term [[free and open-source software]].}}
{{pp-pc}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Broader|open-source-software movement}}
[[File:Example on open sourse 20210604.png|thumb|350x350px|A [[screenshot]] of [[Manjaro|Manjaro Linux]] running the [[Cinnamon (desktop environment)|Cinnamon desktop environment]], [[Firefox]] accessing [[Wikipedia]] which uses [[MediaWiki]], [[LibreOffice Writer]], [[Vim (text editor)|Vim]], [[GNOME Calculator]], [[VLC media player|VLC]] and [[Nemo (file manager)|Nemo]] file manager, all of which are open-source software]]

'''Open-source software''' ('''OSS''') is [[Software|computer software]] that is released under a [[Open-source license|license]] in which the [[copyright]] holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and [[Software distribution|distribute the software]] and its [[source code]] to anyone and for any purpose.<ref>{{cite book |author=St. Laurent, Andrew M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=04jG7TTLujoC&pg=PT18 |title=Understanding Open Source and Free Software Licensing |publisher=O'Reilly Media |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-596-55395-1 |page=4 |access-date=21 March 2023 |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422145617/https://books.google.com/books?id=04jG7TTLujoC&pg=PT18 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Corbly|first=James Edward|date=2014-09-25|title=The Free Software Alternative: Freeware, Open Source Software, and Libraries|url=http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/5105|journal=Information Technology and Libraries|volume=33|issue=3|pages=65|doi=10.6017/ital.v33i3.5105|issn=2163-5226|access-date=28 April 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501023728/https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/ital/article/view/5105|url-status=live|doi-access=free}}</ref> Open-source software may be developed in a collaborative, public manner. Open-source software is a prominent example of [[open collaboration]], meaning any capable user is able to [[online collaboration|participate online]] in development, making the number of possible contributors indefinite. The ability to examine the code facilitates public trust in the software.<ref name="Open Collaboration">{{Cite journal|last1=Levine|first1=Sheen S.|last2=Prietula|first2=Michael J.|date=2013-12-30|title=Open Collaboration for Innovation: Principles and Performance|journal=Organization Science|volume=25|issue=5|pages=1414–1433|doi=10.1287/orsc.2013.0872|issn=1047-7039|arxiv=1406.7541|s2cid=6583883}}</ref>

[[Open-source software development]] can bring in diverse perspectives beyond those of a single company. A 2024 estimate of the value of open-source software to firms is $8.8 trillion, as firms would need to spend 3.5 times the amount they currently do without the use of open source software.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hoffmann |first1=Manuel |last2=Nagle |first2=Frank |last3=Zhou |first3=Yanuo |date=2024 |title=The Value of Open Source Software |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4693148 |journal=SSRN Electronic Journal |doi=10.2139/ssrn.4693148 |issn=1556-5068|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Open-source code can be used for [[studying]] and allows capable end users to adapt software to their personal needs in a similar way [[user scripts]] and custom [[Style sheet (web development)|style sheet]]s allow for web sites, and eventually publish the modification as a [[fork (software development)|fork]] for users with similar preferences, and directly submit possible improvements as [[pull request]]s.