Just because you can see it doesn’t mean it’s free of charge.
Many folks see open source and think free. That’s understandable because a lot of open-source software is free.
But it’s not a guarantee. That means you need to find and understand the fine print.
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Open source & free
Open source does not mean free; it means that the source code to a particular software package is available to the public for examination. While many (if not most) open source projects are indeed free, others are not, or are not completely free. Before you assume what you’re about to download is without charge, check it out.
Open source and visibility
Source, or more correctly, source code, are the instructions written by computer programmers telling the computer what to do. Every program you run — from the browser you’re reading this in to Windows itself — has a corresponding collection of such instructions.
The programs you run — the “.exe” files, for example — are the result of processing human-readable source code into instructions more efficiently read and acted on by your computer’s CPU.1 This is often referred to as “building” software or writing code. The result is that you and I never see the original source code; we just see the results of that build in the form of the programs we run on our devices.
Unless the program is open source.2
Open source means that the source code for a program is publicly accessible, and anyone can look at it. In fact, in most cases, anyone can make a copy of the source code, change it, and build actual software themselves.
Open source and collaboration
Many open-source projects are open source to allow collaboration.
Not only can anyone examine the source code and change it for themselves, but they can add their changes to the master copy for all to see.
Naturally, this is a highly regulated process; programmers submit changes for approval before they’re integrated into the master copy. The benefits are significant, though. Rather than being limited to an official team of developers, projects can accept contributions from motivated individuals around the world.
Many of the most successful projects operate in this manner. Dozens of developers all work on an open-source collection of software and contribute their changes to make that software better in innumerable ways.
Open source and free
A lot of open-source software is free, but it doesn’t have to be.
Many Linux distributions are completely free, but there are distributions that are not. While the open-source license might require that core components of the software are always freely available, individuals or corporations may add value by including their own software, modifications, or upgrades, which need not be free but can still be open source.
Companies may also choose to make their own completely proprietary software open source and available for examination.
Anyone may still be able to download and build the software (often a daunting task, to be honest), but they would not be legally allowed to distribute or profit from the non-free components. It’s open source, so they can see it all, but it’s not free.
Open source in practice
Linux is the largest and the most commonly referenced open source project.
LibreOffice is another good example of a single open source project. In fact, here are instructions to download and build LibreOffice from its official source code. While most of us would simply download and use the built program, if you were curious or otherwise motivated, you could download, tweak, and build your own version.
BitWarden is an example getting recent attention due to issues at one of its competitors. It includes a site dedicated to defining how individuals can contribute to BitWarden’s development. BitWarden has both free and paid versions.
FOSS
FOSS, meaning Free and Open Source Software, is exactly what it sounds like: both free (as in beer)3 and open source. By definition, FOSS projects are completely free to download and use, and their source code is always available to examine or modify.
Do this
Don’t confuse open source with free. While much open-source software is indeed free, it’s worth checking before you commit to using any particular tool.
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Footnotes & References
1: Technically, things other than software can be open source, but I’ve limited the discussion here to the computer programs and software packages you might encounter, download, and run.
2: For those more versed in the details, I’m completely glossing over things like scripts, interpreters, intermediate languages, and whatnot.
3: As opposed to free as in speech.
Great article, but I’m uncomfortable with the (by now pretty much standardized) use of the term “free beer” for the comparison. It always conjures up an image in my mind of software developers as drunkards; and I dare to imagine there might even be some who don’t drink! How about using the term “free toy” or “free merchandise” instead? Aren’t those valid comparisons (and counterpoints) to the term “free speech”…?
The popularity of the term means that people understand what we mean when we say “free as in beer”. That’s lost when beer is replaced with other things. Don’t overthink it.
And besides, Leo, I’ve lived almost 65 years and have yet to meet anyone who offered me free beer!
Sheesh…
You have the wrong friends or maybe the wrong bartender :-)
Sounds like you need better friends (or, as Mark stated, a different bartender). Coincidentally a friend is bringing some for me this very evening.
Leo, you wrote:
“Don’t overthink it.”
Don’t tell me what to do — you are not the boss of me! :)
TheGrandRascal: Easy fella. Read the latest comments on this week’s AskLeo article entitled “WHY IS EVERYONE ON THE INTERNET SO GRUMPY?”
Yes, I’m telling you to read the comments!
I use a LOT of Open-Source Software here, in fact, I prefer it over proprietary software for many purposes. The term ‘free’ in Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) refers to freedom, NOT ‘freedom from cost’. I fear I disagree with Leo on this (just a bit) he intimated that term ‘free’ in FOSS indicates that the software is free from cost, but it is not. We may not have to pay money for the software in many cases, but we DO have an obligation to help support its development/distribution/documentation efforts in any way we can. For example, I use Fedora Linux alongside Windows 11 here. I try to help other Fedora users solve issues they run into, much as I try to help others by telling what I do regarding any topic I read here on Ask Leo.
The point is that we are all allowed to see the source code of any FOSS project so we can see how it accomplishes its task(s). That is the primary freedom we have with FOSS. We have the opportunity to add new functionality, or change how it works, provided we meet the terms of the GPL under which it was released (there are three version now, GPL1, GPL2, and GPL3 [GPL stands for General Public License]). This freedom goes as far as the point where we can even create a ‘fork’ of the software (our own version – if you will) and release it (again under the same GPL the original was released). We don’t have that level of freedom with any proprietary software, and that is the main reason I prefer FOSS over anything produced under a proprietary license.
While I study software development, I’m NOT a developer, so I can’t be of much help by developing software patches or new functionality, but I CAN help in other ways. When I have a bit of extra money, I make a donation to one of the software communities I participate in. I try to help solve problems when I know of a suitable solution. I have even rewritten documentation when I see grammatical errors and submitted it for approval. IO also tout the benefits of FOSS, and try to explain what it is, whenever I can. We can all help advance the FOSS movement in some (however small) way. It is simply a matter of finding the time and contributing our talents whenever/wherever we can.
My2Cents,
Ernie