Open-source software is software that is freely available to the public. Anyone can download it and alter it according to the open-source guidelines. The creator supplies the software’s source code and licenses for free. Nearly any of the free software and programs we download are open source.

There are many different sites that attempt to address any and all of your queries about open source software (OSS). Some of these resources are dependable and trustworthy, while others may be deceiving. This is why, here, we dispel some common misconceptions about open-source software.

Myth: 

Open source and proprietary software don’t play well together.

Fact: 

Open source was never intended to compete with proprietary software. Many software developers are implementing open source into new software packages as of late in order to ensure that OSS works seamlessly with operating systems and other apps. Granted, incompatibilities such as variances in data formats or other areas can occur with any software. Nonetheless, OSS integration is possible as long as the development is in place.

Myth: 

The students and enthusiasts create open-source software rather than “real” developers.

Fact: 

The following are one of the few developers who work on open-source software:

• The Open Virtualization Alliance
• OpenStack
• OpenPOWER (a collaboration of IBM, Google, Mellanox, Tyan, and NVIDIA)

Open-source development encourages creativity. Many open source supporters and computer science students contribute to projects by making pull requests and creating extensions and add-ons, but development is not confined to grassroots movements.

Myth: 

OSS is a nightmare in terms of legal, licensing, and copyright.

Fact: 

Using patents, licenses, and copyrights to “protect” software is complex from the start. It can be difficult to know when to use it while still maintaining the open-source aspect of the project. Open source projects use a variety of licenses to keep the project open to the public while still retaining copyright and patent protection.

The idea behind open source protection is that while the code for a program is freely available to the public, the software is given certain licenses to ensure that it is secured against theft. Certain licenses provide you with a lot of creative licenses when it comes to coding, but it’s ultimately your job to know what you can and can’t do, as well as what you should and shouldn’t do.

Myth: 

Linux is the only open-source operating system.

Fact: 

When people hear the word “OSS,” the first thing that comes to mind is that it only operates on the Linux operating system. Many open-source programs are built with Linux as a primary motivation. Hence, it is a quick and easy assumption to make. While open source and Linux are frequently associated, open-source software is not limited to it. You can produce OSS projects not just for Linux, but also for Windows and Macintosh operating systems. OSS also works on platforms other than these three, which makes sense given that OSS is, at its core, for everyone.

Myth: 

Open-source software is insecure compared to proprietary software.

Fact: 

The fact regarding software security, whether open source or not, is that it can be either excellent or terrible depending on how it is developed. It is possible that proprietary software is vulnerable. Other software packages may not be as secure as OSS. This is where OSS benefits from having a diverse group of people engaged in its growth. You can invest in the supporters of a project to draw on a broader pool of knowledge about the project’s quality and overall security. When it comes to security, it’s critical to keep your data safe at all times, and because the source code is open source, anyone may contribute to making it more secure.

Myth: 

There is no support for open-source software.

Fact: 

When you consider the scale of the open-source community (spoiler alert: it’s a worldwide movement), it’s difficult to pinpoint where this misconception came from. Help for open source software differs from what users expect from other types of commercial software technical support. Indeed, open-source products give you more support alternatives because assistance can come from anywhere on the planet.

Myth: 

Open source software isn’t scalable.

Fact: 

The open-source software was not designed to be scalable, particularly at a corporate level. However, it has matured in many aspects to the point where it is similar to popular commercial choices.

This involves scalability as well. With today’s open-source software, developers may easily adapt projects to scale from tiny, single-user initiatives to large, corporate networks. Apache, ZFSonLinux, and WordPress are examples of successful OSS projects. There is another way to make OSS scalable. You can adopt the number of dev teams and specialists from OSS projects into your business. What was once reality has become the concept of scalability in today’s OSS.

Myth: 

Open-source software isn’t meant for businesses.

Fact: 

What is enterprise software, exactly? A simple definition of enterprise is a dependable product that meets the needs and demands of a huge company. The licensing for OSS dictates how your company uses the software, and OSS projects frequently use corporate-friendly toolsets like JavaScript, SQL, and Ruby on Rails. 

In conclusion

At Ajackus, we believe in the facts rather than the myths about open-source software. Open source is something that stands on the principles of collaboration, delivery, reflection, and of course, improvement. These are similar to that of the Agile model.

To know more about Agile, click here