Open Source

Open source is a software development and distribution methodology in which the source code is released under a license that grants users the rights to inspect, modify, and redistribute it, promoting collaborative contributions and community-driven improvements.[](https://opensource.org/osd) This approach contrasts with proprietary software by prioritizing transparency and peer review to enhance reliability, security, and innovation through widespread participation.[](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/open-source) The model traces its roots to early practices of sharing source code, such as in Unix systems during the 1970s within academic and research environments, where developers freely exchanged and built upon each other's work.[](https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/open-source/what-is-open-source) It was formally defined and popularized in 1998 by the Open Source Initiative (OSI), a nonprofit organization that established the Open Source Definition to standardize licenses meeting criteria for free redistribution, derived works, and non-discriminatory access.[](https://opensource.org/about/history-of-the-open-source-initiative)

AlsOpen Sourcewird Software bezeichnet, deren Quelltext öffentlich ist und von Dritten eingesehen, geändert und genutzt werden kann. Open-Source-Software kann unter Einhaltung der Lizenzbedingungen kostenfrei genutzt und verteilt werden.