A brilliant programmer share-all, open source software is software where the programming code is available so users may read, change, and alter it. Many new programs are built from open source software as it can be altered in many ways. Linux operating system is a premier example of open source collaboration software.

Software with code that can be read, used and changed by any user, usually by license.

Software where the programming code is available to the users so that they can study it, change it, and write enhanced versions of it.

Open Source Software is software for which the source code is openly published. It is generally developed on a voluntary basis so when purchased you are paying for the media and documentation. It often includes source code which you have the right to change.

Any software in which the source code is a made available so that users can interact with it or change it to their own needs and still leave it open for others to modify it.

Open Source Software is software for which the underlying programming code is available to the users so that they may read it, make changes to it, and build new versions of the software incorporating their changes.

1) Software in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge. The Linux operating system is an example of open source software. 2) Software that meets each of nine requirements listed by the non-profit Open Source Initiative in its Open Source Definition.

Open Source Software is software that is available to the public for use or change for Free and is bound by a licence agreement that explains redistribution policies.

An operating system and/or applications software for which the code is open for alteration by the public.

Open source software is software for which the underlying code has been made available for users. Users are then able to read it or change it as they wish. Linux is an example of open source software

Wikipedia Definition: Open Source Software

software (mostly free) created for developers passionate about improving the web see: resources

Open Source Software is software and its code that is distributed freely under one of several different licenses. License terms range from completely open so that a developer can use the code in a propretiary application; through to the code created with Open Source code has to become Open Source as well.

Software for which the source code is freely available and modifiable. The opposite of open source is closed source, where the company that generates the software keeps the source code private and discourages third parties from tweaking it.

software for which the underlying programming code is available to the users so that they may read it, make changes to it, and build new versions of the software incorporating their changes. There are many types of Open Source Software, mainly differing in the licensing term under which (altered) copies of the source code may (or must be) redistributed.

Software developed and supported by the Open Source community, free of traditional software licenses. Generally Open Source Applications are regarded as less expensive, faster to deploy and have a larger support base than commercial proprietary software.

Software that is free for the public to use, change, modify, republish (with credit to the original authors a typical stipulation). Typically includes the source code used to create the software. See http://www.opensource.org/ for details about the Open Source Initiative

A program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge, i.e., open. Open source code is typically created as a collaborative effort in which programmers improve upon the code and share the changes within the community.

The terms Open Source, General Public License, GPL and AGPL are roughly equivalent. The software may be used without charge for most applications as long as a link to the author remains in place. Some licensing models include a payment mechanism to remove the author link. Some authors add other restrictions. The software may not be included and sold as part of a commercial software product.

Free software open to anyone to change or improve.

Software applications which are distributed together with the underlying programming code ("source code") and which may be freely copied, reused, and modified according to the terms of an Open Source Software licence. Most Open Source Software is distributed free of charge though the concept of 'free' when applied to Open Source Software actually refers to the freedoms protected within an Open Source Software licence. The JISC-funded OSS Watch provides unbiased advice and guidance about free and open source software for UK higher education.

A term applied when the source code of a computer program is made available free of charge to the general public. The reason for doing so is that potentially, a larger group of programmers will produce a more useful and bug-free product than a smaller group of programmers, and that more people will use software that is free. The concept relies on peer review to find and eliminate bugs in the program code, which happens at a much quicker rate than with commercial software because the information is shared throughout the open source community instead of through a corporation's smaller, proprietary R & D department. One of the most famous examples of open source software is Linux.