KARPAGAM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

OPEN SOURCE TECHNOLOGY

Submitted by
Nandhini.S kamali.arun.93@gmail.com) Sa!anya.K.K kksaran17@gmail.com)

A"STRACT

INTRO#UCTION$
Open source echnology is defined as he

Open Source Technology(OST) should be one of he leas e!pensi"e and mos effec i"e solu ions for echnology and kno#ledge ransfer. This concep has diffused o se"eral fields such as sof #are$ hard#are$ and con en . OST offers no only a lo# cos al erna i"e for echnology ac%uisi ion$ bu also for ne #orking based on coopera ion. Typically$ OST is linked o sof #are ha is a"ailable online free of charge$ including he source code or all he informa ion needed for using and modifying he program. The na ure of he coopera ion echnologies o and de"elop o open cus omi&e source such

produc ion and de"elopmen philosophy of allo#ing end users and de"elopers o no only see he source code of sof #are$ bu modify i as #ell. The )inu! opera ing sys em is a one of he bes *kno#n e!amples of open source sof #are echnology. The )inu! opera ing sys em+s open source paradigm is in direc con ras o ,icrosof (s approach o de"elopmen and produc ion of i s popular 'indo#s opera ing sys em. -nlike )inu!$ 'indo#s is buil on a closed source paradigm ha does no allo# he end user he abili y o see or edi he code ha makes up he opera ing sys em. .n fac $ cer ain aspec s of he end*user license for he 'indo#s opera ing sys em specifically forbids he end user from a emp ing o "ie# or modify he code ha makes up he sof #are. Such a emp s are of en kno#n as re"erse engineering or re"erse compiling.

echnologies can aid de"eloping coun ries in he impro"emen of heir curren echnology ransfer sys ems. 'hen you buy a compu er sys em you are buying he hard#are and licensing he sof #are. The licensing erms con rol #ha designed ac ions can and canno ha be performed and mos sof #are uses a licence o ensure he crea ors of ma erials and resources are ackno#ledged and re#arded for heir #ork. This gi"es rise o he s andard prac ice of charging a royal y per user or per de"ice using he sof #are. Open Source sof #are uses a differen ype of licence aimed a ensuring he sof #are(s de"elopmen and royal y free dis ribu ion.

HO% OST %OKS&

/l hough sof #are is no mos popular$ lending he only produc i self #ell o

go"erned by a open source licenses$ i is he manipula ion of i s code and add*ons. Open source pro"ides a ransparen pla form upon

#hich anyone #i h he skills o do so can add o he de"elopmen and produc ion of he sof #are ei her for release as a ne# incarna ion of he sof #are for o hers o use or for s ric ly in*house de"elopmen only. ,os money made from open source sof #are comes in he form of suppor for he sof #are echnology and i s many addi ions$ add*ons$ and modifica ions ha of en ensue. /l hough mos open source sof #are is a"ailable o do#nload free$ license remains #i h ransfer o anyone regardless of he original crea or of he sof #are and does no any modifica ions$ impro"emen s$ or add*ons made o he open source sof #are. /l hough free o do#nload$ he sof #are is no free in he sense ha he end user can do #ha e"er he0she #an s o i including selling i . Open source echnology has spa#ned an open source cul ure among programmers and de"elopers #ho embrace he open source

3 -se he sof #are as hey #ish$ for #ha e"er hey #ish$ on as many compu ers as hey #ish$ in any echnically appropria e si ua ion. 3 4a"e he sof #are a heir disposal o fi i o heir needs. Of course$ his includes impro"ing i $ fi!ing i s bugs$ augmen ing i s func ionali y$ and s udying i s opera ion. 3 5edis ribu e he sof #are o o her users$ #ho could hemsel"es use i according o heir o#n needs. This redis ribu ion can be done for free$ or a a charge$ no fi!ed beforehand7.

OPEN

'S

CLOSE#

SOFT%ARE

TECHNOLOGY$
Open source sof #are is based around he idea ha he user can no only "ie#$ bu change he source code of an applica ion. 6losed source sof #are is hidden o pre"en he user ei her "ie#ing or changing he code. /f er ini ial produc ion$ open source sof #are is released o he de"elopmen communi y and undergoes a secondary phase of e"olu ion. . is scru inised by housands of professional de"elopers across he globe #ho highligh po en ial fla#s$ bugs and securi y gli ches. 6losed source sof #are is de"eloped in isola ion #i h a small eam of de"elopers. . isn+ possible o build a eam of hundreds o check he code because he code is deemed proprie ary and secre .

philosophy. ,any open source ini ia i"es begin o spi e he large corpora ions #ho domina e complica ed$ he marke s and #i h e!pensi"e$ o"er*commerciali&ed

sof #are. .n fac $ many )inu! de"elopers are commi ed o producing sof #are ha ri"als or e"en surpasses he fle!ibili y and compa ibili y of such sof #are gian s as ,icrosof $ /pple$ and .1,. The main fea ures ha charac eri&e free (open source) sof #are is he freedom ha users ha"e o2

OPEN LICENSE$

SOURCE

SOFT%ARE

'i h he curren legal frame#ork$ he licence under #hich a program is dis ribu ed defines e!ac ly he righ s #hich i s

users ha"e o"er i . 7or ins ance$ in mos proprie ary programs he licence #i hdra#s he righ s of copying$ modifica ion$ lending$ ren ing$ use in se"eral machines$ e c. .n fac $ licences usually specify ha he proprie or of he program is he company #hich publishes i $ #hich 8us sells res ric ed righ s o use i . .n he #orld of open source sof #are$ he licence under #hich a program is dis ribu ed is also of paramoun impor ance. -sually$ he condi ions specified in licences of open source sof #are are he resul of a compromise be #een se"eral goals #hich are in some sense con radic ory. /mong hem$ he follo#ing can be ci ed. 3 9uaran ee some basic freedoms (redis ribu ion$ modifica ion$ use) o he users. 3 :nsure some condi ions imposed by he au hors (ci a ion of he au hor in deri"ed #orks$ for ins ance). 3 9uaran ee ha deri"ed #orks are also open source sof #are. /u hors can choose o pro ec heir sof #are #i h differen licences according o he degree #i h #hich hey #an o fulfil hese goals$ and he de ails #hich hey #an o ensure. .n fac $ au hors can (if hey desire) dis ribu e heir sof #are #i h differen licences hrough differen channels (and prices); Therefore$ he au hor of a program usually chooses "ery carefully he licence under #hich i #ill be dis ribu ed. /nd users$ especially hose #ho redis ribu e or modify he sof #are$ ha"e o carefully s udy i s licence. 7or una ely$ al hough each au hor could use a differen licence for her programs$ he fac is ha almos all open source sof #are uses one

of he common licences (9<)$ )9<)$ /r is ic$ 1S=*like$ ,<)$ e c.)$ some imes #i h sligh "aria ions. To simplify hings e"en more$ some organi&a ions ha"e appeared recen ly #hich define #hich charac eris ics a sof #are licence should ha"e o %ualify as an open source sof #are licence. /mongs hem$ he #o mos #idely kno#n are he =ebian <ro8ec $ #hich defines he =ebian 7ree Sof #are 9uidelines $ and he Open Source .ni ia i"e (OS.)$ #hich defines >open source? licences@1AB$ and is based on he =7S9. The 9C- <ro8ec also pro"ides i s o#n defini ion of free sof #are. . is easy o see from he =7S9 ha price or a"ailabili y of source code in i self is no enough o charac eri&e a produc as >open source sof #are?. The significan poin lies in he righ s gi"en o he communi y$ o freely modify and redis ribu e of hem$ he #i h code only or he modifica ions

res ric ion ha hese righ s mus be gi"en o all and mus be non*re"ocable.

CASE

STU#Y

OF

NON

OPEN

SOURCE LICENSE$
Sun ,icrosys ems has released some of i s core sof #are echnologies under a ne# licence$ he Sun 6ommuni y Source )icense (S6S)). This is no an open source licence$ bu i ries o mimic some of he charac eris ics of open source licences. .n fac $ he documen s #here Sun e!plains and pro"ides ra ionale for heir licensing schema1A include he usual argumen s in fa"our of open source licences (al hough applied o S6S)). 4o#e"er$ our opinion is ha he poin s missing

( hose ha #ould made i really open source) cause$ from a prac ical poin of "ie#$ mos of he ad"an ages of open source sof #are o no be applicable o sof #are co"ered by S6S). Some of he mos #idely kno#n problems (from an open source poin of "ie#) #i h S6S) are2 3 /ll he code modifica ions ha"e o be sen o Sun if hey are o be dis ribu ed. /nd i is Sun #ho decides if his modifica ions are redis ribu able or no . . is no possible o crea e e"en De!perimen al( code forks$ due o clauses co"ering compa ibili y mus be passed. 3 Sun is in fac using #o licences for i s code. One of hem$ sui able for >research and in ernal deploymen ?$ re%uires no fee. 1u he o her$ for >commercial deploymen ?$ re%uires ha a fee be paid o Sun. The e!ac amoun of his fee is decided by Sun$ #ho herefore has o al con rol on he code de"eloped by con ribu ors. 3 7or open source de"elopers$ he licence is fel o be dangerous$ because i D ain s( hem. .f hey agree o he S6S) and do#nload Sun code$ hey are pre"en ed from using ha or similar licence. Sof #are de"eloped under S6S) benefi s from some charac eris ics similar o hose of open source sof #are (access o source code$ some redis ribu ion righ s). 4o#e"er$ i lacks he synergy found in open source pro8ec s11$ due o he limi a ions of access o source code$ in egra ion of fi!es and impro"emen s$ and he res ric ions on redis ribu ion. 7rom a s ra egic poin of "ie#$ any company or de"elopmen echnology #i h an open source es s #hich

group #hich uses or builds on code co"ered by S6S) is gi"ing Sun a grea con rol on heir de"elopmen and e"en marke ing plans$ #hich is usually considered undesirable.

#E'ELOPMENTAL MO#ELS$
.n addi ion o he impac ha open source sof #are is ha"ing in he on he informa ion of sof #are echnology marke $ i is also producing many con ribu ions field de"elopmen . 7or ins ance$ according o he classic concep s of sof #are engineering$ only a cen rali&ed managemen and a s rong con rol on he access o he source code permi s a good$ high %uali y sof #are produc . 1u his assump ion has been a leas par ially defea ed by he success of se"eral open source pro8ec s$ #here a large number of de"elopers spread around he #orld loosely collabora e o build reliable and high %uali y sof #are produc s. 5igorous managemen and a clearly defined design #ere also considered ins rumen al in a successful coding pro8ec .

A#'ANTAGES$
Ad(anta)e *+ , Stabi-ity

.f you ha"e used o her opera ing sys ems$ once you ha"e made he s#i ch o )inu!$ you #ill no ice ha )inu! has an edge o"er 'indo#s here. . can remember reboo ing 'indo#s many imes o"er he years$ because an applica ion crashed$ and . couldn+ con inue #orking. )inu! can crash also$ bu i is much harder o do. .f an applica ion crashes in )inu!$ i #ill usually no harm he kernel or o her processes.

hackers can find bad code. . ha"e been "ery Ad(anta)e *. , F!ee S/0t1a!e impressed #i h he securi y of )inu!$ and he programs ha run on i . . hink ha"ing he code ,os sof #are can be ob ained #i hou cos for )inu!. 7or e!ample$ one hing ha has kep people from )inu! is he lack of office documen s and sof #are. Tha has changed #i h Open Office$ and no# you can edi presen a ions from he popular ,icrosof ou in he open$ and he abili y o fi! hings yourself if necessary is a big plus. 'ho likes o #ork blindJ 'i h some dis ribu ions$ on ins alla ion he compu er #ill ask you #ha le"els of securi y you #ould like for your sys em. Kou can be "ery rus ing$ or you can be paranoid. )inu! gi"es you his fle!ibili y.

sof #are. The con"ersion isn+ 1AAE perfec $ bu i has #orked remarkably #ell in allo#ing me o correspond and use documen s ha people send me "ia e*mail or he #eb.

#ISA#'ANTAGES$
#i3ad(anta)e *+ , Lea!nin) 5u!(e

Ad(anta)e *2 , Run3 /n /-d ha!d1a!e . #on+ lie o youI )inu! is going o ake some .f you ha"e an old 3;F or G;F laying around collec ing dus $ you can use his o run )inu!. . remember running )inu! 8us fine on a <en ium 1AA #i h a 1 91 disk dri"e$ and 1F ,1 of memory. One use of an old machine like ha could be a file ser"er. Hus go o your compu er s ore$ buy a large hard disk (as long as your old s uff can suppor i )$ and you can make a grea s orage ser"er. 'i h all he digi al pic ures and mo"ies around oday$ his could be a grea use for )inu!. )ook in o using Samba$ a ser"er applica ion for )inu! ha allo#s you o make your machine share he disk as a *4 'indo#s , share. Se5u!ity 'hile . ga"e he e!ample before of an office sui e of programs ha is #orking #ell$ here Ad(anta)e are s ill applica ions ha do no e!is in )inu!. Thankfully$ his lis has become much more )inu! has he ad"an age of he code being in he public domain. This can be a double*edged s#ordI #hile you can look a he code$ and de"elopers can fi! holes rapidly$ i also means narro# in recen mon hs. Kou #ill #an o hink carefully #hen you s#i ch o )inu! abou #ha programs you curren ly use$ and if #i3ad(anta)e *. , E6ui(a-ent 7!/)!am3 ime o learn. . kno# ha our socie y likes o be ins an ly gra ified. )earning )inu! is defini ely #or h your ime$ bu o really mas er i $ you #ill need o spend some good ime in fron of your machine inkering #i h hings. =on+ e!pec o be an e!per af er reading some hing like L)inu! for =ummiesL. .f you are con empla ing his for your company$ you #ill need o budge some money for raining and learning ime.

hey ha"e )inu! suppor for hem. . may no make sense for you o s#i ch if you are going o spend ons of ime con"er ing da abases and applica ion da a.

COOPERATION AN# COMPETITION$

.f he charac eris ics of open source de"elopmen models #ere o be defined by a uni%ue e!pression$ Dcoopera ion and compe i ion( #ould probably be he one o choose. .ndeed$ he combina ion of bo h mechanisms is "isible in almos any open

#i3ad(anta)e *2 , M/!e te5hni5a- abi-ity needed Kou #ill #an o make sure ha you rain

source pro8ec $ no o men ion #hen #e look a he big pic ure$ #here e"ery pro8ec and company is in some sense compe ing #i h o hers for resources and Dmarke accep ance($ #hile collabora ing #i h he reuse of he same code base. )e us pro"ide some de ail on ho# hose mechanisms #ork$ and enforce each o her in a "ery produc i"e mi! ure. 3 Cooperation within open source projects . =e"elopers par icipa ing in he same pro8ec $ usually coopera e a le"els higher han hose usual in proprie ary sof #are pro8ec s. The design phase is usually comple ely open$ #i h all de"elopers collabora ing$ and during he coding phase is %ui e common ha a de"eloper reads and fi!es bugs in he code being de"eloped by ano her. The flu! of informa ion is usually "ery high$ and problems are sol"ed by consensus among a be more effec i"e$ leas he core he he de"elopers. /ll of his oge her$ in addi ion o usually causes$ o de"elopers o be more commi ed

someone in )inu! really #ell. /l erna ely$ you could hire someone #ho has e!perience #i h )inu!. / good )inu! adminis ra or needs o be on hand as you s ar o migra e your sys ems o"er. This is a disad"an age financially$ a leas in he beginning. Kou may find o"er ime$ ho#e"er$ ha you only need a emporary adminis ra or #i3ad(anta)e 5/m7atib-e Some of he la es and grea es hard#are ha is being produced is no compa ible #i h )inu!. / leas $ no ye . The people ha con ribu e program code and dri"ers o he )inu! kernel are grea a including suppor fairly %uickly. -n il ha ime$ no e"ery hing you buy for hard#are in your sys em may #ork. .+"e had o rely on hird*par y dri"ers and o her means o make hard#are like a ne# : herne card #ork. :"en ually$ he suppor #ill be buil in. One hing you can do is before your purchase$ ask if he hard#are "endor has suppor for )inu!. Some manufac urers do #ri e heir o#n )inu! dri"ers and dis ribu e hem #i h your purchase$ making i "ery easy o in egra e #i h your e!is ing sys em. o handle *4 , he rou ine a-asks.

N/t

ha!d1a!e

pro8ec $ and makes heir #ork much easier$ hanks o he help of o her de"elopers. 3 Competition within open source projects . 'i hin open source pro8ec s here is also some

degree of compe i ion. ,os of hem are organi&ed as some kind of meri ocracy$ #here he de"eloper #ho does more for he pro8ec deser"es more credi $ and is gi"en more #eigh in decisions. This allo#s for a cer ain le"el of heal hy compe i ion be #een he de"elopers$ from #hich he leaders of he pro8ec (#hen such leaders do e!is ) usually emerge. This is s ill a fac no unders ood by many companies$ #hich need o reali&e ha in order o par icipa e in he decisions abou fu ure direc ions of a pro8ec hey need o ha"e some respec ed de"elopers #i hin i . 3 Cooperation between open source projects . The "ery na ure of open source licences ensure a high degree of collabora ion$ e"en be #een compe ing companies. This is for ins ance he case of he many companies selling dis ribu ions of 9C-0)inu!. /ll of hem share he same code base ( he 9C-0)inu! opera ing sys em and applica ions)$ and #hene"er one of hem fi!es a bug$ or impro"es a package$ all i s compe i ors ha"e access o he source code$ and hus o he same fi! or impro"emen . Therefore$ pro8ec s and companies in he open source #orld are compelled o collabora e by he open source model. /nd #hen hey ry o a"oid helping heir compe i ors$ hey ha"e o mo"e a#ay from he open source model$ #hich usually gi"es hem more problems han benefi s. 3 Competition between open source projects . 1u in a #orld of limi ed resources$ open source pro8ec s also compe e be #een hemsel"es. <ro8ec s de"eloping sof #are for he same niche compe e #i h each o her in a

#ay similar

o companies in

ha

niche

compe ing. .n he end$ hey are forced o main ain high le"els of %uali y$ or hey #ill lose users and de"elopers$ and #ill finally fade a#ay. .n fac $ his is one of he mechanisms #hich ensures a good %uali y in open source produc ion. 'hen a pro8ec s ar s failing in erms of percei"ed %uali y or managemen $ here is a chance ha some of he de"elopers #ill open an independen de"elopmen branch. This branch soon becomes an independen pro8ec $ perhaps using a similar code base$ #hich s ar s o compe e #i h he old one. This compe i ion usually causes bo h eams o impro"e heir produc $ and in he long erm$ one can become mains ream #hile he o her becomes marginal$ or hey can di"erge gi"ing special a en ion o differen issues. This is$ for ins ance$ he case #i h Ce 1S=$ 7ree1S=$ and Open1S=$ all of hem sharing similar code$ each #i h a differen focus$ and all of hem e!hibi ing a high %uali y produc .

ECONOMICS OF OPEN SOURCE$

The economic impac of open source models is going o be "ery high$ no only in he sof #are indus ry$ bu in socie y in general. .n his sec ion$ #e discuss in some de ail some of he more foreseeable issues rela ed o his impac . Some of hem are 8us pro8ec ions from curren rends$ bu some o hers ha"e already arri"ed. To begin #i h$ se"eral ne# economic models for open source pro8ec s #ill be presen ed (e! ernally funded$ in ernally funded$ unfunded$ and in ernally used).

)a er on$ he issue of o al cos of o#nership #ill be discussed in subsec ion M.M. .n subsec ion M.F some discussion on he macro* economic conse%uences of #idespread use of open source #ill be in roduced. To finish his sec ion$ some impressions on he fu ure of he sof #are marke $ considering open source models$ are discussed in subsec ion M.7. The subsec ions on ne# economic models are impor an because many radi ional models of he sof #are indus ry are hea"ily based on proprie ary sof #are #here he income is direc ly rela ed o per*copy price (par icularly in he case of shrink*#rapped sof #are). 'i h some e!cep ions$ hese radi ional models are no "iable #i h open source sof #are$ since income canno come from selling copies of he sof #are (freedom of redis ribu ion ends o se he price a he poin #here marginal cos of reproduc ion is near &ero). Therefore$ open source business mus look for o her sources of income. The a!onomy of models presen ed in his sec ion is no 8us an analysis of curren ly e!is ing models$ e"en considering ha some of hem ha"e been already es ed in he indus ry. On he con rary$ #e ha"e ried o crea e as comple e as possible a ca egori&a ion of models ha can be self*sus aining$ or a leas feasible from a business poin of "ie#. 4o#e"er$ real e!amples are added o each ca egories #here"er #e kno# of hem. for ano her a!onomy of open source business models$ more focused on #ha is curren ly a"ailable$ #hich includes he resul s of a sur"ey abou ho# do open source business beha"e.

#IFFUSION

OF

INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY$
Open source sof #are is no# such a significan amoun of code and sof #are sys ems ha i is possible o crea e comple ely free sys ems using only open source sof #are$ #i hou commercial componen s. This can be seen as a significan ad"an age if i can help reduce he gap be #een hose #ho Dha"e( and hose #ho Dha"e no ( in informa ion modifica ions echnology. o i he field of he .n addi ion$ for

a"ailabili y of source code and he freedom of allo#s specific locali&a ion and in erna ionali&a ion pro8ec s o succeed. 7or e!ample i is possible o adap a sof #are sys em o foreign charac er se s and al erna i"e inpu me hods. This fle!ibili y is also impor an in adap ing sof #are o "ery speciali&ed needs$ for e!ample for adap a ion o handicapped people.

CONCLUSION$
Open source has a number of ad"an age and disad"an ages from bo h he poin of "ie# of de"elopers and he poin of "ie# of users. These pros and cons mus be #eighed carefully before s#i ching from a be er* suppor ed close source solu ion o a riskier open source echnology. .n he long run$ he end user is he ul ima e 8udge of #hich is a be er solu ion. 'i hou suppor from he user$ de"elopers and open source pro8ec s canno con inue e!cep as a hobby or personal challenge for he de"elopers.

REFERENCE$
1. Raymond, Eric S. Eric S. Raymond (2001). The cathedral and the bazaar: musings on Linux and Open Source by an accidental revolutionary . O'Reilly.ISBN 978-0- 9!-001087. "##$%&&'oo().*oo*le.com&'oo()+id,-o."/0//I//1. Re#rie2ed 10 Oc#o'er 2012. 2. B3i#en"3i), /.1.4 5earce, 1.6. (NaN 3nde7ined NaN). 8O$en-)o3rce de2elo$men# o7 )olar $"o#o2ol#aic #ec"nolo*y8. Energy for Sustainable Development 16 (9)% 979: 988. doi%10.101!&-.e)d.2012.0!.00!."##$%&&m#3.academia.ed3&1o)"3a5earce&5a$er)&188! 8..&O$en-So3rce;<e2elo$men#;o7;Solar;5"o#o2ol#aic;=ec"nolo*y. 9. 8'O$en-So3rce 5rac#ice) 7or Bio#ec"nolo*y' - >am'ia - Ena'lin* Inno2a#ion8 . >am'ia. "##$%&&???.cam'ia.or*&dai)y&cam'ia&.70."#ml. Re#rie2ed 2012-10-2 .

4. @er#), Ailliam =. (2008-01-19). 8O$en )o3rce )o7#?are8. World oo! Online "eference #enter.