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Computer software is expensive, and companies are constantly coming out with new versions and upgrades that cost you additional money. Wouldn’t it be great if you had access to free software and free upgrades? Everyone likes getting stuff for free, especially when the alternative is shelling out a couple hundred dollars for a similar product. This is why open source software is so popular and growing at an incredible speed. You can pretty much find a rival software in the open source community for any other software out on the market.
The open source community is a group of people who are constantly coming out with software that is then released to the public for free. It is free because it is not owned by one individual. This is because the software is created through a collaborative effort from multiple people which makes the licensing open, hence the name “open source,” which means anyone is free to work with the code and adapt the software to their personal needs, as long as they do not sale it for profit. The open source community has multiple software packages that rival even the bigger names in technology, like Microsoft and Apple. And, since everything is free, you can save a lot of money by using open source software instead of purchasing the mainstream products.
One open source software program that is particularly popular is the Linux operating system. You might not have been aware that you do not have to use the operating system that comes with your computer. You can uninstall that operating system and install Linux. Although Linux does bare some resemblance to Windows and the Apple operating system, there are some marked differences, such as the way you open and close programs and some navigation screens as well. It is particularly useful for software developers because of the design.
