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2) Free Software

3) Open Source Licenses

a) GNU General Public License (GPL)

The GNU GPL License is designed to make sure that you have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things.

b) GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL)

The LGPL License is typically used for Open Source libraries, which can thus be included in proprietary software packages, without requiring the remainder of the software package code to be made Open Source as well. However, any changes introduced to the specific library, even when part of a proprietary package, have to be fed back to the community and remain Open Source.

c) MIT- and BSD-Style

Other examples for integrating proprietary software are the MIT (Massachusetts Institue of Technology) and BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) licenses, which grant users and developers the same freedoms as stated by the Free Software concepts.

4) Who Develops Open Source?

50% of all Open Source Projects are carried out by companies or individual in pursuit of commercial interests. The other half are not only done in pursuit of happiness, though that is certainly part of it, but also because developers like a challenge or want to gain experience and grow their reputation.

5) How Reliable is Open Source Software?

Very (refer to 0). Open Source Software combines the knowledge and expertise of users and developers around the globe, who are free to address any issues according to what's needed as opposed to what the marketing guru thinks he can sell in the next quarter. The source code is frequently checked, issues are dealt with quickly and global networking and communication very efficient.

6) Can There be Sustainable Investments in Open Source Software?

Sure. More so than in any proprietary package of a large enterprise that changes direction with its quarterly reporting to avoid the locusts taking over the majority shareholding. The reasoning is the same as in item 5): once a good piece of useful software is at the mercy of the community, no single Board of Directors decision or CEO will be able to announce the end of life for the product, just to make another dime with next years' new version. As long as there's a market, a useful application will continue to be supported.

7) Where is the Money in Open Source?

In providing professional services around the software, such as:

The market is roughly devided into 40% Consultancy, and about 30% each for Training and Installation/Development Services.

8) What is SourceForge?

The web portal "SourceForge.net" provides a collaborative environment with code repositories, mailing list and so on for more than one hundred thousand Open Source projects. Due to its unmanaged nature SourceForge hosts many projects which either never really took off or have long since stopped. Before deciding to use an Open Source software package, first get some information on the health of the project. Independent organisations like the OSGeo Foundation can help guide you.

9) Who is the OSGeo Foundation?

The Open Source Geospatial Foundation is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to support and promote the collaborative development of open geospatial technologies and data. It strives to be broadly inclusive and does not favor one or another technology.

The foundation provides financial, organizational and legal support to the broader Open Source geospatial community. It also serves as an independent legal entity to which community members can contribute code, funding and other resources, secure in the knowledge that their contributions will be maintained for public benefit.

OSGeo also serves as an outreach and advocacy organization for the Open Source geospatial community, and provides a common forum and shared infrastructure for improving cross-project collaboration.

10) 5 Reasons for Open Source Software?

11) Is there any Quality Control in Open Source Software?

Yes. Quality control and assurance is implemented by conspicuous peer review. Obviously this only works in healthy projects with a broad user base. From a developers point of view, a piece of software is never really finished and follows an evolutionary path. At the same time the community has so many application examples and test routines, that a bug will hardly go unnoticed. This pragmatic approach can be supported by standardized testing schemes that can be automized to assure regular functionality.

12) How Quickly are Software Issues Solved?

Very quickly. Many people who start to use Open Source abruptly remember their first quick resolution to a problem through the help of a mailing list poster as an inspiring experience. Of course Open Source software like any other software will eventually develop bugs, but if you decide to become an active member of the community and report the problem, you can trust that there will be a quick approach to it. With very efficient communication in place, the global network of developers is much more flexible than a single enterprise to react on your issue and provide a solution.

13) What about Hardware Requirements?

Open Source Software tends to have lower hardware requirements and make a better utilisation of available resources. The primary reason for this is that the software is implemented following actual user requirements.

The other aspect is the overall requirement to be independent of hardware and software platforms, which in turn requires clear and concise development concepts in the beginning and not as an afterthought.