Developing Open Source Software
Developing open source software is a business which continues to grow.
The development of open source software is based on its corresponding philosophical model. This originates in the essay by Eric Raymond called “The Cathedral and the Bazaar,” published in 1997. In it, Raymond compares the traditional methods by which software is developed to the construction of a cathedral, which is completed through small groups who work in isolation. He then posits an updated approach that he compares to a bazaar, which he describes as, “a great babbling bazaar of differing agendas and approaches.” The real origins of open source software lay in GNU, which has been working for over a decade to provide the world with free, open source alternatives to the most prominent proprietary software on the market.
In essence, this means that open source software is largely the product of a philosophic approach rather than a development methodology, as open source software is usually programmed in the same way that all other types of software are. However, open source software is created in conjunction with the tenets of the Open Source Initiative and the Debian Free Software Guidelines. On the other hand, there are steps to the development and distribution of open source software that is exclusive to this approach.
The Open Source Approach
Foremost, the development of open source software is engaged with the presumption that the software is going to be gradually improved over time by the general user and developer base. Subsequently, no real effort is usually made at creating outright perfect or complete software. Often, the initial release of open source software simply communicates an idea or a concept, leaving the blanks to be filled by the rest of the open source community. Additionally, the release of open source software includes an additional component to the installation package; on top of the compiled version of the software, open source software also includes the source code, or the written commands that comprise the software. This way, it is clear exactly how the software was made as well as what the purpose of the software was according to its developer and is possible for those who understand such language to make alterations or additions to the source code in order to improve or expand the software. Then, the software is distributed to the common market for free under a license (often a creative commons license) with care not to discriminate against or otherwise exclude any parties or individuals.
