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This lesson compares open source and proprietary software, as required by OCR J277 Section 1.6. Understanding the differences between these two software models is important for ethical, legal, and practical reasons.
Open source software is software where the source code is made freely available to the public. Anyone can view, modify, distribute, and improve the code, subject to the terms of the software's open source licence.
| Software | Type |
|---|---|
| Linux | Operating system |
| Firefox | Web browser |
| LibreOffice | Office suite |
| Apache | Web server |
| MySQL | Database |
| Python | Programming language |
| VLC | Media player |
| WordPress | Content management system |
| Android | Mobile operating system (based on open source) |
Proprietary software (also called closed source software) is software where the source code is not made publicly available. The software is owned by a company or individual, and users must purchase a licence to use it.
| Software | Type |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Windows | Operating system |
| Microsoft Office | Office suite |
| Adobe Photoshop | Image editing |
| macOS | Operating system |
| iOS | Mobile operating system |
| Spotify | Music streaming |
| Feature | Open Source | Proprietary |
|---|---|---|
| Source code | Publicly available | Secret / closed |
| Cost | Usually free | Usually requires purchase or subscription |
| Modification | Can be freely modified | Cannot be modified by users |
| Distribution | Can be freely distributed | Distribution restricted by licence |
| Support | Community forums, documentation; paid support sometimes available | Official support from the developer |
| Updates | Community-driven, may be less regular | Regular, scheduled updates from the developer |
| Security | Code can be audited by anyone (more eyes = more bugs found) | Security through obscurity; only the developer can fix vulnerabilities |
| User interface | Can vary; sometimes less polished | Usually polished and consistent |
| Compatibility | May have compatibility issues with proprietary formats | Usually good compatibility with industry standards |
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