Open Source

Today used generically to describe anything (tech, service, object…) that is openly available, the term « open source » originates from open-source software.

An open-source piece of software is decentralised: its code is available online. Anyone can take it, use it or modify it to fit their needs. Reputable, widely used open-source software is typically built by a community that develops it and evolves it.

Everyone contributes a brick to the wall, with peer review along the way. Some private companies release part of their code as open source and base their business model on selling modules/extensions or on a closed-source core. This lets users pay for a technology and then tailor the interface using the open code.

A few examples of well-known open-source technologies:
- The Firefox and Tor browsers
- The Keepass password manager
- The Gimp image-editing software
- The Linux operating system
- The Ansible and Kubernetes automation tools