While some home users, hackers and hobbyists have switched to Linux or other Open Source software, businesses seem to have been more cautious. What exactly is Open Source software? Are there issues with licensing and technical support? In this article, we will answer those questions and much more.

What Is Closed Source Software?

To understand how Open Source software works, we need to start off by examining how traditional Closed Source programs are developed. You may have used Windows XP, Office XP and Adobe Photoshop. All are examples of Closed Source programs.

All modern programs start off as text source code. Dozens, maybe hundreds of programmers write the source code and then compile the code into a faster machine language or binary version. These binary files are what you get when you buy Windows XP or Office XP.

You can compare this process with buying bread at the local bakery. The baker has the recipes for various pastries. You walk into the bakery and pay some money for a few rolls, donuts and croissants. You get the pastries and not the recipe.