Open source & Opportunities
WHAT IS OPEN SOURCE ?
“The Open Source Definition is a bill of rights for the computer user.”
— Bruce Perens
“The Open Source Definition defines certain rights that a software license must grant you to be certified as Open Source. Those who don’t make their programs Open Source are finding it difficult to compete with those who do, as users gain a new appreciation of rights they always should have had. Programs like the Linux operating system and Netscape’s web browser have become extremely popular, displacing other software that has more restrictive licenses. Companies that use open-source software have the advantage of its very rapid development, often by several collaborating companies, and much of it contributed by individuals who simply need an improvement to serve their own needs.”
+ INTRODUCTION
Open source doesn’t just mean access to the source code. The distribution terms of open-source software must comply with the following criteria:
- Free Redistribution
The license shall not restrict any party from selling or giving away the software as a component of an aggregate software distribution containing programs from several different sources. The license shall not require a royalty or other fee for such sale. - Source Code
The program must include source code, and must allow distribution in source code as well as compiled form. Where some form of a product is not distributed with source code, there must be a well-publicized means of obtaining the source code for no more than a reasonable reproduction cost, preferably downloading via the Internet without charge. The source code must be the preferred form in which a programmer would modify the program. Deliberately obfuscated source code is not allowed. Intermediate forms such as the output of a preprocessor or translator are not allowed. - Derived Works
The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the original software. - Integrity of The Author’s Source Code
The license may restrict source-code from being distributed in modified form only if the license allows the distribution of “patch files” with the source code for the purpose of modifying the program at build time. The license must explicitly permit distribution of software built from modified source code. The license may require derived works to carry a different name or version number from the original software. - No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons. - No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a specific field of endeavor. For example, it may not restrict the program from being used in a business, or from being used for genetic research. - Distribution of License
The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the program is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties. - License Must Not Be Specific to a Product
The rights attached to the program must not depend on the program’s being part of a particular software distribution. If the program is extracted from that distribution and used or distributed within the terms of the program’s license, all parties to whom the program is redistributed should have the same rights as those that are granted in conjunction with the original software distribution. - License Must Not Restrict Other Software
The license must not place restrictions on other software that is distributed along with the licensed software. For example, the license must not insist that all other programs distributed on the same medium must be open-source software. - License Must Be Technology-Neutral
No provision of the license may be predicated on any individual technology or style of interface.
WHAT IS OPEN SOURCE INITIATIVE ?
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a California public benefit corporation, with 501(c) tax-exempt status, founded in 1998. It promotes the usage of open source software.
The Open Source Initiative defines open source software assoftware that is distributed with human readable source codein order to allow the user freedom to run, review, alter,enhance and modify the code for any purpose.
- But opensource is about much more than just the code behind thesoftware; it’s about community, collaboration and innovation.
In today’s world of competing products it might be hard tobelieve that in the beginning all applications were opensource. - Donald Rosenberg explained it well when he saidthat ‘open source is not a new way of doing things — it is theoriginal computer way of doing things.’
- At the same timeEric Raymond reminds us that enthusiasts, artists, tinkerers,problem solvers and experts known as ‘hackers’ built theinternet, World Wide Web, Unix and Linux.
- Contrary to popular media, to be a hacker is not to be a menace, but tobe a computer programmer.
This is an important distinction to make early on, since many open source developers proudlycall themselves hackers.Before the internet there was ARPAnet, a transcontinentalnetwork only accessible to the US Department of Defense,universities and contractors. This invention brought togetherhackers from all over the country to collaborate over thenetwork and create applications to make their lives (andeventually all of our lives) easier. It was this connection thatbrought about the development of many of the world’s firstopen source applications.
WHAT IS OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE ?
Open source software is software that anyone can inspect, change, and share with others.
Code is the part of a program that most users don’t have to see. It shows how the program functions, like a recipe.
When someone makes their code open source, they are letting anyone take a look at it and make changes.
+ How can open source software help?
Open source software can help in a myriad of ways. Here are a few:
Control over function :-
Since users can see and change how the program works, they can have more control over how it works.
Learning new skills :-
Contributing to open source projects is a great way for beginning programmers to learn more skills and get more experience.
More secure :-
When anyone has the ability to spot a bug in the code, any issues can be resolved very quickly. It’s like having hundreds more eyes inspecting your code to make sure it runs smoothly.
Build a community :-
This one may not seem as important, but larger open source projects start to build up a community of contributors over time. Contributors can talk about parts of the project in a friendly manner, making discussions much more productive and smooth.
+ Isn’t open source software just free of charge?
This is a common misconception about open source software. While open source software is free most of the time, people can make their code cost money too.
It all depends on the license chosen for a piece of software. If the license says that anyone can modify and use the program in private, then they can do that.
GET STARTED WITH STARRED * PROGRAMS…
- Google Summer of Code (GSoC)
Google Summer of Code is a global program focused on bringing more student developers into open source software development. Students work with an open source organization on a 10 week programming project during their break from school. It matches students up with free software and technology-related organizations to get students familiar with the open-source community and helps them put their summer break to good use. The organizations also provide mentors to guide participants through the entire process. Accepted students gain exposure to real-world software development and get employed in areas related to their academic pursuits. Participating organizations can identify and bring in new developers. Best of all, more source code is created and released for the use and benefit of all; all code produced as part of the program is released under an open source license. The fact that you get to write code that people from all over the world can use — how cool is that!
Outreachy is a program that provides internship opportunities twice a year. People can apply from all over the world and work remotely for the three-month internship program. The motive behind Outreachy internships is to promote diversity in tech, support people from underprivileged groups & underrepresented community in tech. Anyone who faces systemic bias or discrimination in the technology industry of their country is invited to apply. It provides a platform that helps the newcomers to start contributing to free and open-source software.
The MLH Fellowship is an internship alternative for software engineers where participants can contribute to Open Source projects used by companies around the world. You’ll work on Open Source projects with a group of 10 students under the guidance of a professional mentor, participate in workshops, lunch & learns, and hackathons designed to teach real-world skills.
Google Season of Docs is an annual program organized by Google to bring technical writers together with open source organizations where they work on improving the documentation of projects. We know that documentation plays an important role as it provides an avenue for users to understand the project and make contributions to it. During the program, technical writers spend 3–5 months working with the documentation for tutorials, guides, etc for the open-source organization.
The Linux Foundation Mentorship Program is designed to help developers — many of whom are first-time open source contributors — with necessary skills and resources to learn, experiment, and contribute effectively to open source communities. By participating in a mentorship program, mentees have the opportunity to learn from experienced open source contributors as a segue to get internship and job opportunities upon graduation.
The LF Networking (LFN) intern/mentorship program is aimed at creating a structured hands-on learning opportunity for new developers who may otherwise lack the opportunity to gain exposure to open source software development and entry to the LFN projects’ technical communities. It also provides a more defined path for LFN projects to connect with the next generation of student developers to inject more talent into their developer base. Each mentee will apply and be matched with a mentor or mentors who are active developers and technologiests contributing to the industry’s leading open source networking projects such as ONAP, OPNFV, OpenDaylight, FD.io. Each mentee will work remotely from his/her location of choice. Regular evaluation and feedback will be provided. Mentees who have done outstanding work may have the opportunity to travel to an LFN conference/event to meet their peers and mentors face-to-face and to present their work to the broader community.
=> Some of the Mentorship & SOCs, are listed here..
THE CLOSURE…
“Life would be much easier if I had the source code.”
— Anonymous
+ The Cathedral and the Bazaar
A classic book about OSS is The Cathedral and the Bazaar. It explores “bazaar” style development, a bottom-up approach that gives power to the developers and the users. Comparing it with the “cathedral” style, a top-down approach where the power lies with managers and product owners.
It’s these ideas that gave rise to work approaches such as that described in the Agile Manifesto. But no matter how much corporations have tried to emulate a “bazaar” approach to development, they can’t do it quite so well as open source projects.
In the world of corporate projects, architects, managers and product owners lead the way. In the world of open source, it’s users and developers that shape the specifications.
Open source software is great because it taps into the “collective intelligence” of its developers and users. Most developers in an open source project stem from its core user-base, most “leaders” in an open source project are simply the developers that put in the most ideas and code.
This “bazaar” approach is not necessarily better than the “cathedral” approach, but it’s a system worth trying. It can give a new developer a lot of power over a piece of software, regardless of external criteria such as age or seniority within the organization. The only token of exchange is code, the more valuable the contribution, the more you influence the design.
If nothing else, you should work on some open source projects to experience this bottom-up style of software design
+ Resources & Links
- Git: https://git-scm.com/doc
- GitHub: https://docs.github.com/en/github
- Find Project here: https://www.codetriage.com/
- Google: https://opensource.google/projects/explore/featured
- AWS: https://aws.github.io | https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/opensource
- Microsoft Opensource: https://opensource.microsoft.com/projects/
- More opportunities: https://opensourceinternships.herokuapp.com/
