open source software, community matters

Open Source Software, community matters

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Open Source Software, community mattersLuc Bézier, @Luukyb

Who am I?


Who am I?


Freelance web, exclusively Drupal projects and Open Source.

Twitter @[email protected]

Who am I?


Free Software


Free software, refers to freedom,

not to free as in “price”.

Free Software


Richard Stallman


End of 1983 and the creation of the GNU project / GNU general license

Richard Stallman


Richard Stallman


Richard Stallman had a printer, but the software for it was not working.

He wanted to modify it, but couldn’t access the source code.

Richard Stallman


He created the GNU Project, and used for his operating system

another free and open source software, the kernel created by Linus Torvalds.

Linus Torvalds


Linus Torvalds


“Making Linux GPL'd was definitely the best thing I ever did.”

The GNU General Public License (GPL) is the public license initiated by Stallman.

Kinds of Software


• Proprietary software (Closed software)• Shareware (Trial version)• Adware (Free to use with Ads)• Freeware (Free to use)• Free Software / Open Source Software

Copyright VS Community


Proprietary software, or closed software

“software licensed under exclusive legal right”



Closed software are restricting the right to software.

Restrictions by licenseRestrictions by modificationRestrictions by redistribution



Proprietary VS Freedom


Open Source Software


Free to useFree to study the source code

Free to change the source codeFree to distribute

Free to use


You will not pay any license fee to download and the software.

You will not be limited by a license.

Free to study the source code


You are free to open and study the entire source code

and learn from it.

Be fully aware of the software you wish to use.

Free to change the source code


You can modify and change the code of the software to make it

perfect for you and your use case.

Free to distribute


You are free to distribute it the way you wish.Distribute it as Open Source, or sell it.No need to ask anyone for permission.

The (full) Open Source Definition


1. Free Redistribution2. Source Code3. Derived Works4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor7. Distribution of License8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral

Community is quality


Community is quality


1. Software > Published for free2. Community improve the software with new

features3. Community fixes the bugs4. Community document the software (not only in

english)

Contributors? Maintainers?


A contributor is someone who will improve, or correct the open source software.

A maintainer will select which changes to integrate to the software.

Branch? Fork?


A branch is an alternative version of the original software. These changes can be integrated later

to the original software.In a fork, the changes will not be be integrated

later into the original software.

What about security?


• Peer review• Transparency in process• Mature projects do have a security team

How can people earn money?


The general idea:• No license fees• By working together, we improve the quality

and the software gets mature• No license costs + Better quality = Profit

The challenges of Open Source


1. Community is not automatic

2. Contributors are few

Community is not automatic


Community and contributors comes with popularity of the software.

Contributors are few


Even if your project is used by millions of people, it is nothing without contributors.

Contributors are few


Drupal runs 1 million websites, and had 10,091 contributors to Drupal 7 (on release date, excluding modules).

Open Source Software


Open source can achieve better than closed software by getting people to share and work

together.

And it’s often by chance!

Success by community and chance


Linus Torvalds released the linux kernel as a project “for fun”.



There was seven collaborative encyclopedias

before wikipedia.



Dries Buytaert created Drupal as a web board to share with

other students from his university.

Open Source as a developer


1. Free to try and test2. Fully understand your tool3. Get help and learn for free4. Contribute and help others

Get involved


Get involved. It’s free too !

• Download an open source project• Join a local group / meetup• Help documentation• Report bugs

Get involved


Some local free events in Cebu:• Python, PizzaPy• Drupal meetup, Drupal Beer&Chat Infos on: Meetup.com

Thanks!


Twitter @[email protected]