open-source software
Let an agent explain open-source software and its licences, help find, evaluate and use open-source projects, describe contribution and governance, and support compliance.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain open-source software and its licences, help find, evaluate and use open-source projects, describe contribution and governance, and support compliance.
Software released under a licence that grants users the rights to use, study, modify and redistribute its source code, as defined by the Open Source Definition, including operating systems, libraries such as NLTK, tools, games and applications developed by communities, companies and foundations; open-source software underpins most modern computing and is governed by licences, community norms and foundations.
What it is for: Software with freely available and modifiable source.
It can be explain open-source licences and definitions; find and evaluate projects; explain contribution and governance; support licence compliance.
Distinguishing features
Open licence
Source access
Community development
Redistributable
What it looks like
Not physical; code repositories, licences and communities.
How it is recognised
Source code available under an approved licence
Rights to modify and redistribute
Source-available software may restrict use
Related models
is a kind of - category
is a kind of - category
is related to - overlapping movement
is related to - legal basis
In practice
Families and kinds
permissively licensed software
copyleft licensed software
open-source operating systems and infrastructure
open-source libraries and tools
open-source applications and games
Standards and regulation
Open Source Definition and OSI-approved licences
Software bill of materials and compliance practices
Export and security regulations
Failure modes and hazards
Licence non-compliance
Unmaintained dependencies and supply chain risk
Confusing open source with free of charge
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Understand What open source is.
Definitions.
Definition
Definition and licences.
Definition
Definition.
- What makes software open source, and how do permissive and copyleft licences differ? definition
- How does it relate to free software and source-available software? definition
Project
A specific project.
Project
Specific project.
- What is this open-source project, who maintains it, and under which licence? provenance
- Which entry fits it? action
Use Using open source.
Evaluation.
Evaluate
Evaluating projects.
Evaluate
Evaluation.
- How can the health, security and maintenance of an open-source project be assessed? action
- Which alternatives exist for this need? provenance
Comply
Licence compliance.
Comply
Compliance.
- Which obligations does this licence impose on redistribution or modification? provenance
- Is the user asking for legal advice on their own product? boundary
Contribute Contributing.
Community.
Start
Getting started.
Start
Getting started.
- How can someone start contributing to this project, and which norms apply? action
- What is a contributor licence agreement? definition
Govern
Governance.
Govern
Governance.
- How are open-source projects governed and funded, from foundations to single maintainers? provenance
- What are documented sustainability challenges? provenance
Context History and impact.
Attribution.
History
History of open source.
History
History.
- How did open source develop from the free software movement, and who defined it? provenance
- Which projects were milestones? provenance
Impact
Economic and social impact.
Impact
Impact.
- What is the documented economic and social impact of open-source software? provenance
- Which policy initiatives support it? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Should each major project be a separate entry?
- How should licence databases be linked?
- How should security advisories be linked?