A solution is built. Alpha solution is tested. Using the environment where the need was first preceived. Any problems encountered are corrected so the solution works. Small-scale Beta deployment.
Solution is used in production at development point.
As the solution is used in a wider range of environments, additional bugs are discovered. As the source is available, those who discover the bugs can look at the source code to document the problem, and even patching the code to fix the bug. Bug notices and patches are returned to author for consideration and use. Large-scale Production deployment. Solution has entered a state of stability making it of interest to the general user.