Open Source, advantages, disadvantages and careers in Open Source.
Tags: opensource, opensourcedevelopment, linux
Published: 2022-02-17 12:05:54

**Open Source ! Open Source ! Open Source !**

What exactly is Open Source ?

This is SOURCE CODE that is available for free for anyone to use, modify and redistribute. It is available to the public for use.

Open Source originates from Open Source Software (OSS) . OSS is a free code that's designed to be publicly accessible, i.e. anyone can see, contribute to it and share it as they want.

ADVANTAGES OF OPEN SOURCE.

1. Independence - Open Source is not dependent on the company or author that created it. This means that it does not depend on the creator as it's open to the public.

2. Lower Costs- The cost of maintaining is low and in most cases may be only a small portion of their proprietary counterparts.

3. Agility - OSS makes this possible because it allows for multiple methods of solving a single problem.

4. Enhanced Security - OSS is not inherently more secure but the security is increased for some reasons.

5. Complex Licensing - The companies using OSS do not have to think about complex licensing. OSS gives convenient license schemes and does not pose any restrictions on the number of times it can be installed.

6. Scalability - OSS can be scaled up and down so that businesses could achieve their desired results, e.g Linux operating system.

>Increased security of the source code is the main reason why open source is so popular and is regarded as the biggest OSS advantage.

DISADVANTAGES OF OPEN SOURCE

1. Difficulty of use - Some OS applications may be difficult to set up and use. Others may lack user-friendly interfaces or features that may not be familiar. This can affect productivity and prevent the user from adopting or using or using programs with ease.

2. Compatibility issues - Many types of proprietary hardware need specialized drivers to run OS programs, which are often only available from the equipment manufacturer. This can potentially add to the cost of your project. Even if an OS driver exists, it may not work with your software as well as the proprietary driver.

3. Liabilities and warranties - With proprietary software, the developer usually provides indemnification and warranty as part of a standard license agreement. This is because they fully control and copyright the product and it's underlying code. OSS licenses contain only limited warranty and no liability or infringement indemnity protection.

4. Hidden Costs - Software that is free upfront but later costs money to run can be a major burden, especially if you haven't considered hidden costs from the start.

**Careers in Open Source**
(1) OSS Maintainer
(2) OSS Community Manager
(3) OSS Researcher
(4) Open Source Lead
(5) OS Stack Software Engineer
(6) FOSS Developer
(7) Site Reliability Engineer
(8) System Administrator
(9) OSS Developer Advocate
(10) Software Developer
(11) Software Engineer

Conclusion

Open Source is fun, helps to improve your technical skills, connects you to different techies around the world and can also get you a job. So dive into Open Source and get started.

![An open source funny pic](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/fbpxkwa7spget1w252ww.png)

Enjoy these open source jokes !

> Why was the Windows team kicked out of the open source convention? No one was wearing a tux.

> Why did the open source code project owner cross the road? To git to the other side. 

![An open source funny pic](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/pud6qnlbdfbpdmbs4oil.png)

Thank you for reading, and let's connect !

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