Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

open source
     
         A method and philosophy for software
        licensing and distribution designed to encourage use and
        improvement of software written by volunteers by ensuring that
        anyone can copy the {source code} and modify it freely.
     
        The term "open source" is now more widely used than the
        earlier term "{free software}" (promoted by the {Free Software
        Foundation}) but has broadly the same meaning - free of
        distribution restrictions, not necessarily free of charge.
     
        There are various {open source licenses} available.
        Programmers can choose an appropriate license to use when
        distributing their programs.
     
        The {Open Source Initiative} promotes the {Open Source
        Definition}.
     
        {The Cathedral and the Bazaar
       
     (http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/cathedral-bazaar.html)}.
        was a seminal paper describing the open source phenomenon.
     
        {Open Sources - O'Reilly book with full text online
        (http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/opensources/book/perens.html)}.
     
        {Articles from ZDNet
        (http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/features/opensource/)}.
     
        (1999-12-29)