Linux runs most of the internet's servers. Android runs on most phones. Both are open source. Open source means software whose source code is freely available to modify and distribute. Anyone can read it, change it, and share their changes. The license guarantees those freedoms.

The movement began in the 1980s with Richard Stallman's GNU Project and the Free Software Foundation. Linus Torvalds released the Linux kernel in 1991. Today, open source powers web servers, databases, programming languages, and entire cloud platforms. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon contribute to open source projects.

Common open source licenses

• MIT: permissive, few restrictions
• Apache 2.0: permissive, patent protection
• GPL: copyleft, derivatives must stay open
• BSD: permissive, similar to MIT
• Mozilla: middle ground, file-level copyleft

Open source is not just about price. It is about transparency, collaboration, and control. Bugs get fixed faster when thousands of eyes are on the code. But not all projects are maintained. Some are abandoned. Choosing open source means choosing a community, not just a product.