Members of the Open Source Club, a student group formed in 1999, are exploring the world of technology. Specifically, they are interested in open source software.
The Open Source Club focuses “on building a strong community of open source users and developers in order to bring the benefits of open development, open standards, and free software to the university community,” according to the club’s Web site.
Alek Rollyson, a third-year in information systems and the club’s president, said there is a difference between free software and open source software. Free software is like “free beer, or free as in it doesn’t cost me anything,” he said.
Open source software is not just free; it is open for development.
“You can essentially do what you want with it,” he said. “If there’s a feature you don’t like, you can change it, rewrite it and do what you want. Or distribute it to your friends.”
This is possible because open source developers publish the source code, or the blueprint for their software, enabling public modification.
Rollyson said the Open Source Club is one of the most active technology clubs on campus, and 25 to 30 people usually attend weekly meetings.
“Anybody who has an interest in technology and software can get involved,” Rollyson said. In fact, Linus Torvalds, the chief architect and namesake of Linux, began developing it as a college student in Finland.
Rollyson said Linux, an operating system, has become the poster child for open source software. However, unlike Windows or Mac Operating Systems, operating systems distributed by Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. respectively, Rollyson said Linux is a “community project.”
“It’s not distributed by one single entity. It’s worked on by the entire community,” he said. Other well-known examples of open source software and technology are Firefox, a Web browser, and Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia where just about anyone can contribute.
Read this full article at The Lantern
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