Why I like open source software: quality.
For many years now I have been a user of a wide variety of open source software systems. Linux, FreeBSD, and NetBSD have found a place on my home systems, as well as on numerous systems I have set up for various companies and individuals. And since the start of the OpenSolaris project, I have began to consider the use of NexentaOS and SchilliX. While most Linux distribution use the GNU tools and libraries, systems like FreeBSD and NetBSD have their own userland utilities and libraries. Nevertheless, such systems also use or support software like GCC, X.org and KDE.
This brings me to an article I read asking about why we like open source software. The article points out the financial benefits of open source software, in terms of purchasing the software itself. This is no doubt a major factor for many open source users.
The article also talks about the freedom offered by most open source packages. I’m not so sure that this is as important of an aspect. There are many people who will suggest that the various GNU licenses, for instance, are not very “free”, in that they place limitations on closing the source code of projects. This is a debate that will likely rage on for years. But I do have to agree with such people to some extent: I much prefer the simplicity and conciseness of BSD-style licenses. But only a subset of open source systems use a BSD-style license, and thus there is much variation in what one can or cannot do with each particular piece of open source software. “Freedom” is not consistent throughout the open source spectrum.
However, the cost of the software has never really been a major factor for me, and like I just mentioned, I don’t think freedom is that much of an issue, either. My main reason for using open source software is one of quality. Overall, I’ve found open source software to often far exceed the capabilities and functionality of many closed source, commercial systems. For instance, I have always been a fan of FreeBSD’s stability and reliability. That’s why I tend to use it for server deployments. I often recommend the use of Ubuntu to clients, friends and relatives who want an alternative to Windows on their home desktop systems, just because I know it’s a quality distribution. In the end, it’s a general trend towards maximizing quality that ends up moving me to favour open source software.
January 17th, 2007 at 3:14 am
I fail to see the “quality” in open source programs. Most of the desktop apps crash and burn easier than their equivalent closed source ones. Other bugs are everywhere too, much more than in an average Windows or Mac desktop.
January 17th, 2007 at 5:36 am
[…] Recently I wrote an article about why I prefer open source software. My main reason, for those who have not read the article, is one of quality. Now, “quality” is one of those words that means different things to different people in different situations. This may be the main reason why it’s a contentious subject to discuss. […]
January 26th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Eugenia has a point, in some ways. Many ‘user-oriented’ apps (by which I mean GUI apps) in the Open source domain are of very variable quality. They often fall down on a lack of attention to UI consistency and user experience details, factors which are Apple’s, and to a lesser extent Microsoft’s, forte.
When it comes to ‘meatier’ projects however - OS’s, databases etc though, some of the open source offerings are superb. pinderkent has already mentioned FreeBSD, which I definitely agree with. OpenBSD is the same but more so - their fanaticism for correctness (even down to the documentation) puts closed-source projects to shame.
On the app front PostgreSQL is another good example of quality and reliability being at the fore of the development process. It too has an excellent reputation, and there are certainly many others.