How to Find Open Source Software

Open source software is free to be edited by any programmer and serves many different purposes, including letting individuals fix bugs and incorporate new functionality into a program. Follow the instructions below to find open source software.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet access
• Computer

1. Determine the type of open source software you need. Think about what project you might need the software for. Determine how you intend to use the software.
2. Search for your open source software in the appropriate area of expertise. If you are looking for software for math probabilities, try looking for software at math research centers.
3. Read about the software and how long it’s been in existence. Open source software is constantly changing and being updated. Look for software that has been on the market for a while and has been used and updated in different ways.
4. Look for reviews of the software to see if it’s worth downloading. Some open source software simply doesn’t work at all. Make sure that what you are downloading is actually going to work.
5. Make sure that the software is truly open source and not copyrighted.
6. Download the open source software. Use the software and modify the source code to suit your needs. Then repost the modifications so that others can use it as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Do an extensive search and don’t download the first open source software you find.
• Make sure you have updated virus protection installed before downloading anything off the Internet.
• Be careful. Some open source software is fragile and can actually hurt your computer if you don’t know what you’re doing.
• Make sure you have the correct licensing before you distribute the software.

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