The Best Open Source Software That You Can Use On Your Projects
Let’s first start off by getting a full grasp of what exactly is open source software? Well, open-source software is software that gives access to the code behind it so others can modify or change it if they choose.
One of the best things about open source is that you are free to use them for commercial use.
Many advocates of the free/libre movement believe that you should be able to use these open source products in your commercial projects because their developers have already made this available to anyone who wants it at zero cost.
However, there are many different licensing terms when it comes to licenses and most of them aren’t compatible with each other. Some examples would be:
The GNU Public License (GPL)
Basically says: Start off by giving credit where credit is due and then redistribute and modify as you see fit while making the original work available to anyone else who wants it.
The Apache License
This one says: Access to source code is free, but redistribution without modification of that same source code is not allowed.
The BSD License (3-Clause)
Starts off with “Redistribution and use in binary form, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:” which basically means you can redistribute verbatim or modified copies as long as you keep copyright notices intact and state changes prominently. It’s like the GPL is only laxer about what you can do with their product.
If you don’t know how any of this works, contact a legal professional before continuing with your project; otherwise you could be putting yourself at risk.
The following are the best open-source software that you can use on your projects.
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox is a web browser, based on the Gecko rendering engine. The layout engine renders web pages in much the same way that another human would read them.
This means it doesn’t try to guess what you’re trying to say like Google Chrome does (and sometimes gets wrong). The developers of Firefox are quick to fix bugs and slow to add new features.
Coupled with its customizability through extensions, Firefox provides you with the best browsing experience possible.
On top of everything else, Firefox can be configured as your default browser so all links will open within it by default.
GIMP
Originally short for “GNU Image Manipulation Program”, GIMP is an image editing suite distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) software license.
GIMP is cross-platform, supporting Microsoft Windows, Linux, or Mac operating systems via their own installation methods. GIMP provides a wide variety of features including photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring which can be used professionally as an alternative to Adobe Photoshop for example.
LibreOffice
A free and open-source office suite developed by The Document Foundation, LibreOffice includes several applications that allow you to do everything from word processing to spreadsheet editing.
With its compatibility with the OOXML file formats (the default file format for Microsoft Office), LibreOffice allows you to seamlessly share documents with folks using Microsoft Word or Excel for example without having to worry about losing formatting in the process.
Krita
Krita is a painting application like no other. With features like split-window viewing, non-destructive layers, and instant mirror paint (yes, you read that right), Krita is a great choice for artists who want to create beautiful works of art without the cost associated with Photoshop.
Audacity
If you work in the audio production field or simply want to record your own music at home or on the go, Audacity is a free and open-source digital audio editor that lets you do just that.
Written in C++, libsndfile handles many common audio file formats such as WAV/AIFF/AU/SND/OGG while also having the ability to do things such as add an echo effect to a section of audio, copy/paste noise from one part of a file to another, and more.
SciTE is a free and open-source text editor that gives you the power of a simple GUI editor while still allowing for complex coding through its support of programming languages such as C, C++, Java, HTML, PHP, CSS, and XML.
Inkscape
Vector graphic design is becoming more widely used in today’s world thanks to the ease with which designs can be created using various programs. Inkscape is specifically useful because it facilitates quick edits on vector graphics without having to switch your workflow completely over from Adobe Illustrator or Sketch.
Written in Vala (a relatively young programming language for its excellent code-base and clear syntax), GTK+ is a cross-platform widget toolkit that provides the basis for graphical user interface objects within an application. It also runs on Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and BSD.
Deluge
Deluge is a lightweight but powerful torrent client that can manipulate your downloads as well as block remote access to files you don’t want others to see.
Deluge users have the option of using servers to share their downloaded content or they can create their own exclusive private torrents.
The web UI is well designed and simple enough that you won’t need to be an advanced computer user in order to understand how it works.
Mercurial (Hg)
Mercurial is a fast, simple distributed version control system designed for efficient handling of very large distributed projects.
It allows you to make changes without disrupting your entire team working on the same project. This is useful when trying to use different versions of source code.
There are many other features built into Mercurial that make it easy for everyone involved in the remote development process to use and manage their files efficiently.
Subversion (SVN)
The Apache Subversion open-source software implementation provides a central repository where multiple users can safely store data as well as have access to one another’s changes over time.
This enables each participant to work independently yet remain aware of all updates being made by others until they are ready to integrate them into their own work.
SVN also allows for the updating of older versions, meaning it is easier to go back in time and revert any unwanted changes. This feature is particularly useful when extensive reworking takes place due to numerous errors or bugs that need to be resolved but can cause further issues down the road if not done correctly.
This option also ensures that the project remains intact while still allowing for revisions along the way.
VLC Media Player
The popular open-source media player makes it easy to view multimedia content without any restrictions.
VLC is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux operating systems. For example, users can easily download it for free from the VLC website.
Unlike other players, VLC Media Player supports a variety of video and audio formats. For example, many file types that would typically be unplayable can be viewed using VLC without the need for any kind of codecs or additional downloads.
It also has an extremely user-friendly interface and is relatively lightweight, which makes it easy to use even on older machines.
TortoiseSVN
Version control systems help ensure that users maintain full control over their files by keeping track of changes made over time. The goal is not only to ensure that the file system remains intact but also to make it easier for individuals to access specific revisions if needed at some point in the future.
TortoiseSVN is used specifically for version control and is an excellent choice for users who are looking to take full advantage of the power of this file management software.
Cinelerra
One of the benefits that Cinelerra brings to computer users is its ability to help edit videos in an efficient manner while supporting high-resolution image formats up to 10K, along with other digital formats such as WAV audio files or RAW camera data. It also supports real-time effects thanks to its JACK sound server and video server.
Although there’s a downside to this open-source software, any operating system can’t quite handle its demands. It is most compatible with Linux-based systems though.
Linux Mint
If you’re looking for an open-source Linux distribution that makes it possible to perform a variety of tasks quickly and easily, then Linux Mint should be one of the top distributions on your list.
It has been designed from the ground up to look more like Windows 8 in comparison to other versions of Linux out there today, which could make it easier for new users to get accustomed to when they first try it.
Ubuntu GNOME
Although Ubuntu is one of the most commonly used distributions of Linux, it also comes with Unity as its default interface.
If you’re looking for a more traditional desktop compared to that of Windows or Mac OS X, then you may want to give Ubuntu GNOME a try instead.
It comes with GNOME 3.14 which uses the Wayland display server protocol by default. Included are other great open-source software titles such as LibreOffice suite, Mozilla Firefox web browser, GIMP image editor, Cheese webcam utility, Rhythmbox audio player/organizer, Totem video player, etcetera.
Kali Linux
If you need an open-source distribution to do penetration testing on your network, then you should consider using Kali Linux which is also known as the ‘Hacking’ distribution.
It’s basically a complete operating system designed for penetration testing and comes with many great open-source software titles made specifically for this purpose.
Kali Linux also includes great features such as a Wi-Fi hotspot finding tool to locate nearby wireless networks, password cracker, keylogger, WLAN monitor mode, and many more.
Blender
Blender is a 3D animation suite that allows you to create 3D models, animate them and add effects. This open-source software also fully supports the creation of games.
For example, huge multiplayer online role-playing games can be created using Blender since it has a built-in game engine with a full scripting language.
Python
Using Python might be beneficial for you since it’s the most popular programming language. It’s used in many companies, including Google and YouTube where Python developers are highly needed.
Not to mention that many colleges and universities teach the language because it’s quite simple to learn, especially if you have some previous programming experience.
Others might find it interesting that there are around 2 million active developers in the Python community who use this open-source software in several different fields. For example, NASA makes extensive use of Python in its projects.
PHP
PHP is another open-source and cross-platform language that’s often used in the web development field.
You might already know about WordPress which is also built with PHP. If you want to build your own blog or even a website, then this program will definitely come in handy.
Of course, there are other companies and projects as well as NASA that use PHP as part of their workflow (you can find more examples on the Internet). It’s not as popular as Python but it has been gaining support since its release in 1995.
There are many different frameworks for PHP such as Laravel, Symfony, and Phalcon. With these, you’ll be able to create dynamic websites and applications much faster than ever before.
JavaScript
You can utilize this programming language when working with the front-end of your applications. It will allow you to use CSS3 along with HTML5 so you can create awesome layouts.
Since it is an object-oriented programming language, there is a massive community that has written tutorials for beginners who want to learn more about JavaScript and the coding environment.
You can find libraries for this language in places like GitHub, CodePen, and npmjs.com among others. If you’re looking for additional functionality or need help solving difficult problems, there are plenty of resources online boasting thousands of different examples compiled by experts in the industry!
Shotcut
Shotcut is an open-source video editing app that is cross-platform and will work on Windows, Mac, and Linux so you can edit videos on any of those platforms without having to download the software again.
It has a ton of features such as support for real-time effects so you can change video file formats and convert them between one another.
You can also record your screen straight from Shotcut which is great for anyone who wants to create tutorials or instructional videos.
Final Thoughts
These are just a few of the best open-source software that you can use to create your own project. Each of these software makes it easy to create your own videos and tutorials and so much more without having to shell out money for expensive software.
