Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Open sourcing refers to making source code available to the public so that anyone can view, modify, or distribute it. It promotes collaboration and transparency in software development.
Related terms
GitHub: GitHub is a web-based platform that allows developers to collaborate on projects by hosting and sharing code repositories.
Version Control System (VCS): VCS is a system that tracks changes made to files over time, allowing multiple people to work on the same project simultaneously while keeping track of modifications.
Forking: Forking refers to creating a copy of an existing open-source project in order to make independent changes or additions.