The basic principle behind open source software is quite simple.
When developers and programmers can read, redistribute, and modify the code for a piece of software, the software evolves. People can improve it, adapt it and fix bugs. This can happen at much quicker than the more conventional software development practise.

An open-source software license permits users to read, access, change and reuse the source code of a software product. Whether it's Apache on your Web servers or Linux as your Operating System, free open-source products, just like those from Microsoft Corp., have software licenses. It is always advisable to know your rights and the responsibilities that accompany these licenses. The point to remember is that open source, means free as in freedom rather than free as in price. For example, Open-source players such as the major Linux distribution companies (RedHat, Suse et al) are allowed to charge any amount to package and distribute the product. You can bypass the expense by going to a website that holds the source code and downloading it for free. However the licensing requirements still remain !. It's also important to know that there are many types of open-source licenses. There are a few quirks among the various licenses.

A key open-source licensing provision, is that if you change the code, you must document your changes and include your source code in the documentation. Most important, as per the GNU General Public License (GPL): "You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third parties under the terms of this License." In other words, if you use an open-source program anywhere in your code, your product must comply with open-source strictures. And like most software, open-source licenses describe products delivered in "as is" condition with no warranty that they will actually work. Quite a few companies offer open-source versions of their commercial products, and more are doing so, adding another level of complexity to licensing issues.

It has taken a while, but Open Source is here to stay !

But what about support ?

Most active Open Source projects, be they a 'homegrown' program to help with website creation or a spin-off from a commercial application, will offer support in a variety of ways.
A large majority of projects are hosted at Sourceforge, a software repositary for Open Source projects, which as well as holding the code, offer mailling lists, forums and of course, the latest code. Some software projects give 'everything' away for free where the only restriction on support is the amount of people willing to offer their time to the project, where as some companies charge for certain types of support, i.e after 90 days, your telephone support will be chargeable.). Most projects will have a website which will have at least contact details for the development team, 99% of the time a FAQ section and a large majority running forum/bulletin boards covering all aspects of the oftware, form developemnt to installation to future features.

It is the sharing of knowledge and skills that make Open-source software development, such a fast moving and exciting environment. Bugs and features can be added and ditributed to the world in minutes, bypassing the slower, 'old-style' software development/distribution models.

Okay, I'm almost sold - what can it do ?

For some practical examples, please review this page for some real-life examples of how Open Source software can help you.