Moblin unofficial tutorials series serialization (5)-Open Source ideas

There are too many misunderstandings about open-source ideas in China, and many developers may even be confused. But the first thing to understand is that open source is not free, and open source software can also create commercial value. Unlike traditional software, the value of open-source software lies in the service, rather than the sale of software use rights.

Open-source project participation is relatively simple, and most open-source projects depend on the networkCommunity. The developerProgramSource codeSubmitted to the community.CodeIf it has its advantages, it will be adopted and become part of the project. All the code of the project can be used freely, including the code used to obtain commercial profits for the end user service.

Participants can only get a return after paying for the work. This is the game rule and internal law of open-source projects. Taking the moblin project as an example, if you develop it into a mature release and serve some equipment manufacturers, you will certainly expect the moblin project to continue to grow for a long time, in this way, you can get more returns. In this case, you cannot just ask for feedback, but do not provide feedback to the community. If you work hard to solve a problem, but you are unwilling to provide the source code generated for solving the problem to the community, the moblin project may deviate from the problem you have solved in the future, as a result, you need to make more effort to solve the problem.

The Diamond Sutra records a dialogue between Buddha and disciples. Buddha asked if he had used a lot of money to give gifts, would he return a lot. Many disciples may have answered this question. Buddha said his return did not deliver more truth. The core idea of Buddhism is to transmit truth, so it has been flourishing for thousands of years. The scriptures in the temple are donated and printed by the believers. Anyone can ask for them freely, so more people are converted to Buddhism. This mode is similar to the open-source idea. The more people participate in the project, the more they pay for it, and the greater the return. Although we cannot determine that everyone involved in open-source projects is pure and upright, the internal law determines everything.

Finally, let's talk about the services of open-source projects. The main services are customization, maintenance, and technical support. Although the prices of these services are not as high as the sales of commercial software, because a lot of code is reused, the development cost of open-source projects will be very low, so the profit of the entire project will not be lower than that of commercial software.