Open source

See how the Open Source Initiative defines open source

Open source is a way to license software. This type of software allows you to:

• Share the software with your friends for free
• View and edit the source code
• Use the software in your own open source projects
• Modify the software in the way you like it
• Usually, you can download the software from a website for free.

There are normally some conditions about doing these things. These conditions are usually there to protect the developers against being sued for giving you their software, or to stop other people claiming they wrote the code.

VLC media player and other VideoLAN projects are licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). This is one of the most common open source licenses and is certified by the Open Source Initiative (OSI).