The open source movement is built on several foundational principles that distinguish it from proprietary (closed-source) software development:
: Anyone can examine the source code to understand how it works, which builds trust and aids in security audits. Open source
: Users are not tied to a single vendor's contract or proprietary technology, providing freedom to switch or customize tools as needed. The open source movement is built on several
: Geographically dispersed developers contribute to a project, sharing improvements and fixing bugs collectively. sharing improvements and fixing bugs collectively.