What is GPL<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"Laptop](\"https:\/\/2019.dublin.wordcamp.org\/files\/2019\/09\/What-is-GPL-2-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe term \u2018GPL\u2019 is frequently used within the WordPress Community, and it\u2019s often taken as an assumption that each of us knows and understands what GPL is.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be honest, I don\u2019t think many of us do. I mean, we get the gist of it right – \u201cit\u2019s code that is freely available on the internet, and I (on my own or in collaboration with others) can play around with, change, make some cool stuff, maybe even commercialise it? \u201c but is that it?… really? We decided to do some investigating, head right back to the start and see what we would uncover\u2026 Let\u2019s start with answering this question.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat is Open Source<\/h3>\n\n\n\nOpen Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. <\/strong><\/p>WordCamp.org<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n![\"Coding](\"https:\/\/2019.dublin.wordcamp.org\/files\/2019\/09\/What-is-GPL-4-300x300.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nNot just GPL, there are many alternatives – Take a look at the \u2018Open Source Licenses by Category<\/strong>\u2019 https:\/\/opensource.org\/licenses\/category<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n- Firstly, we went to this fountain of knowledge: https:\/\/opensource.com\/resources\/what-open-source
<\/a>What we learnt here was the following: - The term “open source” refers to something people can modify and share because its design is publicly accessible.<\/li>
- Open Source software is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.
“Source code” is the part of software that most computer users don’t ever see; it’s the code computer programmers can manipulate to change how a piece of software – a “program” or “application”\u2014works. Programmers who have access to a computer program’s source code can improve that program by adding features to it or fixing parts that don’t always work correctly.
<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat is GPL<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Letters](\"https:\/\/2019.dublin.wordcamp.org\/files\/2019\/09\/What-is-GPL-5-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n- Firstly, the acronym – General Public Licence or GNU<\/li>
- GPL or <\/em>General Public License, sometimes also called GNU GPL, is the most commonly used free software license. It was written by Richard Stallman of Free Software Foundation for GNU Project. This license allows software to be freely used, modified, and redistributed by anyone. WordPress is also released under the GPL license, which means that WordPress is an open source software that can be used, modified, and extended by anyone. https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/glossary\/gpl\/<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n
What about GPL & WordPress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While this video isn\u2019t very recent, it gives a deep insight into the origins of WordPress and the general public licence according to Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n![\"WordPress](\"https:\/\/2019.dublin.wordcamp.org\/files\/2019\/09\/What-is-GPL-6-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n
What is Open Source<\/h3>\n\n\n\nOpen Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. <\/strong><\/p>WordCamp.org<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nNot just GPL, there are many alternatives – Take a look at the \u2018Open Source Licenses by Category<\/strong>\u2019 https:\/\/opensource.org\/licenses\/category<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n- Firstly, we went to this fountain of knowledge: https:\/\/opensource.com\/resources\/what-open-source
<\/a>What we learnt here was the following: - The term “open source” refers to something people can modify and share because its design is publicly accessible.<\/li>
- Open Source software is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.
“Source code” is the part of software that most computer users don’t ever see; it’s the code computer programmers can manipulate to change how a piece of software – a “program” or “application”\u2014works. Programmers who have access to a computer program’s source code can improve that program by adding features to it or fixing parts that don’t always work correctly.
<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat is GPL<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/figure><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n- Firstly, the acronym – General Public Licence or GNU<\/li>
- GPL or <\/em>General Public License, sometimes also called GNU GPL, is the most commonly used free software license. It was written by Richard Stallman of Free Software Foundation for GNU Project. This license allows software to be freely used, modified, and redistributed by anyone. WordPress is also released under the GPL license, which means that WordPress is an open source software that can be used, modified, and extended by anyone. https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/glossary\/gpl\/<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n
What about GPL & WordPress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While this video isn\u2019t very recent, it gives a deep insight into the origins of WordPress and the general public licence according to Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Open Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. <\/strong><\/p>WordCamp.org<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Not just GPL, there are many alternatives – Take a look at the \u2018Open Source Licenses by Category<\/strong>\u2019 https:\/\/opensource.org\/licenses\/category<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n While this video isn\u2019t very recent, it gives a deep insight into the origins of WordPress and the general public licence according to Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>What we learnt here was the following:
“Source code” is the part of software that most computer users don’t ever see; it’s the code computer programmers can manipulate to change how a piece of software – a “program” or “application”\u2014works. Programmers who have access to a computer program’s source code can improve that program by adding features to it or fixing parts that don’t always work correctly.
<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nWhat is GPL<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhat about GPL & WordPress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n