Support Options for Free Open Source Software

support

If I use open source software, who will provide support?

Support for free open source software (FOSS) is very different from commercial software because you didn't buy the software license from a vendor. So, there is no software vendor that you can call. However, there are far more support options available for FOSS than for proprietary software. These can be covered under the following broad categories.

Professional open source vendor

Professional open source is sponsored by a vendor. These vendors, typically, offer support as well as packages with extra features for a fee. For example, Sun Microsystems provides paid support for OpenOffice software.

Third-party support

There are third-party vendors who specialize in some FOSS software and contract to support those for a number of clients. There are also several small business IT support providers, some may be in your area, who have gained experience in supporting open source software.

Can I support it internally?

Yes. Businesses that approach this with a do-it-yourself attitude are able to gain the most from open source software. We provide a lot of help to guide you through the traps and pitfalls. In fact, this entire site is oriented towards that single goal. Especially take a look at:

For mission critical production applications, we strongly recommend judicious use of professional help. However, while you are doing development or testing, and for low risk applications, you can avoid spending on prefessional help and support it yourselves.