Monday, October 3, 2022 – Is it safe to use ‘Open Source’ software? – Try this powerful free replacement for Windows’ Task Manager

Q&A: Is it safe to use ‘Open Source’ software?

Question from Melinda:  I keep hearing about free ‘open source’ software and I’m wondering if it’s safe to use.

I love the idea of using programs that don’t cost anything but I worry about downloading a virus or something.

What’s you opinion about that? Is open source software safe to use?

Rick’s answer:  Melinda, the answer to your question is generally yes, open source software is indeed safe to use. But it really all depends on where you download it from.

Some of the most popular (and most useful) software programs in the world are distributed at no cost as open source titles. For example, here are just a few that are widely considered to be industry standards:

• Libre Office
• VLC Media Player
• Brave Web Browser
• Firefox Web Browser
• Audacity Audio Editor
• FileZilla FTP
• Linux O.S.

All of those software titles (and thousands more) are readily available for download at no charge, and they are currently in use on billions of computers and mobile devices worldwide.

And yes, they are all completely safe to use. But here’s the thing…

There are also numerous programs and apps being distributed as open source that are risky, and even outright dangerous.

Some open source programs and apps are riddled with bugs and malware.

Others are just poorly written and cause issues like memory leaks and serious incompatibilies with some hardware and other software programs.

The key here is to download your open source software from reputable download sites.

Unfortunately, some of the largest and most popular download sites engage in questionable tactics like tricking you into downloading unwanted add-on programs that come bundled with the the programs you actually want to use.

Luckily, there are a few download sites out there that take your trust, your privacy and your security seriously. My favorite by far is OlderGeeks.

When you download a program from OlderGeeks you’ll get nothing but that one program, with no hidden bundles or deceptive add-ons. And you can rest easy knowing it’ll be malware free.

By the way, this isn’t an ad for OlderGeeks. It’s simply a personal endorsement.

I’ve been downloading awesome software from there for years and I’ve never received anything from them that I didn’t want to receive.

Randy and Deanna do a great job at keeping the OlderGeeks software respository free of malware, free of deceptive ads and free to use (although they do accept and appreciate donations). Check them out.

Of course many excellent open source titles are available directly from the companies’ websites as well (Microsoft and Mozilla are just two examples).

Bottom line: In my humble opinion, open source software is fantastic as long as it’s selected and procurred wisely.

And as regular readers of my blogs and this newsletter know, I use plenty of open source titles myself and recommend them on a regular basis.

Just be diligent about where you download your free open source software from and you’ll be just fine.