Frequently Asked Questions
For specific questions about a software package please see that package’s specific page. Click here to see a list of all the products that we offer.
Are all "open source" software products free?
What's the advantage in using an open source software solution?
In general, how do I decide which open source package to use?
Which open source software package is right for me?
How hard is it to use the free add-on modules that my open source package has for downloading on their website? And do the free add-on modules work?
Are all "open source" software products free?
No, open source products are not always free. This is a big misconception and it’s absolutely not always the case. Open source simply means that the source code for the software is open and available for anyone to view but it is up to the software creator to determine how much they will charge and how the source code can be used or modified.
In many cases people who make their source code open also make it free and release it under what’s called the GNU – General Public License (GPL). For a full understanding of the GPL check out this website: http://www.gnu.org. Basically, if someone releases their software under the GPL it means that the software is free to use and can be modified and redistributed without any restrictions. Most software packages listed on Wallanet.com are open source and released under the GPL – which means they’re free and fully customizable. However, if you see a price on a specific software package it means that the software creator charges that amount for a license to use it and their may be some restrictions on how it can be modified.
What's the advantage in using an open source software solution?
The main advantage to using an open source solution is NOT the fact that it’s usually free. This is a benefit, but not the primary benefit. The primary benefit in using free open source packages are the communities that grow around a specific package. This community, if it’s a good open source product, will be large and will offer lots of support, typically in the form of forums and free add-on modules. A mature open source product typically has been around for a while so the bugs have been worked out of it. As it grows other people develop the product and create additional skins and themes as well as adding functionality through add-on modules. This allows you to grow your website quickly and easily without having to continually employee a web developer to build modules and add functionality from scratch.
In addition, because these packages are typically released under the GPL you never have to worry about additional costs down the road. As your business grows you’re free to modify your website how ever you see fit and you’ll never have to worry about a licensing fee or violating any terms of service.
The downside to open source products is that there is typically no formal way of getting support or help if you need it. This is not usually a huge problem since any good open source product has a large community and you can usually find developers familiar with the product at a reasonable cost. Typically well established open source products are not released until they are thoroughly tested, however sometimes the add-on modules are released without proper testing and can be buggy. Or, since there’s no formalized center overseeing product development, sometimes add-on modules can conflict with each other and don’t work correctly when they’re both installed. But this small development issue is usually easy to correct by adding modules to a development site first, and making sure you have a skilled web developer in case of an emergency.
In general, how do I decide which open source package to use?
Assuming you know what type of site you want to create it's just a matter of deciding among the solutions that do what you want. But deciding among them can be a daunting task.
Wallnet has set up demo versions for most of the open source packages we offer. Go here to use our demo system: http://www.wallanet.com/demo_open_source_packages
In general you want to choose an open source package that has a large community base. If there is a large community using the package you choose you know it will be fully tested when you start using it, you know you’ll be able to find support when you need it, and you know there will be lots of templates / themes and add-on modules to help you build your website.
Which open source software package is right for me?
Click here to read about all the open source software packages that we offer. Or click here to contact us and we'll be happy to help you figure it out.
How hard is it to use the free add-on modules that my open source package has for download on their website? And do the free add-on modules work?
This can vary greatly from product to product. The more developed open source products usually make adding modules as easy as downloading the module, unzipping it, uploading it to the web server where your open source package is hosted, and then installing it through the admin interface. Or the package can require a web developer to actually alter source code.
If you have any questions about the add-on modules of a specific package you can typically look at that package’s website and click through a few modules and see what sort of problems people are having installing them. This is a good gauge to how easy it will be to install a specific package.
The modules for most well developed open source packages work as described. Typically you can tell a lot about how well an add-on module works by looking at the comments and forum topics for that module (usually found on the website where the package is available for downloading). If a lot of people are having trouble with the module that’s a good indication that the module may have some bugs.