ITPEC IP April 2025 Question 21
Which of the following is an Open Source Software (OSS) OS that is used in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets?
Explanation
Android — the open-source mobile OS used on smartphones and tablets from many makers.
Android is built on the Linux kernel, and Google publishes its core as the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) under an open-source licence. Anyone may obtain, modify and redistribute that source, which is why so many manufacturers ship phones and tablets running their own adapted versions. Some bundled apps and services on a particular phone are proprietary, but the OS platform itself is OSS.
Answer (a)
Why not others:
- •(b) iOS — a mobile OS, but Apple's proprietary one, running only on Apple's iPhone and iPad; its source is not open
- •(c) Safari — Apple's web browser, an application program, not an operating system
- •(d) Windows — Microsoft's proprietary OS family for PCs; neither open source nor the OS of today's smartphones
Key rule: OSS means the source code is published under a licence that allows anyone to use, modify and redistribute it; Linux and Android are OSS, while Windows and iOS are proprietary.
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