Which of the following is the PRIMARY risk with using open source software in a commercial software construction?

Question

Options

• ALack of software documentation
• BLicense agreements requiring release of modified code
• CExpiration of the license agreement
• DCosts associated with support of the software

• A
  8% (2)
• C
  4% (1)
• D
  88% (23)

Explanation

Support costs are the primary business risk because open source software comes with no vendor-backed service level agreements, warranties, or guaranteed maintenance. Commercial organizations must budget for internal expertise, third-party support contracts, or risk being stranded if the community abandons the project - costs that often exceed initial expectations.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (Documentation): Documentation quality varies widely in OSS, but poor docs are a convenience problem, not a primary risk - teams can reverse-engineer or contribute docs themselves.
• B (License requiring release of modified code): This is a real concern (copyleft licenses like GPL), but it is a manageable legal compliance issue, not the dominant operational risk for most commercial projects.
• C (License expiration): Open source licenses (MIT, Apache, GPL, etc.) are perpetual - they do not expire. This choice describes proprietary software behavior.

Memory tip: Think of it this way - "open source" means open code, not open wallet. The code is free, but keeping it running in production costs money. When "support" disappears, your team pays. The exam is testing whether you know that "free software" shifts support costs onto you.

No community discussion yet for this question.