id Software has transformed the open-source code of its game DOOM from its original state, where it was made available for trial use but still under the copyright of id Software, to now being licensed under the GPL. This change has effectively turned this codebase into a complete open-source entity.
While the source code itself is now open-source, it does not encompass other accompanying files such as audio and image files. As a result, those who wish to utilize the code still require the game, which can still be purchased on GOG.
DOOM serves as a testament to the immense processing power that small-scale computers possess. It can function just as well as PCs from 1993 when the game was first released. For example, 13 years ago, DOOM was successfully ported to iPod, and as far back as 7 years ago, it could even be run on the ESP32 chip.
It’s worth mentioning that the released source code can only be compiled on Linux, as certain sound libraries used were sourced externally.
TLDR: id Software has made the source code of DOOM open-source under the GPL license. However, the code does not include other essential game files. DOOM showcases the remarkable computational capabilities of small-scale computers and has been successfully adapted to various platforms throughout the years.
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