I’m up to this point in the guide, going over setting up VMs and the configuration to the network to accommodate them, and am wondering if anyone would recommend going a different route? Like was said in the beginning, this is just their workflow, that they’ve had for a while. Are there better ways to explore now?


Yes, source available is distinct from open source. Source available just means you can see the code. Open source allows you to modify and redistribute the code.
No, that’s the difference between Open Source Software and Free Software
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open-source
You’re right, I should have done more research