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Free and Open Source Software, as | '''Free and Open Source Software''' ('''FOSS'''), or Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS), is software that is available under a license that grants the right to use, modify, and distribute the software, modified or not, to everyone free of charge. The public availability of the source code is, therefore, a necessary but not sufficient condition. FOSS is an inclusive umbrella term for free software and open-source software. FOSS is in contrast to proprietary software, where the software is under restrictive copyright or licensing and the source code is hidden from the users. | ||
=== Notes === | |||
FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) is an inclusive term encompassing both free software and open-source software. Although these terms describe similar development models, they stem from different cultures and philosophical backgrounds. "Free" in this context refers to the users' freedom to copy and reuse the software. The Free Software Foundation, which promotes the free software model, emphasizes this by suggesting one should "think of free as in free speech, not as in free beer" (see [https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html "The Free Software Definition"], GNU, retrieved February 4, 2010). Free software focuses on the essential freedoms it grants to users, while open-source software highlights the strengths of its collaborative development model.<ref>[[wikipedia:Free_and_open-source_software#CITEREFFeller2005|Feller 2005]], pp. 101-106, 110-111.</ref> FOSS is a neutral term that can be used without favoring either political approach.<ref>[[wikipedia:Free_and_open-source_software|"Free and open-source software"]]. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed June 4, 2024.</ref> | |||
[[Category:Terminology]] | [[Category:Terminology]] | ||
Revision as of 17:41, 4 June 2024
Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), or Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS), is software that is available under a license that grants the right to use, modify, and distribute the software, modified or not, to everyone free of charge. The public availability of the source code is, therefore, a necessary but not sufficient condition. FOSS is an inclusive umbrella term for free software and open-source software. FOSS is in contrast to proprietary software, where the software is under restrictive copyright or licensing and the source code is hidden from the users.
Notes
FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) is an inclusive term encompassing both free software and open-source software. Although these terms describe similar development models, they stem from different cultures and philosophical backgrounds. "Free" in this context refers to the users' freedom to copy and reuse the software. The Free Software Foundation, which promotes the free software model, emphasizes this by suggesting one should "think of free as in free speech, not as in free beer" (see "The Free Software Definition", GNU, retrieved February 4, 2010). Free software focuses on the essential freedoms it grants to users, while open-source software highlights the strengths of its collaborative development model.[1] FOSS is a neutral term that can be used without favoring either political approach.[2]
- ↑ Feller 2005, pp. 101-106, 110-111.
- ↑ "Free and open-source software". Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed June 4, 2024.