Free and Open Source Software

Defining Free and Open Source

from Wikipedia

Free software

Free software, as defined by the Free Software Foundation, is software which can be used, copied, studied, modified and redistributed without restriction. Freedom from such restrictions is central to the concept. Find out more at Wikipedia.

Open source

Open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's sources. Some consider it as a philosophy, and others consider it as a pragmatic methodology.

Open-source software

Open-source software is computer software whose source code is available under a copyright license that permits users to study, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified form. It is the most prominent example of open source development.

Proprietary software

Proprietary software is the opposite of free or open source software. Proprietary software is software that has restrictions on using and copying it, usually enforced by a proprietor. The prevention of use, copying, or modification can be achieved by legal or technical means.

Non-proprietary software

Non-proprietary software is the opposite of proprietary software and is one of the many alternative terms for free software.

Alternative terms for free software

Alternative terms for free software and what they mean.

Open source vs. closed source

A Wikipedia article which compares and contrasts the open and closed source approaches.

Free software license

Find out about all of the free software licenses at Wikipedia.

Open-source license

An open-source license is a copyright license for computer software that makes the source code available under terms that allow for modification and redistribution without having to pay the original author.

Free/Libre/Open-Source Software

Free/Libre/Open-Source Software (or simply FLOSS) is a term that is synonymous with free software and open source software.

Free software movement

It's about more than licenses. There's a whole Free software movement. The free software movement began in 1983 when Richard Stallman announced the GNU project. It is a social movement which aims change the rights which software users have.

Free software community

The free software community is also called the open source community or the Linux community. These terms refers to the collective users and developers of free software.

Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a non-profit corporation founded in October 1985 by Richard Stallman to support the free software movement.

Where to find free and open source software

Open Source Software Wiki

The Free and Open Source Software at oss.wikia.com is for describing, discussing, and documenting open source software. The wiki also aims to bring together communities of developers as well as give some background information about free software.

Feel free to create pages about your free and open source software project.

List of open source software packages

Wikipedia's list of open source software packages sorted by category.

How to find Free Software and Open Source software

How to find Free Software and Open Source software from the How-to Wiki.

The Free Software Directory

The Free Software Directory, created by the FSF and UNESCO aims to catalog useful free software that runs under free operating systems.