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software, started the Free Software movement which is now supported by the Free Software Foundation.
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inspiring speech on the ‘4 Freedoms’ provided Richard Stallman with a framework
for initiating ‘Free Software Foundation’.
Freeware is a kind of software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with
one or more restricted usage rights. Such software are freely accessible and can be used, copied and
distributed freely. But this does not allow the redistribution of its source code.
A software is said to be “free software” if the software’s users have the four essential freedoms:
Freedom 1: The freedom to run the program as per the wish of user, for any purpose.
Freedom 2: The freedom to study how the program works and change it to customise for self. Access
to the source code is a precondition for this.
Freedom 3: The freedom to redistribute copies or help others to access and use.
Freedom 4: The freedom to distribute the copies of the updated or modified versions to others. By
doing this, the programmer can give the whole community a chance to benefit from the
changes.
Open Source Software
OSS are those software that are free to be used and whose source code (programmed codes) is also
available to make further changes and to customise as per the need of any programmer. Open Source
Software (OSS) is computer software that is available with source code which permits the users to study,
change and improve and at times also to distribute the software or update source code.
Notes
Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) can be classified as both free software and open source
software i.e., anyone is freely licensed to use, copy, study and change the software in any way and
the source code is openly shared so that users or developers are encouraged to voluntarily improve
the software.
Open Source Software Movement and License
Open Source Software are designed by writing codes. Such codes of programs can be utilized by others
for new development or for customisation as per the requirement. OSS is influenced by OSS Movement.
It is a kind of movement that supports, encourages and helps to create awareness for the use of open
source licenses software. Programmers who support the open source movement philosophy contribute
to the open source community by voluntarily writing and exchanging programming code for software
development.
An open-source license is a type of license for use of computer software and other products that allows
to use, modify and share the source code, the blueprint or design under defined terms and conditions.
This allows the developer, end users and commercial companies to review and modify the source code,
blueprint or design and use as per the needs.
However, open source licenses may have some restrictions, particularly regarding the ‘Expression of
Respect’ for the origin of software. While updating, it is expected to mention the name of the authors
and to mention a copyright statement within the code and to redistribute the license of newly updated
software free of charge only under the original developer/owner’s license.
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