What Is Free Software?
While you may be more familiar with the term open source, we’ll start this brief history lesson where it all began: Free Software.
Right out of the gate, it’s necessary to clear up a common misconception. Yes, it’s possible to acquire and use most Free Software (and open source) without any licensing fees; however, the “free” in Free Software doesn’t actually refer to the price. It is, in fact “free as in freedom.” The alternative—“free’’ relating to price—is known in FOSS circles as “free as in beer,” the obvious parallel being that people like receiving beer for free and so, too, enjoy when it’s software for which they don’t need to open their wallets. This vocabulary collision is a feature of the English language, where ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access