Free Software? Open Source Software? A concise explanation.

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Free Software came into being when Richard Stallman started his free-software movement in 1983. This is also when he launched his GNU project, a household name for aspiring Computer Science enthusiasts and professionals alike. As the world was slowly shifting towards a globally connected network of data points, politics found its way in this new world order. Many internet freedom fighters stood up for the rights of the "common man" using a software. And thus the notion of 'free' software sprout. Just to clarify, Free Software doesn't necessarily mean that it is free of cost (although one wouldn't be completely wrong to make that assumption since the software is free to redistribute for no cost), it essentially means that the computer users have the freedom to cooperate with whom they choose, and to control the software they use. The four essential freedoms that comes with the free software license are: 

  • Freedom 0: The freedom to run the program for any purpose.

  • Freedom 1: The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish.

  • Freedom 2: The freedom to redistribute and make copies so you can help your neighbour.

  • Freedom 3: The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements (and modified versions in general) to the public, so that the whole community benefits.

Open Source Software is a piece of software much like Free Software of which the source code is released under a license in which the copyright-holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and distribute the software to anyone and for any purpose.
According to the Free software movement's leader, Richard Stallman, the main difference is that by choosing one term over the other (i.e. either "open source" or "free software") one lets others know about what one's goals are: "Open source is a development methodology; free software is a social movement." Nevertheless, there is significant overlap between open source software and free software.

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