FOSS stands for Free and Open Source Softwares.

"Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of free as in free speech, not as in free beer."

Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software:

• The freedom to run the program, for any purpose        (freedom 0).
• The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
• The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

A program is free software if users have all of these freedoms. Thus, you should be free to redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to anyone anywhere. Being free to do these things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay for permission.

You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they exist. If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way.

The freedom to run the program means the freedom for any kind of person or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind of overall job and purpose, without being required to communicate about it with the developer or any other specific entity. In this freedom, it is the user's purpose that matters, not the developer's purpose.

 You may have paid money to get copies of free software, or you may have obtained copies at no charge. But regardless of how you got your copies, you always have the freedom to copy and change the software, even to sell copies.

"Free software" does not mean "non-commercial". A free program must be available for commercial use, commercial development, and commercial distribution. Commercial development of free software is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.

Beyond Software

Free GNU/Linux Distribution

• gNewSense, a fully free GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian and Ubuntu and sponsored by the FSF
• UTUTO-e, a GNU/Linux distribution containing only free software. In both Spanish and English.
• Dynebolic, The instant bootable GNU/Linux
• BLAG, blag linux and gnu
• GNUstep, another instant bootable GNU/Linux distribution
• Musix GNU+Linux, a bootable GNU+Linux distribution, in an increasing number of languages.

 Organizations related to free software

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