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- "Because open source software features open code, more programmers are able to view the code, create new functionality, and fix bugs. This follows the same natural way that science has developed over time." – Taoism of Open Source; Chen Nan Yang; September 29, 2007.
This site provides information about Free Open Source Software (FOSS), which is also called Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS), Free Software, and sometimes just Open Source. FOSS is released under a license that is kind of an Intellectual Property lawyer's version of the Golden Rule, making the software available at no cost to anyone to use, modify, and distribute as they wish, provided they agree in turn to make it available at no cost to others to use, modify, and distribute as they wish.
In addition, many Free Open Source Software licenses require that any modifications to the software - usually fixes and enhancements - must also be made available to others at no cost under the same license. This is like software yeast, continually growing the capability. These kinds of licenses are particularly good at generating the trust that leads to large and sustainable communities, and most FOSS today is released under a license including this condition.
Free Open Source Software is increasingly seen as the global standard and lowest-risk choice for operating systems to end-user applications. FOSS helps individuals and organizations reduce cost, increase use, improve standards compliance, enhance security, and avoid vendor lock-in. More information can be found in the following sections.
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The following links provide site related information.
Commercial Open Source Software (COSS) can contain Free Open Source Software components, however limits availability of some functionality to closed proprietary software, and therefore is described on this site only on the COSS page.
