Can you explain the difference between "Free Software (GNU)" and "Open Source"?
GeneralThis forum is for non-technical general discussion which can include both Linux and non-Linux topics. Have fun!
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
Can you explain the difference between "Free Software (GNU)" and "Open Source"?
Today I wrote an article on Open Source and realized that I was talking about "Free Software" (as in GNU/GPLed) rather than "Open Source" which is often mistaken for GPLed software but which can include other GPL incompatible licenses as well.
I realize that the free software foundation (GNU.org) has somewhat varying take on the Freedom issue (more freedom) than the "Open Source" movement which is somewhat lax in its definition of Open Source.
The two are indeed different and I thought it is important that we in the Linux community know the difference between the two. There are several ideological differences which might indeed have long-run implications.
Yes. The GNU foundation has *very* strict norms on what constitutes Free Software. Their ideological moorings are very strong and they stress on the "Freedom" to the end user aspect.
The Open Source initiative instead stresses on the convenience and the advantages of developing very good software by releasing the source code of the software under one of the "Open Source" compliant licenses. It also stresses on the practical benefits of "Open Source" while the FSF stresses on the philosophical benefits.
It makes for an interesting read. Thought I'd share this with everybody and wondering how many of you already know of it. Having used Linux for a long time it was just today that I came across the difference.
Originally posted by oneandoneis2 You obviously haven't read nearly enough of RMS's speeches on the subject then
Actually I was always under the assumption that Open Source == GPL, which is not too far-fetched, but only today did I go through the FSF.org website's documents.
And no. I really did not know who Stallman was (sacrilege!! ) until recently.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.