What is the difference between free software and open source software?
There is no difference, or at least there isn’t meant to be. Open source software was coined as a new name for free software which was intended to avoid the confusion arising from the fact that you’re allowed to charge money for free software which can seem counterintuitive. It was also meant to give the community some branding power, because it was hoped that open source software could be controlled and legally permitted for use only on actual free software, whereas any company can distribute some proprietary software at no charge (eg Internet Explorer) and, since they are not charging any money, call it free software. (What we mean by the free in free software is of course a set of freedoms, not a price; free as in free speech rather than free as in free beer.) OSS was also meant to sound more professional and hence more attractive to businesses. In practice there are slight differences in emphasis between the people who use the two terms, and having two terms has caused confusion an
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