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Friday 24 August 2012

Terminology and definitions.

Terminology and definitions --open source software.


1. OSS and FLOSS.

OSS refers to open source software, which refers to software whose source code is available to customers and it can be modified and redistributed without any limitations.
An OSS may come free of cost or with a nominal charge that its developers may charge in the name of development, support of software.
FLOSS refers to Free Libre and Open Source Software and is used to refer to a software which is both free software as well as open source software. Here Libre(Spanish) means freedom.

2. GNU

GNU refers to GUN's Not Unix.The GNU project was initiated by Richard M. Stallman with an objective to create a system compatible to Unix but not identical with it. With time, GNU project expanded and now it it is not limited to operating system, but offers a wide range of software, including applications apart from operating system.

3. FSF

FSF is Free Software Foundation. FSF is a non-profit organization created for the purpose of supporting free software movement and has funded many software developers to write free software. Richard Stallman founded FSF in 1985 to support GNU project and GNU licences.

4. OSI

OSI is Open Source Initiative. It is an organization dedicated to cause of promoting open source software.Bruce perens and Erics Raymond were the founders in 1998. It properly defines the terms and specifications of open source software.

5. W3C

W3C is acronym for World Wide Web Consortium. W3C is responsible for producing the software standards for world wide web. It was created in 1994, to lead the world wide web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promotes its evolution and ensures its interoperability.

6. Proprietory Software

These are neither open source nor freely available. Its use is regulated and further distribution and modification is either forbidden or requires special permission by the suppliers or vendors. Generally, source code is not available.

7. Freeware

The term freeware has no clear definition, but is generally used for software, which is available free of cost and which allows copying and further distribution, but not modifications, and whose source code is not available.

8. Shareware

Shareware is software, which is available with the right to redistribute copies, but it is stipulated that if one tends to use the software, often after a certain period of time, then a licence fee should be paid.
Source code is not available and modifications of the software is not allowed. The objective of shareware is to make the software available to try for as many users as possible and often includes a built-in timed mechanism, which usually limits functionality after a trial period of usually one to three months.


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