free software
No-charge digital tools
Free software is software that users can run, study, modify, and redistribute without restriction.
The term emphasizes freedom rather than price—free as in speech, not free as in beer.
Free software differs from open source in philosophy: free software advocates frame it as an ethical issue about user rights, while open source emphasizes practical benefits.
The operating system runs entirely on free software.
Absence of unjust constraint
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- rightsJustified claims to freedoms
- opennessQuality of being accessible
- transparencyState of being see-through
ethics · activism · advocacy · manifesto · copyleft · user rights · digital rights · libre
Open source license type
- MITCambridge research university
- ApacheSouthwestern indigenous nation
- copyleftMandatory openness inheritance clause
- permissiveTolerant, lacking strictness
Creative Commons · public domain · attribution · redistribution · derivative works · proprietary · relicensing · compliance
Programming instructions before compilation
- repositoryPlace for storing things
- forkTined eating tool
- commitBind to a course
- branchDivision or woody limb
merge · patch · bugfix · contributor · maintainer · pull request · code review · version control
Recursive-acronym operating system
- LinuxOpen-source operating system kernel
- FirefoxMozilla's web navigator
- LibreOfficeFree office suite
- GIMPFree image manipulation software
Blender · Ubuntu · Debian · GNOME · Apache · Thunderbird · WordPress · Signal
Remote-to-local data transfer
- mirrorReflective viewing surface
- repositoryPlace for storing things
- binaryConsisting of two parts
- compilationGathered works assembled together
installation · update · apt · yum · snap · distro · archive · hosting
Joint intellectual work
- contributorOne who provides something
- maintainerOne who preserves condition
- mailing listCompiled recipient addresses
- IRCText-based chat protocol
forum · hackathon · sprint · foundation · governance · meritocracy · volunteer · donation
liberty
Absence of unjust constraint
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- rightsJustified claims to freedoms
- opennessQuality of being accessible
transparency · ethics · activism · advocacy · manifesto · copyleft · user rights · digital rights · libre · self-determination
GPL
Open source license type
- MITCambridge research university
- ApacheSouthwestern indigenous nation
- copyleftMandatory openness inheritance clause
permissive · Creative Commons · public domain · attribution · redistribution · derivative works · proprietary · relicensing · compliance · terms
source code
Programming instructions before compilation
- repositoryPlace for storing things
- forkTined eating tool
- commitBind to a course
branch · merge · patch · bugfix · contributor · maintainer · pull request · code review · version control · Git
GNU
Recursive-acronym operating system
- LinuxOpen-source operating system kernel
- FirefoxMozilla's web navigator
- LibreOfficeFree office suite
GIMP · Blender · Ubuntu · Debian · GNOME · Apache · Thunderbird · WordPress · Signal · Tor
download
Remote-to-local data transfer
- mirrorReflective viewing surface
- repositoryPlace for storing things
- binaryConsisting of two parts
compilation · installation · update · apt · yum · snap · distro · archive · hosting · bandwidth
collaboration
Joint intellectual work
- contributorOne who provides something
- maintainerOne who preserves condition
- mailing listCompiled recipient addresses
IRC · forum · hackathon · sprint · foundation · governance · meritocracy · volunteer · donation · sponsorship
- free stuffdemo, public domain, creative commons, freemium
- free stuff onlinefreemium, stock photos, MOOCs
- free accesspublic domain, gratis, unblocked, unrestricted, open access
- copyleftcopyleft, GPL, share-alike, Creative Commons, libre
- open commonscommons, open access, open data, Creative Commons, copyleft
- Open LicensingCreative Commons, public domain, copyleft, attribution, share-alike
free softwareproprietary software
Restricted, owned computer programs
commercial software · enterprise software · shareware · freemium · SaaS
free, freedom, freed, freeing, software, freebie, freest, malware, unfree