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MOXSofía Paredes
17-11-2021

What is free software?

Some examples of free software are the Mozilla Firefox browser, the Office document editor, and GIMP images. These elements are free software, and you may not even know you were using them. Operating systems used, such as Android on cell phones or on computers, specifically Windows, are supported by a free software framework. But what is it really?

Free software means that the code with which it is created is open, so anyone can modify it. You can work in groups developing applications to make them more secure, as well as studying the code to verify potential site vulnerabilities and resolve them. In general, this option is intended for collaborative work.

The term was coined by the GNU Project and the Free Software Foundation. It is used for open-source software that allows users to freely view the software's source code, modify it, distribute it, and use it without any restrictions.

“Free software is software that respects the freedom of users and the community. Broadly speaking, it means that users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, modify, and improve the software. In other words, “free software” is a matter of freedom, not price. To understand the concept, think of “libre” as in “free expression,” not “free bar.” In English, sometimes instead of “free software,” we say “libre software,” using that French or Spanish adjective, derived from “freedom,” to show that we don't mean the software is free,” explains GNU.

Free Software promotes freedom and collaboration:



Use: can be used for any purpose, without restrictions such as license expiration or geographical limitations.

Share: can be shared and copied virtually free of charge.

Study: can be studied by anyone, without nondisclosure agreements or similar restrictions.

Improve: which can be modified by anyone, and these improvements can be shared publicly.

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