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Open-Source License
Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of free as in free speech, not as in free beer.
Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software:
- The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
- The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
- The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
- The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
The usual license is the General Public License (GPL), but many others exist, with some difference.
The terms free software and
open-source software are related; see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html for more information.
This is somehow the equivalent of the Open Content License under which this Website is published.
This is a copy of the living page
"Open-Source License" at
Sensei's Library.
2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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