Freeware, Free and Open Source Software are not Same
People often think that free software means open source software. Most people think that Linux is free software. Software’s that run on Linux operating system is absolutely free but this is not the case. There is a lot of difference in all these terms. After studying a lot of websites I found some real good facts that I am sharing with you.
Freeware: Freeware software’s are available to use with no cost. Proprietary software’s can also be freeware software. Freeware software’s are generally used by companies to help developers, students and communities to develop software skills while using this freeware software, but not to loose their business potential software companies don’t give the source code of the software’s. Freeware software is different from shareware software. Shareware software’s are used for marketing purpose. Computer users can download and use a limited version of software or full version of software for a limited period of time. We can say that Shareware software is just like “Try before you buy”.
Freeware generally refers to software that is copyrighted and the term shareware refers to commercial software that is copyrighted, but which may be copied for others for the purpose of their trying it out with the understanding that they will pay for it if they continue to use it
Free Software: Free software can be used, modified and studied without any restriction. Free software can be copied and distributed with or without any modifications. A software is free when the end user get’s full software with the human readable form of the program called as source code with above permissions. Free Software Foundation maintains the definition of free software
The definition published by FSF
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Run the program, for any purpose.
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Study how the program works and adapt it to your needs.
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Redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.
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Improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits.
Open Source: Open source software can be defined as computer software for which the source code of the software is available under a copyright that must meet the open source definition.
Open Source Definition
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Free Redistribution: the software can be freely given away or sold. (This was intended to expand sharing and use of the software on a legal basis).
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Source Code: the source code must either be included or freely obtainable. (Without source code, making changes or modifications can be impossible.)
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Derived Works: redistribution of modifications must be allowed. (To allow legal sharing and to permit new features or repairs.)
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Integrity of The Author’s Source Code: licenses may require that modifications are redistributed only as patches.
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No Discrimination against Persons or Groups: no one can be locked out.
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No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor: commercial users cannot be excluded.
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Distribution of License: The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the program is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties.
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License Must Not Be Specific to a Product: the program cannot be licensed only as part of a larger distribution.
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License Must Not Restrict Other Software: the license cannot insist that any other software it is distributed with must also be open source.
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License Must Be Technology-Neutral: No click-wrap licenses or other medium-specific ways of accepting the license must be required.
There can be different open source copyright laws enforced by different software vendors.
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