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Because open source software features open code, more programmers are able to view the code, create new functionality, and fix bugs. This follows the same natural way that science has developed over time.” – Taoism of Open Source; Chen Nan Yang; September 29, 2007.

This Wiki provides information about software that is licensed to be free to use, modify, and distribute, commonly called Free Software, Free Open Source Software (FOSS), and Free / Libre Open Source Software (F/LOSS). In return for this value, some but not all FOSS licenses require any modification to the software that is distributed in computer code be made freely available in human modifiable source code under the same license, thereby continually growing the software capability.

FOSS is supported by globally distributed groups of developers, associations of companies, non-profit foundations, businesses that sell added value support and services, user groups, and academic and research institutions. It is increasingly becoming the global software standard and default choice for operating systems to applications, helping individuals and organizations reduce their software costs, enhance security, increase open standards compliance, avoid vendor lock-in, and build long-term investment protection. The following sections provide more information:

Information

        

Sources

You can edit existing pages by clicking the "Edit" tab at the top of the page (except for this Main Page and a few other locked pages). To create a new page, first search for the desired page name in the Search box on the left navigation bar, and then if it does not already exist you will find a link on the results page to "create new page". Buttons for basic text formatting are provided at the top of the Edit box when editing a page, and this page provides additional editing information.

Related Information

Other site related information:

Commercial Open Source Software (COSS) can contain FOSS, however limits availability of some functionality to closed proprietary software, and therefore is described on this site only on the COSS page.