Free and open-source software
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In computing, free and open source software, also F/OSS, FOSS, or FLOSS (for Free/Libre/Open Source Software) is software which is liberally licensed to grant the right of users to study, change, and improve its design through the availability of its source code.
F/OSS is generally synonymous with free software and open source software, and describes similar development models, but with differing cultures and philosophies.
Free software licenses and Open-source licenses are used by many software packages. The licenses have important differences, which mirror the differences in the ways the two kinds of software can be used and distributed.
The F/OSS culture and F/OSS community stem from hacker culture.
See also
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Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: FLOSS Concept Booklet