FOSS
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Software
| Stands for | Free and open-source software |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
FOSS stands for Free and open-source software, a software abbreviation.
Software whose license lets anyone run, study, modify and redistribute it, combining the "free software" and "open source" traditions under one neutral label. Linux, Firefox, LibreOffice and VLC are FOSS.
Example: The school switched to FOSS tools like LibreOffice and GIMP to save on license fees.
Usage notes
"Free" refers to freedom rather than price, summed up as "free as in speech, not as in beer". The free software movement (Richard Stallman, 1983) stresses ethics, while the open source movement (1998) stresses practical benefits; FOSS sidesteps the debate. FLOSS adds "libre" to make the freedom meaning explicit.
Related abbreviations
More software abbreviations
- EE – Enterprise Edition
- EOL – End of life
- ESR – Extended Support Release
- ESU – Extended Security Updates
- EULA – End-user license agreement
- FLOSS – Free/libre and open-source software
- FSF – Free Software Foundation
- FW – Firmware
- GA – General availability
- GIMP – GNU Image Manipulation Program
- GM – Golden master
- GMS – Google Mobile Services