Open source software

Open source software (also written as "open-source software") is computer software licensed under an open source license. Software that fits the very similar Free software definition, and was developed to support the motivations of the free software movement, may be more appropriately called free software (the GNU project in particular objects to their works being referred to as "open source"). For more information about the philosophical background for open source software, see open source movement and free software movement. However, nearly all software meeting the Open Source Definition is also Free Software (in the sense of the term as used by the free software movement). Examples of Open source software include the Linux kernel and the Apache web server.\nSee List of open-source software packages for a list of popular open-source software packages. See also: list of Unix programs, freeware, shareware, public domain, proprietary software, Freshmeat, SourceForge