OSS in IT
What is OSS?
  Examples
  More examples
  Extreme
What is Linux?
  Distributions
  Support
  Free? How?
  Stable? Secure?
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What is Open Source Software?

  • OSS is software which is available for free in source code form.
    • Source code is the human readable form of computer programs. The most common forms are in C, C++, Perl, Java, Python or TCL/Tk.
    • Native Executables are created from the source code, and used by end users.

  • An Open Source license guarantees that you, the end user, will always have access to the software in both source code and executable form.

  • It is completely legal to use as many copies of OSS as you like. It is also legal to give the software to others for their own use, but you must give them the source code too.

  • It is legal to make modifications to the software for your own purposes. It is encouraged that such changes be contributed back for possible incorporation in the code base and/or to be used by others.

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Copyright 1999 Chris Halsall and the Victoria Linux Users Group. Reuse permitted for OSS promotion.