1. Introduction to FOSS
(Free and Open Source Software)
By: Altin Ukshini - altin.ukshini@gmail.com
Twitter: @AltinUkshini
Facebook: /altin.ukshini
Licensed under: CC-BY-SA

2. Objectives
• Understand a brief history of FOSS.
• Explain what FOSS means.
• Appreciate some of the benefits of FOSS.
• Know FOSS equivalents to proprietary
softwares/applications

3. History
• Late 60's (IBM sold the hardware, not software)
Software was still free.
• 70's - not free (Software licenses came up)
• West coast – Unix development
• East coast – Richard Stallman and the beginning
of FSF and GNU project.
• Finland – Linus Torvalds > Linux (Kernel)

4. Free Software Movement
The free software movement was
started by Richard Stallman
Founded the Free Software Foundation in 1985.

5. FOSS Defined
Free and Open Source Software
Software considered to be alternative to a proprietary one
For example:
Mozilla Firefox as alternative
to Internet Explorer;
OpenOffice to Microsoft
Office;
GIMP to Photoshop.
“Proprietary”
denotes a
software user's
lack of freedom
to study, modify
and redistribute
the software
Free Software Open Source Software

6. What is meant by free?
• Free not as in free lunch (no cost)
• Free as in free speech (freedom)

7. What freedoms? - GNU Manifesto
• Freedom 0: (use)
– The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.
• Freedom 1: (study)
– The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to
your needs . (Access to the source code is a precondition for this.)
• Freedom 2: (copy and share)
– The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your
neighbor.
• Freedom 3: (modify and distribute)
– The freedom to improve the program, and release your
improvements (and modified versions in general) to the public, so
that the whole community benefits. (Access to the source code is a
precondition for this.)

8. Complete!
A program is free software if users have
all of these freedoms.

9. So, What is Open Source Software ?
The Free Software movement and the Open Source movement are like two
political camps within the free software community.
• Bazaar philosophy
(A market place which grows organically)

10. Sharing is caring!!!
Problem ?
How to solve it ?
Why so ?
...

11. Who develops FOSS ?
COMMUNITY!
(All around the world)
“By the community, for the community/”

12. Examples of FOSS
• GNU/Linux Operating
System
• Android
• Mozilla (Firefox)
• Libre/Open Office
• VLC
• GIMP, Blender
• Apache
• MySQL
• PHP, phpMyadmin
• Wordpress, Drupal,
Joomla
• Emacs
• Eclipse
• Firebug
• 7-Zip

13. Why should you use FOSS ?
Better quality: Because the code can be revised by many different
programmers
More security: having many developers look into the code as potential
users is more likely to uncover possible security holes right away. It
is more resistant to hangs and crashes It doesn’t get infected by
viruses easily.
Price: In the Free Software world, users pay for services. 99% of free
software has zero cost.
The biggest advantage free software has is that it doesn’t tie you down to
anyone.