Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)

By Romeo Ningombam *

Free and Open Source Software is a term given to a collection of software* which falls under two different category 'Free software' and 'Open source software'.

Although both types of software are promoted by two different group viz. Free Software Foundation (www.fsf.org) and Open Source Software (www.opensource.org), they mean almost the same thing with a little variation in definition. Together they form a completely new dimension in the way software is used.

Contrary to the general belief, free software does not mean software that comes free of cost. Free here means freedom and the liberty that a user gets in using software.

Richard Stallman, the founder of Free Software Foundation precisely clarified this myth by describing free software as "Free as in free speech, not as in free beer". Free software guarantees four basic freedoms to the users of the software:

• Freedom 0: The freedom to run the program, for any purpose
• Freedom 1: The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to your needs by accessing the source code.
• Freedom 2: The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others. But redistribution is allowed with condition that same freedom should be given to other users.
• Freedom 3: The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community is benefited from it. Source code access should be allowed to ensure this freedom.

A program is free software if user has all these freedom. Thus, you should be free to redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to anyone anywhere. Being free to do these things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay for permission.

Open Source Software as the name signifies implies software whose source are freely and easily available. It may not come up source code but the source code must be available on demand or there should be proper documentation describing how to get the source.

It also lays down guidelines for distribution of the software which, by principle, is almost the same as those as those in Free software but allows restriction, up to some extend, to the user. Open source has 10 criteria of distribution:-

• Free Redistribution: the software can be freely given away or sold.
• Source Code: The source code must either be included or freely obtainable
• Derived Works: Redistribution of modifications must be allowed.
• Integrity of the author's source code: The author may reserve the right to prevent redistribution in same name.
• No Discrimination against Persons or Groups
• No Discrimination against Fields of Endeavor: Software can be used for any purpose and in any way the users want.
• Distribution of license: The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the program is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties.
• License must not be specific to a product: Software can be used as a part of other software.
• License must not restrict other software: the license cannot insist that any other software it is distributed with must also be open source.
• License must be Technology-Neutral

Free and Open Source Software guarantee users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software unlike the propriety software which not only restrict the users in using the way he want but also prevent them from sharing the software.

Part 2:

Having gained some knowledge about Free and Open source software, now the big question to answer is "Why should one use Free and Open Source Software?"

This question can be answered from two different perspectives - one from the perspective of general users who may or may not have knowledge or interest about how software works internally and another from that of software developers, i.e. those who has some knowledge or interest about the software. The former includes the latter.

License agreement of most proprietary software outlines many restrictions on a user in terms of sharing, redistribution, nature of use of software. Some examples, in simple language, include users are not allowed to share his software; they no allowed to use the software other than the purpose it is bought for; they are not allowed to sell it or rent it or redistribute in other form.

In common man language it is like saying you buy a table but you have to use in the way the carpenter wants you to use it; you are not allowed to modify it based on your needs; you are not allowed to use it for some other purpose and when you no longer need it you cannot sell it.

Violation of any of these restrictions (outlined in the license agreement) is termed an offence of software piracy, a cognizable crime punishable user Section 63 of Indian Copyright Act, 1957 and its extended Copyright (Amendment) Act 1994 on Computer Programmes, and section 78 and 79 of the Trade Marks Act, 1994. All forms of software piracy now fall within the ambit of the Indian Copyright Act.

The law now prescribes a minimum punishment of seven days imprisonment, which may be extended up to three years, and a substantial fine up to Rs. 50,000 for such offence. On being convicted on the second and subsequent occasions the offender faces a minimum sentence of one year, extendable up to three years and at least Rs. 100,000 fine extendable to Rs. 200,000.

You, as a good citizen, may now test yourself if you can be convicted on software piracy or not. Did you pay $199 (Rs. 8000) for installing Windows on your personal computer or $185 (Rs. 7500) for using MS-Windows office? If not, you are a criminal under cyber law.

Another test, have you ever shared your software (Windows or windows office) to any of your friends? Have you ever installed the same copy of software to another computer which may or may not be owned by you? If so, you have done a punishable offence and may wait for your turn to go to prison.

There is another aspect of software from the perspective of software developers who see software not only as a tool to help him in his work but also as a way enhance his knowledge. He has knowledge well as interest about how software works and wants to modify and enhance it to suite his needs.

He also wants to redistribute the software so that others will benefit from his enhancement. But he is not able to do all these in Proprietary Software.

Firstly, proprietary software developers have no obligation to show their source code and most of them do not show it. In short, no one is allowed to study and understand how the software works internally and modify it. Secondly, proprietary software gives lot of restrictions through their strict licensing agreement which denies freedom to share, modify or redistribute the software.

Free and open source software guarantees its users all freedom and protects them from cyber law through license terms which does not contain any restrictions as in proprietary software. The founders of the movement called it Copyleft, a reverse of Copyright.

Free and open software movement fights for the rights of software user, in simple term rights of all computer users. User will pay the money for the software, but he should have freedom to use it, freedom to study how it works internally, freedom to change in based on his needs, freedom to share it to whoever needs it.

It is right time we start using Free and Open source software before we are force to use them or, in worst case, fall in the eyes of law. The choice is yours.

* Software – It is a computer program intended to help computer user for one or more purpose.
** Souce code – A term used for the program in the form which can be studied how it works and change the way it work.

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* Romeo Ningombam, a software engineer based in Bangalore, is an enthusiast of Free and Open Source Software, and writes to E-Pao for the first time. He can be reached at romeo18ju(at)yahoo(dawt)co(dawt)in. This article was webcasted on April 01st, 2008 on the eve of Linux Manipur's "FOSS 2008" event at MU, Manipur

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