this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2024
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Linux

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The full saying is "Free as in Speech, not Free as in Beer"

Basically the "Free" in free means that it's free to do with as you please, modify, etc... But not free as in "here's a free product...like getting a free beer"

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

That's also confusing and it is not the full saying. The full saying is "free as in free speech, not free beer".

From the FSF website:

Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. Think of “free” as in “free speech”, not as in “free beer”. Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.