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Free software: what is it, how does it work and what types exist in computing?

Free software: what is it

Also, to begin with, it is important to understand that a software has to do with the instructions necessary to communicate with a computer and that make its use possible, that is, in short, they are the programs Therefore, without the software these devices would be virtually useless.

But well, it should be noted that, at present, there are different types of software, both depending on its usefulness and also around its price. However, generally, one of the best known and named in the world of computing is about free software and so far, many people are unaware that these types of programs are treated, for sure .

That is why, in this post, we want to let you know everything about the definition and what free software is for , as well as its main features and some differences regarding Other concepts that may be similar to this. Also taking into account, certain examples of interest .

What is free software and what is it for?

Basically, each and every one of the computer programs that give its users access to the source code or original programming code in which they were manufactured is called free software , that is, the instructions of the program. This, by explicit decision of the same programmers and designers.

In this sense, when it comes to a free program, users have the possibility to copy, modify, customize and distribute it freely ; as the same identification indicates. Which, of course, gives rise to multiple versions of the same software and its appearance does not represent any legal or ethical violation of the original program.

It should be noted that, this term is attributed to Richard Stallman , the founder of the “ Free Software Foundation ” or “Free Software Foundation” . Since, in this foundation, a large number of expert programmers developed a totally free operating system , called “ GNU Project ” and thus distinguished itself from the famous and classic UNIX .

Richard Stallman y el Software Libre

In this sense, being a free project, it allowed advanced users to collaborate with its development for free and community . Thus, an absolutely different proposal to the policies used by traditional software companies that generally hide the source code of all their products.

On the other hand, you will also ask what these free programs are for, and then we indicate their main utilities :

  • Use the software for any purpose, without any restrictions.
  • Study how the program works and at the same time adapt it to your requirements.
  • Make improvements to the software and share them with other users, without this being illegal.
  • Distribute your copies, freely, to whomever you deem appropriate.

What are the characteristics of a free computer program?

Cuáles son las características de un programa de computadora libre

Detailed above, it is also very important to know what are the essential characteristics of a free software, also known as a free computer program. Therefore, in this section of the post, we point out all its particularities of greatest interest :

  • In them, the software source code is always available and for that reason its users can modify it without any limit.
  • Some may be completely free , while others are paid . But, in any case and once acquired, the user has access to the program instructions.
  • Free software is reliable and secure . This means that all errors are identified and corrected in a very short time.
  • They allow adjustments and updates to be made quickly , in order to accelerate development.
  • Thanks to its freedom condition, it ensures greater protection against viruses .
  • For all its peculiarities, you can compete without problems with piracy . In other words, all satire is avoided with respect to author rights and information control measures.
  • All softwares of this type, must guarantee four specific freedoms , which are based on:

It should be noted that, these freedoms are completely linked to the main utilities that can be given to a free-type program.

Free software vs Freeware How is each model different?

Software libre vs Freeware ¿En qué se diferencia cada modelo?

In case you didn’t know, a “Freeware” is a computer program whose distribution is completely free. Hence, the term formed from the English expression “Free software” which basically means “Free program” . Which means that, with this type of software, users do not have to pay anything to install and use it.

In this sense, many users may fall into the dilemma regarding whether a Freeware is the same as a free software and, limiting a slogan that has been promoted with respect to free programs that indicates «free as in freedom, not like free beer »; We emphasize that both do not mean the same thing .

Here are the most relevant differences:

  • While free software offers access to its source code without any restrictions, in freeware users are not enabled to modify their code .
  • Some programs Free are free and others paid , since this freedom has to do with the use and not with the gratuity. On the contrary, in the freeware its main feature is the free distribution .

What is “open source” and what are the differences with free software? Is it the same?

¿Qué es

Also called “Open Source ” , these types of programs are based on a source code published under a license that supports its use, modification or redistribution freely . Which means that, they are softwares whose code is not secret or subject to any type of license.

From that definition, you can surely conclude that an open source program is totally the same as free software, but is not really so . That is, there is a small distinction between these two types of programs that, if not well clarified, could easily confuse users.

In this sense, the main difference taken into account between the terms “open source” and “free software” has to do with the technical, ethical and philosophical aspects of freedom in They are based on each of them. Since, open source programs are based solely on technical aspects , while free programs are strictly related to ethical and philosophical aspects of freedom.

In short, open source software focuses on showing users and businesses the practical benefits for projects that decide to release their code. Meanwhile, free software emphasizes all those who respect the essential freedoms of the user to improve a particular product.

Other differences

  • Under a commercial concept , the difference between these programs is based on the fact that an application developed as free software allows you to obtain remuneration for development and support concepts, provided you deliver the codes sources. In contrast, programs that have been developed under Open Source do not force you to do this.
  • Open source is less strict than free software. For that reason, in practice, all free software can be described as open source, but not all open source software has to be free .
  • Free software is based on all the freedom that the term implies. While using an open source program does not imply that there is always freedom , but rather availability when accessing the code.

List of examples of the best free softwares you can install on your computer

Finally, to better understand the concept of free software, it is necessary to take into account some clear examples of these that you can install on your computer without any limitation.

Here are five of the best of them:

Lista de ejemplos de los mejores softwares libres que puedes instalar en tu ordenador

GNU / Linux

Historically, it is one of the most important free programs because of its popularity. Which, was created in 1983 by the expert Linus Torvalds, while studying at the renowned University of Helsinki. It should be noted that, is free and open source software at the same time time .

Among its main features, we highlight that Linux has become a great alternative to Windows and thanks to this, it has won the support of various companies and public administrations. Apart from that, it is considered an operating system focused on the use of networks, allows you to customize the user interface, presents an important multitasking capability , favors work in multi-user mode , etc.

Firefox

Since its first version published in 2002, this is estimated as the quintessential free web browser even though it was still known as “Phoenix” . Thanks to its excellent features, Firefox has been downloaded more than 300 million times and it is valuable to highlight that it has won numerous awards worldwide.

For its part, it stands out as a cross-platform solution, it has tabbed browsing, it contains spell checking, offers anti-phishing protection to its users , as well as a guard against spyware. In addition to this, Firefox has a pop-up blocker and has a wide variety of add-ons, plugins and themes .

Chrome OS

It refers to an operating system that is based on the Linux kernel and is currently under development by the famous company Google Inc. In this sense, Chrome OS is 100% based on the cloud and will use Google Chrome browser as its main interface.

Among other details, it should be noted that this operating system is a free and Open Source software at the same time , and was launched around the month of November 2009. Which, has been designed in a Minimalist form that contains indicators, tabs and launchers. One of its biggest advantages is the speed it provides with a boot time of 10 seconds or less .

Open Office

This is an office suite with the ability to cover almost everything a user needs, thanks to the word processor it contains, spreadsheet, presentation software, equation editor and a program for drawing Which, in addition to being a free program, stands out for its ability to open the vast majority of the best known formats and contains a reliable spell checker in more than 100 languages.

Now, detailing other features, we indicate that Open Office can run naturally in all operating systems that are currently used, has Unicode support and offers maximum security . In addition to this, it allows you to easily add extensions in order to add extra features.

eMule

To conclude this short list, we refer to eMule, the file-sharing program. Which, is based on a GPL application that accepts the download of files from the Kademlia and eDonkey 2000 protocols. This, over time, has become one of the most popular P2P applications worldwide, although it started as a simple free alternative to the eDonkey program.

It is valuable to note that, over time, eMule has proven to be one of the most efficient and complete file download clients in the market. Since, it provides great quality in the results that it produces in each search, also is very easy to use and contains a variety of tools with which it stands out among its competitors.

Also, provides maximum download security , has advanced search options and has a completely organized and intuitive interface.