What is free software?
“Free software” is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the
concept, you should 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. More precisely, it
refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software:
??? * The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
??? * The freedom to study how the program works, and
adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a
precondition for this.
??? * The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
??? * The freedom to improve the program, and release
your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits
(freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
???
??? follow this link for more reading
??? http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
What is a Free GNU/Linux System?
All GNU/Linux distributions can be categorized in
Free Gnu/Linux distributions
and
non- free Gnu/Linux distributions
Free GNU/Linux distributions
are those that have a policy not to include, or recommend, non-free
software.Such is not the case with non-free GNU/Linux distributions.
We use Linux-based GNU systems today for all of our work, and we hope
you will use them too. Today there are many different variants of the
GNU/Linux system (often called “distros”). Most of them include
non-free software–their developers follow the philosophy associated
with Linux rather than that of GNU. But there are also completely free
GNU/Linux distros ,like
-
UTUTO-e, a GNU/Linux distribution containing only free
software. In both Spanish and English. - Dynebolic, The instant bootable GNU/Linux
- BLAG, blag linux and gnu
- GNUstep, another instant bootable GNU/Linux distribution
So what we are using might be a Gnu/Linux system since it consists of
the Linux kernel and Gnu software but it might not be a Free Gnu/Linux
System
A simple example is
http://packages.debian.org/stable/allpackages
look for the non-free software in the above package list
With debian you have the option to get a debian distribution that does
not contain non-free software,but such is not the case with all
Gnu/linux distributions.
What is non-free software?
Non-free software is any software that is not free. This includes semi-free software and proprietary software.
? follow this link for more reading
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html#non-freeSoftware
Is Opensource same as Free software ?
No,In 1998, some of the people in the free software community began using
the term “open source
software” instead of “free
software” to describe what they do. The term “open source”
quickly became associated with a different approach, a different
philosophy, different values, and even a different criterion for which
licenses are acceptable. The Free Software movement and the Open
Source movement are today separate
movements with different views and goals, although we can and do
work together on some practical projects.
??? follow this link for more reading
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html