FOSS Last modified: Thursday, August 23, 2007
Acronym for Free or Open Source Software. FOSS programs are those that have licenses that allow users to freely run the program for any purpose, modify the program as they want, and also to freely distribute copies of either the original version or their own modified version. One major reason for the growth and use of FOSS technology (including LAMP) is because users have access to the source so it is much easier to fix faults and improve the applications. In combination with the open license, this simplifies the development process for many enterprises and gives them flexibility that simply isn't available within the confines of a proprietary or commercial product. Learn more about Open Source in Webopedia's "Did You Know...?" section.
•E-mail this definition to a colleague• For internet.com pages about FOSS . Also check out the following links! Understanding LAMP  Each of the components in the LAMP stack is an example of Free or Open Source Software (FOSS). The benefit of the FOSS approach is three-fold. Webopedia's "Did You Know...?" Section  Use this Webopedia knowledge section for an in-depth overview of specific technologies and occurrences in the areas of Computer Science, The Internet, and Computer Hardware and Software. Webopedia's Quick Reference Section  Use this Webopedia reference section for information on common Internet and computer facts and occurrences.	Open Source (OSRC) LAMP LGPL library Library GPL license licensing collective Open Software Foundation (OSF) open source Open Source Initiative Web stack Give Us Your Feedback Shopping FOSS Products Compare Products,Prices and Stores Shop by Category: Garden 0 Store Offers Books 42 Model Matches Toys 2 Store Offers Music 44 Model Matches Jewelry 8 Store Offers