What is FOSS in Linux

[Eber]

Hi,
Linux is distributed under GNU license. Now it is a operating system which is open source that means free to all. Then what are the software that need to deal with GNU. Are some software under this license charges. Like Linux what are the other free operating system we can have. Does MAC OS X too belongs to the same category. I am also not sure about the concept of FOSS. What it means.

[Devasis]

GNU has similar functions (and is compatible with) Unix, but free software, used the term GNU which stands for GNU's Not Unix. It is also true that you may not sell any program that comes to mind under the name of Linux. It is a registered trademark and not for sale. That means only the company which own the name can distribute the operating system.

[Solomon]

Actually only GNU or Linux is the only free operating system. They are used all over the world. It is distributed for free and there is no other operating system in this category. GNU / Linux is just the most widely used free system, but there are a number of systems that are also free. These include the UNIX derivatives FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD and OpenSolaris, clone of BeOS Haiku OS, the Windows NT clone ReactOS, the DOS clone FreeDOS and Plan 9 (from Bell Labs), to name a few.

[MrChris-]

No Mac OS X is not a Linux distribution. It is a proprietary operating system. It is also true that there are some features and tools in MAC which looks like similar to Linux. But it is not for free. There are few free components in Mac OS X and, technically, is very similar to Linux, but is generally proprietary software all the problems with freedom in Windows are present in Mac too.

[Calvin K]

Well Foss stands for Free Software and Open Source Software. Technically, most open source programs are free software and vice verse. But on other parts there is something dissimilarity. The term open source refers to free software. Its supporters see it as a better way to develop software. But in some case you have to pay for a developed version of the same free tool.

[Lillebror]

Open source software's are widely used all over the world. Here you got a free to copy, study, modify and give away free software. Most companies developing free software make money by selling services related to its software, rather than selling the software itself. This is usually done by selling everything as a package: The customer buys the CD, manual and technical support once. And the software still guarantee your rights.