The precise definition of this term is debateable, and most people seem to have their own ideal for free software. Depending on the tack you take, it is either software that is distributed (or at least is available) free of charge, or it is software that is unencumbered by the tight restrictions on redistribution and re-engineering that copyrights usually imply. One of the biggest proponents of the second definition is Richard Stallman, head of the GNU project and author of the GPL.

This can mean one of two things, firstly the term can be used generically to describe a category of software that has been licensed to allow the 'free' installation and distribution of the software. However, this term also can refer explicitly to software licensed (such as the GPL) under the licenses created by the Free Software Foundation.

See FLOSS and GNU General Public License

The term free software is used in essentially two different ways: Software that can be used, copied, studied and modified and redistributed by the user; Software which may be copied and used without payment, also referred to as freeware (or gratis software by advocates of the first variety). These definitions may conflict, and a piece of software that is free in the first sense may not be free in the second, and vice versa. Amongst software developers and free and open source software enthusiasts, the first sense is traditionally called "free as in speech", while the second is called "free as in beer". In this context, the term "free software" more commonly refers to the first sense. Advocates of "free as in speech" software call the second type "gratis", which translates to the "free" of "free beer," because there is no charge to receive a copy. See also: Open Source, Proprietary

According to the Free Software Foundation (FSF), 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. A program is free software if users have all of these freedoms. Thus, you should be free to redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to anyone anywhere. Being free to do these things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay for permission. See www.gnu.org for more details.

Free Software is computer software which is licensed according the principles set forth by the Free Software Foundation. Generally speaking, free software is licensed under the GNU Public License or GPL for short. Visit the website for more information at www.fsf.org.

software in which the source code is by definition freely available to the general public for redistribution, modification, examination or any other conceivable purpose. Similar to "open-source software," except that "open-source" is a relatively recent term coined for marketing purposes by people who wanted to put a more "business-friendly" face on the concept. Free software, as an idea, is usually associated with Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation. A full listing of Salon's coverage of the free software movement is available here.

Software that gives the user the freedom to run the programme for any purpose, to study how the programme works and adapt it to the user’s needs through having access to the source code, to redistribute copies in order to help other users, to improve the programme and release it to the public. Access to the source code is a precondition for this. Free software usually uses the GPL licence to ensure that the software remains free. It is different from open source software in its insistence on the social aspects and the benefits for society of free software.

Not to be confused with "shareware" or "freeware", Free Software is software which meets the definition in (e.g.) the Debian Free Software Guidelines. It is called "free" not because it is available at no charge on the internet -- though it usually is -- but rather because it is offered without restrictions on what you can do with it. In particular, the source code is available, so you can modify it (or hire someone else to modify it) and you have the right to distribute your modified version without paying royalties to the author. Free Software has produced a revolution in software development practices because anyone can participate in improving it. Many thousands of people do. Although some participants are hobbyists or students, many others use the software at work and are paid to help improve it. Free Software as we know it today is an outgrowth of the Free Software Foundation's "GNU Project", started in 1984.

Free software, in this context, does not just mean software that has no license or acquisition fees. It pertains to software that is written under an open source license, and can be freely copied, modified and re-distributed (and you are free to sell it.) See http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/free-sw.html for a full definition. GUI – Graphic User Interface – a method of interacting with a computer program that allows point and click with a mouse as opposed to typing commands on a command line. For example, Windows and Macintoshes use a GUI, DOS does not. HTML – Hypertext Markup Language, the language used to create web pages.

Free software, as defined by the Free Software Foundation, is software which can be used, copied, studied, modified and redistributed with little or no restriction beyond the requirement that source code must be made available.http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html Freedom from such restrictions is central to the concept, with the opposite of free software being referred to as proprietary software by the Free Software Foundation and others in the free software movement (a distinction unrelated to whether a fee is charged). The usual way for software to be distributed as free software is for the software to be licensed to the recipient with a free software license (or be in the public domain), and the source code of the software to be made available (for a compiled language).