For Fun and Profit: A History of the Free and Open Source Software Revolution

摘要

The term "free and open source software" (FOSS) does not primarily refer to software written for a specific application or to a particular approach to software production, but rather to the manner of its distribution. Typically, FOSS can be used, modified, and redistributed without the hindrance of, or payment to, its original authors. "Free" signifies liberty as well as the absence of cost, and "open source" means that the secrets of the software's code are exposed.