Free/Libre/Open-Source Software

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Free/Libre/Open-Source Software, or FLOSS, is an alternative term for free software. The software is liberally licensed to grant the right of users to study, change, and improve its design through the availability of its source code and the right to distribute the changed program. Synonymous with free software and open source software, the term describes similar software, licenses, culture, and development models, but is used by those who wish to be inclusive or who do not want to take a side on whether "free software" or "open-source software" is a better term, although neither side has shown much enthusiasm for the term "FLOSS". The FLOSS culture and community stem from hacker culture.

The term FLOSS is often used to bridge the ideological divide between the free software and open source software movements. The term FLOSS is useful for those who, for a variety of reasons, do not want to align themselves with one group and alienate the other. FLOSS can also be used as a neutral term when discussing free / open source software with those of differing ideological viewpoints.

Historically, FLOSS was first used as a project acronym by Rishab Aiyer Ghosh. In 2001 the European Commission (EC) used the phrase when they funded a study on the topic, and in July 2002 they further popularised the acronym by publishing both a FLOSS survey and study and a FLOSS workshop report.[1][2] The EC chose FLOSS as an inclusive acronym that hopefully would not further antagonize the main participants in the naming controversy. Richard Stallman has acknowledged and recommended use of the phrase Free/Libre/Open Source Software by those who refuse to commit themselves explicitly to his philosophical approach.[3]

In constructing the FLOSS phrase, the French/Spanish word libre was included to emphasize the "freedom from entanglements" meaning of the English word free, as opposed to the unintended (but frequently assumed) "pay no money" meaning (see Gratis versus Libre).

The similarly derived acronym FOSS avoids using libre not because of any disagreement with this clarification, but to avoid collision with the English word "floss".

The FLOSS acronym translates readily into other European languages, with for example the "F" representing free (English) or frei (German), and the "L" representing libre (Spanish, French, Galician), livre (Portuguese), libero (Italian) or liber (Romanian).

By the end of 2004, the FLOSS acronym had been used in official English documents issued by South Africa, Spain[4], and Brazil[5].

The FLOSS acronym is not used in official Spanish and Portuguese documents, since in these languages the unambiguous words libre and livre suffice.