{http://www.opensource.org/trademarks/opensource/web/opensource-110x95.png Open Source}

As described in the Open Source Initiative's (http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php Definition), Open Source software is software that has:



** Free Redistribution

** Source Code

** Licensing in regards to:

*** derived works

*** integrity of the source code

...and so on

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However, this isn't unanimous amongst the open source community.



{http://www.gnu.org/graphics/gnu-type-sm.jpg Free Software Foundation}

The (http://www.gnu.org Free Software Foundation) has a (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html#AboutFreeSoftware slightly different view). You can check out their licenses (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html at this address).

Regarded as pioneers of the open source movement, this organisation is behind the popular (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html GPL licence) that most linux distributions are released under.