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    What is Free Software?

    Published on December 7, 2020
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    By Lyn Muldrow
    Senior Developer Educator
    What is Free Software?

    Free software is any program released with a license approved by the Free Software Foundation that allows users to view, modify, and share source code.

    Like open source, the goal of free software is to amplify developer freedom using software and to curb the spread of proprietary software licenses. Learn more about the Free Software Foundation’s philosophy.

    For an in-depth explanation of the free software movement, check out DigitalOcean’s tutorial on The Difference Between Free and Open-Source Software.

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    About the authors
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    Lyn Muldrow

    author

    Senior Developer Educator

    Software engineer, writer, and speaker who loves solving problems and educating the next generation.

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