What is Open-Source Software?: A Brief Introduction
Open-source software (often referred to as OSS, FOSS, or FLOSS) is software that can be downloaded, installed, redistributed freely. Unlike proprietary software, one does not need to worry about paying licensing fees and restrictions. You also have the power to obtain the source code, rewrite/adapt it to your particular needs and preferences, and share it with other users.
Because OSS offers so much flexibility and cost-effectiveness, many individuals, companies, governments, organizations, institutions (including schools) across the U.S. and the world are turning to open-source solutions.
Web Browsers
- Mozilla FirefoxModern, stable, and secure standard-compliant web browser that allows you to customize your browsing experience through the use of thousands of available add-ons and themes. (For Windows, Mac, Linux.)
- Google ChromeGoogle's browser (built on the open-source Chromium project) is gaining popularity thanks to its speed, innovative interface, and large collection of extensions and themes. (For Windows, Mac, Linux.)
- More info on FirefoxOur short guide on Firefox and alternative browsers.
Blogging Tools/Content Management Systems
- WordPress.orgThe most popular self-hosted CMS in the world, WordPress offers simplicity and power with the ability to install thousands of themes and extensions. It is dynamic enough to power your blog and/or your website yet user-friendly enough that coding knowledge or advanced tech skills are not necessary.
- Drupal
- Joomla
- MovableType.org
Graphic Editors and Drawing Tools
- GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation ProgramA powerful full-featured photo- and graphics-editing suite, an alternative to the industry standard (but very expensive) Adobe Photoshop. (Available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.)
- InkscapeA vector graphics editor for drawing, similar to Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. (Available for Windows, Mac, Linux.)
- PintaA simple but painting and editing program modeled after Paint.NET.
Operating Systems
There are free and open-source alternatives to to Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS. The most popular FOSS operating system for personal computers and servers is Linux. While Linux has had a reputation for having a higher learning curve in the past, in recent years, many Linux distributions (or "flavors") have focused on being user-friendly. Below are some of the more popular distributions.
- UbuntuThe most popular Linux distro, designed to be easy enough for beginners, but still suitable for intermediate and advanced users.
- Linux MintBased on Ubuntu, and may be even more beginner-friendly. Extra codecs for video and audio playback, Flash, and Microsoft fonts come pre-installed.
- Fedora
- OpenSUSE
Media Players
- SMPlayerA media player that can play almost every type of video and audio file under the sun. (Available for Windows and Linux.)
- VLC Media PlayerAnother media player that plays many types of video and audio files. (Available for Windows, Mac, Linux.)
- Songbird Music PlayerA music player similar to iTunes. (Available for Windows and Mac.)
Productivity Tools
- LibreOfficeOriginally a fork of OpenOffice, LibreOffice aims to be more innovative and more transparent. It has replaced OpenOffice as the default productivity suite on most OSS operating systems. (For Windows, Mac, Linux.)
- OpenOffice.orgA full-featured productivity suite similar to Microsoft Office; includes programs for word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, and drawing. (Available for Windows, Mac, Linux.)
- AbiWordA speedy word processing program, an alternative to Microsoft Word. (Available for Windows and Linux.)
Video & Audio Editors
Feed Aggregators
- BlogBridgeA Java-based application that allows you to read and manage all your feeds. (For Windows, Mac, and Linux.)
- RSSOwlRead, organize, and search your RSS and Atom feeds. (For Windows, Mac, and Linux.)
- RSS BanditClaims to be the only feed reader that works with Google Reader and Facebook using direct synchronization. (For Windows.)
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