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free software movement
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free software movement

computer science
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The free software movement champions users' freedom to control their software. This means software should be available without legal restrictions on studying, sharing, or modifying it. The movement, spearheaded by Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation, emphasizes four core freedoms: to run, study, redistribute, and improve software.

This principle necessitates that software be open source, meaning its source code is accessible. While often used interchangeably with "open source," free software is not necessarily free of cost, distinguishing it from "freeware." A prime example is the Linux operating system, which powers many servers and mobile devices. The movement's innovations, like copyleft, use copyright law to preserve user freedoms.

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