[ubuntu-uk] Free vs non-free drivers etc

[Tony Arnold]

Norman,

Norman Silverstone wrote:
>> Are you confusing free as in beer with free as in freedom? FOSS does not
>> have to be free as in beer!
> 
> I find this very confusing. If I buy an application to run in Ubuntu
> what sort of freedom is represented?

If it is FOSS that you have bought, then the freedom to use the source
code that comes with it, the freedom to deploy it as often as you
please, the freedom to modify it and make it behave the way you want.
None of which you have with closed software, typically.

Some years ago, I bought a SuSE boxed set (6.0, I think). I paid for the
 box, but the software inside was FOSS, so I could install it on as many
machines as I liked. One, might argue, I was paying for the manual that
came in the box, or the physical CDs, but I think I was paying for Linux
as well at the time.

Regards,
Tony.
-- 
Tony Arnold, IT Security Coordinator, University of Manchester,
IT Services Division, Kilburn Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL.
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