Linux refers to Linus Torvald’s operating system kernal that is free and available for all to use. Free means more than as free in “free popcorn”. It also means that the source code in which the software is written is available and freely accessible. FLOSS (free/libre and open source software) and FOSS refer to all the software programs that have been written for free consumption. This includes Linux distros (distributions) that serve as the internal operating system of a computer and software that one might use to wordprocess, view video, chat, web browsers, etc.  With FLOSS/FOSS software, you can copy it, change it, adapt it to your needs, and even sell it. The source code is available to you to use or change it as you wish. You can learn more by going to Wikipedia’s descriptions of Linux , FLOSS, FOSS, and the GNU GPL.

We hope that this blog and linked wikis can assist educational decision-makers as consider open source solutions.  Free does not mean cheap.  Free does mean that you own your software and can do with it what you please just like most things that you buy.  Proprietary software does not allow the same privileges.  Those vendors only allow you to use it and even limit the number of  computers on which you can load THEIR software (that you paid for!!).

Gaining energy from Professor Tim Hart’s University of Maine course titled “Open Source in Education”, students in the graduate level class have decided to use this blog and linked wiki pages to provide information about Open Source software and its implementation into the teaching/learning process.

Please stay tuned for more information.