this post was submitted on 21 Sep 2023
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Sorry, noob question, Free Open Source Software vs Free Libre Open Source Software... Free and Libre are synonyms to my mind so I must be missing something. What's the difference?
In general, "free" vs "libre" is intended to distinguish a difference between something offered free-of-charge (gratis e.g. proprietary freeware) from something guaranteeing user freedom (libre).
In my experience, "free software" typically refers to FLOSS and intellectual property with a restrictive license in alignment with the free software movement, whereas FOSS refers to "free-of-charge open-source software" and is a more generic term that could, for example, apply to restricted/proprietary intellectual property which is publically visible (i.e. arguably "open") yet may not necessarily use a software license permitting its implementation in external intellectual property.
Having said all that, many things commonly labeled FOSS could also be labeled FLOSS. It may either be a hopeless battle of semantics or a meaningful distinction, depending on one's perspective.