➤ What is Free Software and what does it consist of? Advantages and disadvantages 🎮

When we listen to free software, what many of us think about is a free program. This misconception is very far from the reality of this term. Well, today many of the programs we use they are written under open source or free software.

This does not mean that are not licensed. However, it refers to the possibilities that the program allows us beyond its particular use.

That is why in this article we will explain what is Free Software and what does it consist of? . We also list some of its advantages and disadvantages.

What is Free Software and what does it consist of?

The term free software is increasingly used today. Well, many people they believe it is an operating system, or a specific program, they might even think that it is a license to use.

The truth is that the term Free Software refers to a program that respects the four freedoms that characterize this type of software. These freedoms are as follows:

Freedom of use: refers to the power to use the software for any purpose. Even if it's not designed for that. Well, the person who uses free software guides it towards their needs.
Freedom to modify the source code: If our needs cannot be met with the software scope, we have the right to modify it to achieve our goals. That's why we need to have access to the source code.
Freedom of copying: if our program is to be used on more than one device, we can copy it freely and as many times as necessary.
Freedom to distribute copies with modifications: Similarly to the previous freedom, these copies can be modified and redistributed as many times as necessary without any limitation.

As you can see, these four concepts of freedom they are what characterize free software. That is why any program that respects them is considered free software.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Free Software?

It is true that many people use Free Software because they consider it better than the proprietary one. However, these programs, despite their advantages, also have their disadvantages. We will tell you about them below:

Advantages of free software

It fits our needs and if not, we can adapt it ourselves by modifying the source code.
It's a lot easier to reach. Well, since its distribution is free, you can find it on the internet and download it easily.
Allows independence between the provider and yourself. Well, you don't need their support in an obligatory way to correct errors.
In most cases it is free, and if not, is available at a very low price.
It encourages technological growth, as it enables its development by supporting groups that work together.
È adaptable to any hardware since its code is independent of it.

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Disadvantages of free software

È unstable on some hardwareThis is because free software is universally developed for any hardware.
It has no support that responds to errors, as they are the responsibility of the person purchasing the software.
Her interface is less intuitive and friendly, so people need more time to get used to using them.

Does free software have the same programs as proprietary software?

Well, as regards the operating system to which we refer, we can highlight that the main free software is Linux and its distributions. Between most used we find Ubuntu, a distribution that runs an environment similar to the macOS operating system.

Similarly, in Ubuntu we can run Windows.exe applications using the Wine emulator. However, the catalog of programs offered in free software it is very varied. And the most important thing is that they adapt to our needs.

For example, a very popular open source program is VLC, this consists of a media player. Likewise, VLC plays various videos and songs in almost any format.

On the other hand, in terms of office automation packages, we can find LibreOffice and OpenOffice respectively. Both include a number of programs that allow us to manage text files, spreadsheets, presentations or slides, and even manage databases.