FLOSS idea
FACS Foundation is FLOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software) idea popularizer.
What is FLOSS idea?
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with minimal restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things and that manufacturers of consumer-facing hardware allow user modifications to their hardware. Free software is generally available without charge, but can have a fee.
In practice, for software to be distributed as free software, the human-readable form of the program (the source code) must be made available to the recipient along with a notice granting the above permissions. Such a notice either is a "free software license", or a notice that the source code is released into the public domain.
The Free Software Directory maintains a large database of free software packages. Some of the best-known examples include the Linux Kernel, BSD and GNU/Linux operating systems, the GNU Compiler Collection and C library: the MySQL relational database; the Apache web server; and the Sendmail mail transport agent. Other influential examples include the emacs text editor; the GIMP raster drawing and image editor; the X Window System graphical-display system; the OpenOffice.org office suite; and the TeX and LaTeX typesetting systems.
The first formal definition of free software was published by FSF in February 1986. That definition, written by Richard Stallman, is still maintained today and states that software is free software if people who receive a copy of the software have the following four freedoms: the freedom to run the program for any purpos, the freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish, the freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor, the freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements (and modified versions in general) to the public, so that the whole community benefits.
FACS Foundation activity
As a free and open source software idea popularizer FACS Foundation cooperates with its creators, with the scienfitic, academic and business. FACS also promotes innovative solutions in this field, develops and reinforces attitude of active interaction for free and open source software idea. Our foundation also wishes to assist the activities of economic development, scientific and educational projects in the field of ICT.
Successful examples of FLOSS idea solutions
An idea of a free and open source software is becoming more popular both in Poland and abroad.
In Poland, a free software is used by many research institutions, public and private companies. A good example of working solutions is the Technical Museum in Warsaw, which has decided to migrate all the computers on a free and open source software. Earlier this unit was struggled with the problem of building quite cheap network. With the introduction of the widespread use of free software Museum of Technology has achieved a number of financial and business benefits.
One of the French gendarmerie reports showed that the use of free software brought her savings of 50 million. By replacing the Windows operating system on Ubuntu Linux, the National Gendarmerie in France is able to reduce its budget for expenditure on infrastructure by 70% without simultaneous reduction of their capabilities.