open source n free software philosophy

[tech_cheetah]

What is differtence between opensource software and free software?

Is it necessary for the open source software to be free of cost?

If some propreitary software is released on oss(eg. if MS releases its
Office suite for linux) then is it mandatory to release its source code
also.

How do the OSS people ensure to protect against plagairism. Anyone has
access to ur source code. He can modify it and put his name, sell it ,
make profits and gain popularity.

Big organisations like Red Hat provide technical support for their
products n make money. How does an independent software developer make profits thru OSS ?

Is it true that OSS will reduce the employment opportunities ?

[rachitar]

Open source is like you are given the source code you can compile it,modify it legally and share the modifications across the globe and put your name on it,something like LinuxFC4-with-enhanced-desktop-by-xyz
Free Software is like you are given the software without any charge but you are not given the source code to change and recompile.Although you can change the executable in some ways,they are not legal and you cant distribute the your modified version and putting your name on it

[desertwind]

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

What is differtence between opensource software and free software?

The Free Software movement and the Open Source movement are like two political camps within the free software community.

The fundamental difference between the two movements is in their values, their ways of looking at the world. For the Open Source movement, the issue of whether software should be open source is a practical question, not an ethical one. As one person put it, "Open source is a development methodology; free software is a social movement." For the Open Source movement, non-free software is a suboptimal solution. For the Free Software movement, non-free software is a social problem and free software is the solution.

OSS is software for which the source code is freely and publicly available, though the specific licensing agreements vary as to what one is allowed to do with that code.

While Free software allows you absolute freedom on your software. You can do whatever you wish on your software.

Read
Is 'Open Source' Synonymous With 'Free Software'?
Open Source and Free Software

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

Is it necessary for the open source software to be free of cost?

Not necessarily. Free software is not the matter or price. It's a matter of freedom.
Read
Selling Free Software

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

If some propreitary software is released on oss(eg. if MS releases its Office suite for linux) then is it mandatory to release its source code also.

YES, if the software is released under GNU GPL. It is essential for a software to be Open its Souce Code, if it wants to be a Free Software.

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

How do the OSS people ensure to protect against plagairism. Anyone has access to ur source code. He can modify it and put his name, sell it, make profits and gain popularity.

This is what GPL is for. GPL Handles such violations.

Read
The GNU General Public License
The GNU GPL Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Copyleft

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

Big organisations like Red Hat provide technical support for their products n make money. How does an independent software developer make profits thru OSS ?

Explained earlier. One can charge for software.

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

Is it true that OSS will reduce the employment opportunities ?

No, Not at all. Moreover one doesn't need to be employed. FLOSS has provided numerous people to work as freelancers. And as this movment grows bigger and bigger, More Companies are coming in, which inturn provide more oportunities.

Visit The Philosophy of GNU Project, where you'll find answer for almost all your queries.

[mehulved]

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

What is differtence between opensource software and free software?

Free software is necessairly free of cost. Whereas open source software you are free to see the code and distribute the software. Open source needn't be free of cost.

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

Is it necessary for the open source software to be free of cost?

No not at all. But many are and many aren't.

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

If some propreitary software is released on oss(eg. if MS releases its
Office suite for linux) then is it mandatory to release its source code
also.

Yes else it won't be open source would it be?

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

How do the OSS people ensure to protect against plagairism. Anyone has
access to ur source code. He can modify it and put his name, sell it ,
make profits and gain popularity.

They protect against plagarism by releasing it under GPL(GNU public license). If you use source code released under open source then you have to mention it or else you gotta face legal hammer. Latest on that is the sony rootkit violating lgpl license.

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

Big organisations like Red Hat provide technical support for their
products n make money. How does an independent software developer make profits thru OSS ?

Free software makers mostly make money by donations received by them. One such case is Ubuntu linux which is funded by an African billionaire. They even send cd's to your home completely free, no shpping fees either.

Originally Posted by tech_cheetah

Is it true that OSS will reduce the employment opportunities ?

NO. In fact it is a new feild so it will rather create more opportunities. Agreed some presend professionals will loose their job due to job cutting in other feilds to accomodate open source but wider picture shows increase in employment.

Have a look here Gnu Public License, GNU and Free Software Foundation

[desertwind]

Oh, My!!! rachitar you've some serious misconceptions about Free Software and Open Source.

Originally Posted by rachitar

Open source is like you are given the source code you can compile it,modify it legally and share the modifications across the globe and put your name on it,something like LinuxFC4-with-enhanced-desktop-by-xyz

Open Source software always gives you the source code, though the specific licensing agreements vary as to what one is allowed to do with that code.

Originally Posted by rachitar

Free Software is like you are given the software without any charge but you are not given the source code to change and recompile

Free software is not always free of price.

Originally Posted by rachitar

Although you can change the executable in some ways,they are not legal and you cant distribute the your modified version and putting your name on it

You'll get the Source Code, and allowed to do anything to it, for a Free software. You can view, modify and redistribute the source code, provided you should not stop others from doing the same to your (modified) source.

Yo explanation above is more suited for a freeware software, not a free software. And free software and open source software are always different, though there are much similarities in them.

Read my post above, and you'll get a clear picture.

[desertwind]

Originally Posted by tech_your_future

Free software is necessairly free of cost

Not essentially. Sometimes it may be.

[mehulved]

Originally Posted by desertwind

Not essentially. Sometimes it may be.

Thanks for clearing my misconception out there.

[tech_cheetah]

Thank You @tech_your_future and @desertwind

[nitish_mythology]

From where can we get the source code of Linux?

[desertwind]

if ur mentioning linux kernel, get it Here