ITPEC IP October 2022 Question 20
Topic: SoftwareAlso asked in October 2020
Which of the following is an appropriate combination of software that includes only OSS (Open Source Software)?
Explanation
Firefox, Linux, Thunderbird — all three are open source; every other option includes a Microsoft product.
OSS is software whose source code is published under a licence that lets anyone use, modify and redistribute it.
- •Firefox — web browser from the Mozilla project (Mozilla Public License)
- •Thunderbird — e-mail client, also from Mozilla
- •Linux — OS kernel (GNU GPL)
- •PostgreSQL — relational DBMS, also OSS
- •Microsoft Word and Windows — proprietary: Microsoft keeps the source code closed and sells licences to use them
Answer (c)
Why not others:
- •(a) — Linux and PostgreSQL are OSS, but Microsoft Word is proprietary
- •(b) — PostgreSQL is OSS, but Word and Windows are both proprietary
- •(d) — Firefox and Thunderbird are OSS, but Windows is proprietary
Key rule: Free of charge does not make software OSS; what counts is that the source is available and may be modified and redistributed.
Software · AI-written, may contain errors
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