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SourceForge is an Open Source community resource dedicated to helping open source projects be as successful as possible. We thrive on community collaboration to help us create a premiere resource for open source software development and distribution. Open source software has long been the powerhouse behind the development of the internet, not least LAMP configuration servers that run on Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. While there is a variety. While some open source software may be free of charge, skill in programming and troubleshooting open source software can be quite valuable. Many employers specifically seek to hire programmers with experience working on open source software. What is open source 'beyond software'? Free Open Source Software (FOSS), sometimes also called just Open Source or Free Software, is software that is licensed to be free to use, modify, and distribute. Most FOSS licenses also include a kind of legal Golden Rule that requires any changes, such as fixes and enhancements, to be released under the same license.
Microsoft is mostly criticized by the Linux community for their closed-source Windows operating system which single-handedly outperforms the popularity of all the Linux distros combined. The company has been an advocate of proprietary software, but in the last couple of years, Redmond has made a lot of contributions to the open source community.Microsoft is now one of the top-tier members of the Linux Foundation and has a regular presence on GitHub. Stuffing distros such as Ubuntu, openSUSE, and Fedora into the Windows Subsystem is the sign of love Microsoft is showing towards the Linux community.
However, on the other hand, some people might want to tie this with Microsoft’s evil intentions. Earlier, it was predicted that they would digest Linux in the long run. If Windows becomes capable of running Linux applications someday, then people might fall for it.
Leaving all these things aside, one important thing to consider is that various free and open-source software available for Windows 10. If you want to take advantage of Windows 10’s fluidity and other features, you can do so with a touch of open source.
Don’t forget to check out our list of open source apps for Android.
14 Best Free Open Source Software For Windows 10
1. Firefox – Open source browser for Windows 10
Developed by Mozilla Foundation, Firefox is an open-source web browser which was first released in 2002. Firefox started to lose its user base after the arrival of Google Chrome in 2009. But last year, Mozilla gave a massive transformation to Firefox, and now it stands proudly in front of Chrome and other leading browsers.
Firefox is the default web browser on various Linux distributions, but it also has gigantic user based on the Windows platform, and not to mention Android.
2. Chromium – Open source alternative to Edge
People often criticize Google Chrome for its proprietary nature; its daddy Chromium is always ready to rescue the popular browser with its open source goodies. In fact, Chrome borrows its base code from Chromium after which Google makes some changes.
One of the advantages of having Chrome or Chromium is that you can stream content from your desktop to TV screen using a Chromecast receiver.
Examples Of Open Source Software
Chromium has posed itself as a serious contender for the default web browser on Linux systems. When it comes to Windows 10, many people are stuck to Chrome, but Chromium can be a great alternative if you want to fill your proprietary machine with some open source software.
3. VLC – Open source alternative to Windows Media Player
It’s hard to imagine a Windows 10 machine without the VLC. That’s the reason it has bagged the top position on our list of best media players for Windows 10. The open-source media player developed and maintained by VideoLAN. https://newrun432.weebly.com/blog/adobe-flash-player-for-windows-xp.
Other than playing different audio/video formats, VLC can also be used to stream online content and download YouTube videos.
4. DC++ – Open source file-sharing client
You might have heard about the direct connect (DC) protocol used for sharing files over the internet. The open source DC++ is the most popular peer-to-peer file-sharing client based on the direct connect protocol.
You can use DC++ as an alternative to BitTorrent. Other than Windows, various DC clients are available for macOS and Linux. Read this post to know more about the pros and cons of DC++.
5. qBittorent – Open source torrent client
qBittorrent is an open source client for Windows 10 which is used to download torrent files. The letter q in the name qBittorrent is because it is designed using Qt. qBittorrent is also available for other operating systems including macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, etc.
6. GIMP – Open source alternative to Photoshop
GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) can be assumed as the open source answer to Adobe Photoshop unless you’re planning to spend ten years and master MS Paint, like, this guy did.
Created by Spencer Kimball and Peter Mattis, GIMP has existed for more than two decades since its first release in 1995. The open source graphics editor can be used to create and make changes to photos and clipart in raster image formats including JPEG, PNG, TIFF, etc. GIMP is available for Windows 10, Linux, and macOS.
7. Libre Office – Open source alternative to Microsoft Office
Another name in the list of free and open source software for Windows 10 is Libre Office. In 2011, the office application suite sprung out of another open source project known as OpenOffice.
Libre Office currently offers a variety of apps like Writer (similar to MS Word), Calc (MS Excel), Impress (Powerpoint), Math (used to create and edit maths formulae), Draw (vector graphics editor), and Base (a database management program).
There are two versions of Libre Office which are in continuous development. ‘Fresh’ release comes with all the latest features created for Libre Office, on the other hand, ‘Still’ release is a little behind in terms of features but focuses more on stability.
8. 7zip – Open source Zip extractor
You can’t question the capabilities of the 17-year-old open source tool 7zip when compressing and extracting files. The fact that 7zip is open source adds to the comfort of the haters of proprietary software.
7zip is primarily created for machines running Windows operating system. However, command line based versions for Linux distros are available. Other support for popular compression formats, 7zip also offers its own compression format called 7z.
9. VirtualBox – Open source hypervisor software
Probably, the only hypervisor software known to common users like us is VirtualBox. It allows people to run some other operating system, be it Windows or Linux, inside their primary operating system.
The original development of this open source software was carried out by Innotek GMbh before it was taken over by Sun Microsystems followed by Oracle.
Other than being an open source software available for Windows 10, VirtualBox is also available for other platforms including Linux, Solaris, macOS, etc.
10. Tor Browser – Open source anonymity suite
Tor Browser is the perfect solution for users who don’t want to blow their anonymity cover on the internet. The open-source web browser for Windows 10, macOS, and Linux leverages Tor network to conceal user’s identity and IP address.
It’s a modified version of the Firefox ESR browser which includes some add-ons such as HTTPSEverywhere, NoScript, etc. Tor browser reroutes the traffic through various nodes on the Tor network. It automatically deletes cookies and web history when the user closes the browser window, thus, reducing the chances of a user getting tracked.
11. FileZilla – Open source FTP solution
The file-sharing software FileZilla is also a great open source software for Windows 10. It’s available for Linux and macOS as well. The FTP client was born as a class project of a student trio in 2001.
FileZilla offers protected file sharing which requires a username and password to access the shared data. Overall, the software has received a positive response, but it has been accused of storing passwords insecurely. Users have criticized FileZilla for bundling adware as a part of SourceForge’s revenue program.
12. Mozilla Thunderbird – Open source alternative to Outlook
Thunderbird is an email client developed by Mozilla. Launched in 2004, it was able to serve the rising demand for a dedicated email client. In the last few years, Mozilla has reduced their focus on Thunderbird because they don’t believe it can make the same the industry-wide impact as Firefox does.
The open source email client is available for Windows 10, Linux, and MacOS. Other than an email client, Thunderbird includes a Calendar, Chat client, and can receive RSS feeds amongst various other features. However, the emails are listed in a congested manner and might ruin your user experience.
13. Media Player Classic – Home Cinema (MPC-HC)
MPC-HC is also an open source media player for Windows 10. In terms of video and audio format support, it can easily go shoulder to shoulder with VLC. One thing I like about MPC-HC is that it can play 4K videos if you’re running capable hardware.
The biggest drawback of MPC-HC is that it’s only available for Windows platforms, that’s where VLC takes over by providing a cross-platform media player.
14. KeePass – an open source password manager
In our list of the best password managers, you can find the open source Windows software called KeePass. Standing confidently among other proprietary password managers, KeePass provides an effective way to save and organize tons of usernames and passwords you have for your web accounts and various services.
All the account credentials added to KeePass are stored on the user’s system in an encrypted file to protect the information from attackers. It supports input and export of data from other password managers and also comes with built-in password generator which can suggest random passwords. Read more about creating a strong password.
So, these were some of the free and open source software for Windows 10 you can use in your daily life. I’ll try to extend this list in the future.
Did you find this helpful? Drop your thoughts and feedback.
Also Read: 10 Best Free And Open Source Android Apps Every User Should Try
Open source software has long been the powerhouse behind the development of the internet, not least LAMP configuration servers that run on Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP.
While there is a variety of free software programs out there, many are proprietary, meaning that the development company owns the code. With open source software, anyone can add to, edit, and adapt the source code as they see fit.
This is one of the key strengths of open source software, because not only does it invite close scrutiny from a wide range of parties with different interests and skill sets, it also invites wide ranging collaboration.
Because of this, many open source projects have dedicated communities behind them, with developers adding to and evolving features along new coding lines, directions, and standards.
Of course, where open source projects become particularly big their communities can end up splitting into different groups working in different directions, a process known as forking. Perhaps the most famous example of this is the Linux operating system, which now comes in many flavors or distros.
Either way, despite the power of proprietary software programs, platforms, and operating systems, open source software remain key in the modern world. Even better, open source can offer users free alternatives to paid-for programs without necessarily sacrificing on features, and you can even customize the software to suit you.
Here then is the best in open source software by type, to show some of the range of open source software opportunities.
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1. LibreOffice
Open Source software, free download
There's no need to pay for Office with this open source alternative
LibreOffice is a full suite of office software, including excellent apps for text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and databases. These are all fully compatible with the latest Microsoft file formats, so you’ll have no trouble sharing files that work with users of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access.
This means that document formatting is properly preserved for printing if you have to import/export files between LibreOffice and Microsoft Office, something not all office software platforms can do. However, it is a downloadable product rather than one you can work with in the cloud, unlike some others like Office 365 and G Suite.
Documents look just as sharp and professional as those created using paid-for software, and there are hundreds of templates available to download, use and edit.
LibreOffice’s huge community of contributors have compiled a brilliant collection of support materials, including a forum and even live chat if you need a hand.
2. GIMP
Our favorite open source photo editor, packed with powerful tools
Dmv drivers license number lookup. Powerful and flexible, open source image editor GIMP is as close to Adobe Photoshop as you can get without opening your wallet. It supports layers, and is packed with advanced tools for enhancing your pictures or creating new ones from scratch.
Sapphire plugin patch. You can adjust every aspect of your pictures’ appearance manually, or use the dozens of customizable filters and effects to achieve amazing results with just a few clicks. GIMP comes with a huge array of user-created plugins pre-installed, and adding more is a piece of cake.
If you don’t need the power of GIMP and prefer a simpler interface, check out Paint.NET – another superb open source photo editor that’s a little lighter on features, but easier to master.
3. VLC Media Player
An open source media player than can handle virtually any file format
VLC Media Player is one of the world’s most popular free media players, and for good reason – it can handle just about any audio file, video file, or media stream you can throw at it, without the need to mess around installing additional codecs. VLC Media Player gives you an amazing degree of control over playback, letting you optimize video and audio for your specific hardware configuration.
VLC Media Player is ideal for streaming podcasts, as well as internet radio stations like Last.fm and TuneIn Radio. There’s also a superb archive of extensions and skins, and the WYSIWYG Skin Editor lets you create your own custom designs.
The latest addition to VLC is 360-degree playback, which lets you enjoy immersive videos with a VR headset, and more exciting developments are on the horizon to keep pace with new video technology.
Best Open Source Software 2018
4. Shotcut
Great for new users, and an excellent substitute for Windows Movie Maker
If you’re looking for a great open source video editor, give Shotcut a whirl. It might look a little stark at first, but add some of the optional toolbars and you’ll soon have its most powerful and useful features your your fingertips.
Some of its best tools include quick filters for audio and video (which are non-destructive and can be layered to achieve different effects), advanced white balancing, wipes and other transitions, color grading, click-and-drag import, and straightforward trimming and compositing of clips.
5. Audacity
The perfect open source tool for recording and editing podcasts and music
Even if you have the ready cash for an audio editor, you might choose to stick with open source alternative Audacity. It has almost all the tools you need for recording and refining sound files, and any features it lacks can be plugged with its extensive catalog of extensions.
Audacity is the tool of choice for many podcasters, musicians and audiobook narrators thanks to its professional quality results. You can use it to combine clips, copy and paste sections of audio, remove noise and other unwanted noises, strip vocals from songs, alter frequencies, and apply effects like echo and reverb.
Open Source Software Free Antivirus Freeware
6. Mozilla Firefox
An powerful, fully customizable browser with a plugin for every purpose
The browser wars show no sign of ending, but Firefox's open source heritage makes it incredibly flexible. Its main appeal is its collection of extensions. With thousands of plug-ins available at the click of a mouse, it’s easy to transform Firefox into your perfect browser.
Firefox is updated every five to eight weeks, and you can get an early taste of the latest features by installing the beta or taking part in Firefox Test Pilot – a way to sample experimental tools that might be incorporated into future releases.
Firefox’s source code forms the basis of many specialist projects, including the security-focused Tor Browser and speed-centric Waterfox, which is designed with power users in mind.
However, despite Firefox's rise in popularity, the browser has traditionally struggled to handle Flash, resulting in Firefox becoming unstable and consuming processor resources or simply shutting down unexpectedly.
7. Mozilla Thunderbird
A free client that's an ideal replacement for the defunct Windows Live Mail
If you have multiple email accounts – even if they’re with the same provider – open source email client Mozilla Thunderbird will save you time and hassle flicking between browser tabs and logins. Like Firefox, Thunderbird is an open source project published by the Mozilla Foundation, and is almost infinitely adaptable.
Thunderbird's standard features include an RSS reader and the ability to link to files too large to send as attachments, and its optional extras include weather forecasts and Google app tabs.
8. KeePass Password Safe
Generate strong passwords for accounts and store them in a secure vault
There’s no shortage of free password managers, but KeePass Password Safe is our favorite open source option. It’s not flashy, but it’s packed with all the tools and features you could want, including AES encryption of your entire database of login details (not just the passwords themselves), two-factor authentication via both a master password and key file, and secure random password generation.
KeePass is tiny, and because it’s a portable program you can carry it on a USB stick, and thanks to an extensive library of plug-ins, it’s easy to integrate with your preferred browser and cloud storage provider.
9. FileZilla
Free Open Source Software Download
If you run your own website, the chances are you'll need FTP software to upload files directly to your server. While there are some good existing FTP clients out there, FileZilla is probably the best free version you can use.
It does all that you need to with a file upload client, which remains relatively simple anyway. On the left pane, FileZilla presents you with a view of your folder selection (from Windows Explorer, if using Windows) where you can ensure you select your folder of files to upload - on the right, the pane shows your location on the server, which will be a similar-looking file tree.
You just need to ensure you click through the folders on the right pane to the place where you want to upload your files, such as within the Public_HTML folder on many Linux servers. Then it's simply a matter of using drag and drop to move your files to upload from the left pane and into the right pane.
Simple, easy, and usually very painless. The main stumbling block for most first-time users is not selecting the correct files to upload, or especially the correct locations.
If you need to CHMOD permissions for files, that's as easy as a right-click on any files or folders you need to apply them to, and that's about it.
10. Linux
It used to be the case that Linux was solely the preserve of geeks and code junkies - it made little attempt to appeal to a wide user base. Those days are long since over, and varieties of Linux have made a big effort to be a lot more user-friendly for people with little if anything coding knowledge, and present a serious rival to Windows and Apple Mac iOS as alternatives for running your desktop.
These efforts have helped to edge Linux toward the mainstream, as underlined by computer giant Dell moving to sell Linux desktops and laptops directly to the public. Better still, Windows remains the target of choice for hackers, so Linux presents itself as a more secure alternative, so long as you keep updates fresh.
Another problem from the old days is that most software applications were developed for Windows. However, the move toward cloud computing and browser-based applications means that it no longer matters which operating system you use for many popular applications, so if you're looking to run your computers for business rather than gaming purposes then much of the time Linux can be a perfectly valid choice.
Probably the biggest difficulty in moving to Linux these days is actually the choice available. Rather than being one operating system, Linux is actually a platform from which a number of different 'flavors' or 'distros' have developed and grown from. Although they all run from the same basic source code, each has been programmed to cater for different uses and emphasis - some are great for home use, others are focused on servers.
Whichever you want to look at, remember that you don't need to be stuck to any particular Linux flavor - you can uninstall any you don't like and install any you'd like to try. And if you need help making a decision, check out our reviews.
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