F/LOSS is an acronym for Free/Libre Open Source Software. Its history is rich and sometimes a little chaotic. Free in this case refers to the "freedom" to use the software, without restriction, but not necessarily to obtain a copy of it for free. In this sense FLOSS software is Free as in liberty; but not as in "a free lunch."

As part of the planning stage it is best to see if any available FLOSS applications will suit the needs of your project. This can greatly reduce the amount of development time (and therefore cost) needed. When there is a close but imperfect match an effort should always be made to contribute back to the Open Source community of development by contributing a new module to an existing project. By working as a community of software developers we can create a much greater application for your future projects.