I appreciate open-source applications for several reasons. Such as price. It's hard to beat. Even paid open-source apps are not expensive. I also enjoy the support, somebody somewhere knows how. Since there's not just one company looking at the code. Some people don't realize that almost all commercial software is licensed for one copy on one computer, So even if you can install on multiple computers, you're still breaking the license!

When I first discovered open source software I was spending a fortune on Windows programs. It seemed like I was being forced to shell out a small fortune on a constant basis as the programs I used were updated (and not compatible with this or that), so as soon as I heard about Linux I started looking for it. Bought a copy and loved it despite my initial hardware headaches.

Linux software can access almost any type of file available. LibreOffice (which I started using back when it was called StarOffice) works and works well. There are no DRM headaches (I've been locked out of my own software more than once, so this is a Big Thing). I know that a whole community of users examine the code and look out for it, so no worries about spyware or back doors as compared to other companies.

Even better, I can contribute financially but if I'm broke or money is low I can wait until I have more money to chip in. I'm not forced to spend $$$ every year or so, or buy a subscription, or be forced to upgrade.

My favorite part, though: the huge community of users who chip in and help each other. Sometimes I would spend days on the phone with tech support. Microsoft would say call the computer manufacturer; the manufacturer would say call Microsoft. No one wanted to actually help, but post a question on a Linux forum and everybody offers suggestions.

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I learned to program by reading the source of F83 Forth.
I trust open source, peer reviewed software.
I don't trust closed source, commercial software.
It's like free speech, wish I could find free beer.

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Been using Linux since the late 90's, in fact I loaded a couple Laptops with slackware I believe back when it was "FUN" to install isos and make work due to a student, Ivan Santana in my "NovellWare" Unix class at SAC. It became an "obsession" over the years and I even used a, I forget, "virtual software", later VMWare, to run XP as an virtual in my Linux laptops to teach basic "intro" OS/Literacy classes where XP was platform. Open Source and Linux became the bible in early 2000 for me and many of my students and colleagues. I still love LibreOffice to this day, although I also have M$Office on a box or two. When I retired I had found the beauty of MacBook Pro hardware and OSX, which came from bsd Unix so still better than Windows X. I had colleagues write a series of "Intro" OS texts where they showed the similarity/dissimilarity of M$ and Linux [Fedora/Ubuntu/CentOS7 (3 editions)] while teaching "intro" OS and showing the "Unix" background in all current OS products.

Linus T, Stallman, Raymond, Richie, Keringhan, Aho, and others sure made life better for us all. Time for all you young ones to take us to the next round.

In my case, using open source software was an effect, not a cause.

I started using Linux, therefore I started using open source software. Then I learned a lot more about what "open source" means (and also about what "community" means). I do not refuse to use closed-source from time to time, but I have come to prefer open source whenever it is available.

Indeed, the only closed source software I use with any regularity is my preferred software for preparing my U. S. income taxes. I've used it since before I started using Linux and there is no open source alternative. Which reminds me, it's time to do my taxes. Drat.

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As my twitter logo thingie says..."privacy is impossible without free software"

On another level, I don't have a problem with systemd but debian moves to systemd, up pops devuan. OpenOffice goes shonky, up pops libreoffice. Etc...

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"And then I realised that the software is on my side".

someone said that once about the change from windows to linux.

no-one is trying to sell me anything. that creates trust.

that is simply not true. When you open a browser and go to http://some.where/on/the/net you will get ads regardless of your OS and if that was open source or not.


From the other hand nowadays we have computers in TVs, air conditioners, when you measure your blood pressure, remote controllers, toothbrushes, everywhere.... Is this really important (running linux/open source software in your washing machine)?

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Quite a few reasons for personal and business use, very well summed up by teckk:

The second and fifth are probably the most important (by a small margin):

Licensing: on a personal level, being treated like a thief by the software I bought IS burdensome; as a business user, using free software means I don't need to worry about hired goons kicking in my door and forcing an audit on me.

No vendor lockouts: self explanatory.

So now I'm down to just one use for windows - nobody seems to make a car satnav that talks to a Linux computer; when somebody does I'll be totally windows free (and, with luck, the satnav will be set up via a web interface).

It works well for me, often better than proprietary stuff and while I'm using it I'm in awe of the people who write it.

Given the major DDOS attacks that were based on using embedded systems such as those you describe I'd say the answer is an emphatic yes. Many vendors abandon support for firmware updates because planned obsolescence makes you buy new products from them. If you instead had an open source firmware you can control your own destiny. This is why many people abandon vendor provided firmware in favor of WRT on home routers and root their cell phones.

dou you know I'm still confused. Here, at LQ - you can say - we are able to decide, but most of the people cannot distinguish, cannot understand it (what is FOSS, security....). But we are only a few (ten-)thousand, and the people using digital devices are a lot more. They have no idea what is PyQt5, they do not want to control, just use.

You can say I'm forced to buy softwares because I cannot find free, open source version of some tools I need. You can say I'm forced to use free software, because I'm not allowed to modify those ones, and also I do not want to pay for that.
linux is just a tool. If you want to eat, you need to do something (with or without it) which can be converted to some money for you, creating free software is not enough -
but obviously you can use linux as your playground.

So there are many different aspects and I think there is no way to know what will happen in the next 10-50 years and it will be definitely changed a lot....

I like the philosophy of free software, but I wouldn't use it just for philosophical reasons if Linux was a bad OS. I use Linux because I love Linux, and because you can get it for free as in free beer. The fact that it's also free as in free speech is a bonus, because it makes me feel good about using it. But if I find that a piece of hardware on my machine needs proprietary firmware, I'll use proprietary firmware.

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I use Open Source software because a world without Microsoft is a beautiful thing.

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Because, when I need it, it works, flawlessly.

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