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revision 1.102 by rms, Mon Nov 8 20:25:05 2010 UTC revision 1.109 by joeko, Wed Jan 25 15:56:40 2012 UTC
# Line 1  Line 1 
1  <!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->  <!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
2    
3  <title>The Free Software Definition - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</title>  <title>What is free software? - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</title>
4    
5  <meta http-equiv="Keywords" content="GNU, FSF, Free Software Foundation, Linux, Emacs, GCC, Unix, Free Software, Operating System, GNU Kernel, HURD, GNU HURD, Hurd" />  <meta http-equiv="Keywords" content="GNU, FSF, Free Software Foundation, Linux, Emacs, GCC, Unix, Free Software, Operating System, GNU Kernel, HURD, GNU HURD, Hurd" />
6  <meta http-equiv="Description" content="Since 1983, developing the free Unix style operating system GNU, so that computer users can have the freedom to share and improve the software they use." />  <meta http-equiv="Description" content="Since 1983, developing the free Unix style operating system GNU, so that computer users can have the freedom to share and improve the software they use." />
# Line 8  Line 8 
8  <link rel="alternate" title="New Free Software" href="http://www.gnu.org/rss/quagga.rss" type="application/rss+xml" />  <link rel="alternate" title="New Free Software" href="http://www.gnu.org/rss/quagga.rss" type="application/rss+xml" />
9    
10  <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->  <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
11    <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/free-sw.translist" -->
12    
13  <h2>The Free Software Definition</h2>  <h2>What is free software?</h2>
14    
15    <h3>The Free Software Definition</h3>
16    
17  <p>  <p>
18  We maintain this free software definition to show clearly what must be  We maintain this free software definition to show clearly what must be
# Line 22  the <a href="#History">History section</ Line 25  the <a href="#History">History section</
25  <p>  <p>
26  &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; is a matter of liberty, not price.  To understand  &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; is a matter of liberty, not price.  To understand
27  the concept, you should think of &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo;  the concept, you should think of &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo;
28  not as in &ldquo;free beer.&rdquo;  not as in &ldquo;free beer&rdquo;.
29  </p>  </p>
30    
31  <p>  <p>
# Line 33  program's users have the four essential Line 36  program's users have the four essential
36    
37  <ul>  <ul>
38    <li>The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).</li>    <li>The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).</li>
39    <li>The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make    <li>The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it
40        it do what you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a        does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source
41        precondition for this.        code is a precondition for this.
42    </li>    </li>
43    <li>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor    <li>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
44        (freedom 2).        (freedom 2).
# Line 97  as source code. Line 100  as source code.
100  <p>  <p>
101  Freedom 1 includes the freedom to use your changed version in place of  Freedom 1 includes the freedom to use your changed version in place of
102  the original.  If the program is delivered in a product designed to  the original.  If the program is delivered in a product designed to
103  run someone else's modified versions but refuse to run yours &mdash;  run someone else's modified versions but refuse to run yours &mdash; a
104  a practice known as &ldquo;tivoization&rdquo; or (in its practitioners'  practice known as &ldquo;tivoization&rdquo; or &ldquo;lockdown&rdquo;,
105  perverse terminology) as &ldquo;secure boot&rdquo; &mdash; freedom 1 becomes a  or (in its practitioners' perverse terminology) as &ldquo;secure
106  theoretical fiction rather than a practical freedom.  This is not  boot&rdquo; &mdash; freedom 1 becomes a theoretical fiction rather
107  sufficient.  In other words, these binaries are not free software  than a practical freedom.  This is not sufficient.  In other words,
108  even if the source code they are compiled from is free.  these binaries are not free software even if the source code they are
109    compiled from is free.
110  </p>  </p>
111    
112  <p>  <p>
# Line 140  the central freedoms; rather it protects Line 144  the central freedoms; rather it protects
144  </p>  </p>
145    
146  <p>  <p>
147  &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial.&rdquo;  A free  &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial&rdquo;.  A free
148  program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,  program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,
149  and commercial distribution.  Commercial development of free software  and commercial distribution.  Commercial development of free software
150  is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.  is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.
# Line 281  manuals are in effect part of the softwa Line 285  manuals are in effect part of the softwa
285  The same arguments also make sense for other kinds of works of  The same arguments also make sense for other kinds of works of
286  practical use &mdash; that is to say, works that embody useful knowledge,  practical use &mdash; that is to say, works that embody useful knowledge,
287  such as educational works and reference  such as educational works and reference
288  works.  <a href="http://wikipedia.org">Wikipedia</a> is the best known  works.  <a href="http://wikipedia.org">Wikipedia</a> is the best-known
289  example.  example.
290  </p>  </p>
291    
# Line 295  free cultural works</a> applicable to an Line 299  free cultural works</a> applicable to an
299    
300  <p>  <p>
301  Another group has started using the term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; to mean  Another group has started using the term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; to mean
302  something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software.&rdquo;  We  something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software&rdquo;.  We
303  prefer the term &ldquo;free software&rdquo; because, once you have heard that  prefer the term &ldquo;free software&rdquo; because, once you have heard that
304  it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom.  The  it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom.  The
305  word &ldquo;open&rdquo; <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">  word &ldquo;open&rdquo; <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">
# Line 311  them if they like.</p> Line 315  them if they like.</p>
315    
316  <ul>  <ul>
317    
318    <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.104&amp;r2=1.105">Version
319    1.105</a>: Reflect, in the brief statement of freedom 1, the point
320    (already stated in version 1.80) that it includes really using your modified
321    version for your computing.</li>
322    
323  <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.91&amp;r2=1.92">Version  <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.91&amp;r2=1.92">Version
324  1.92</a>: Clarify that obfuscated code does not qualify as source code.</li>  1.92</a>: Clarify that obfuscated code does not qualify as source code.</li>
325    
# Line 417  translations of this article. Line 426  translations of this article.
426  Copyright &copy; 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004,  Copyright &copy; 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004,
427  2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
428  </p>  </p>
429  <p>Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is  <p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
430  permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is  href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/">Creative
431  preserved.  Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License</a>.
432  </p>  </p>
433    
434  <p>  <p>
# Line 430  $Date$ Line 439  $Date$
439  </p>  </p>
440  </div>  </div>
441    
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