9 |
|
|
10 |
<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" --> |
<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" --> |
11 |
|
|
12 |
<h1>The Free Software Definition</h1> |
<h2>The Free Software Definition</h2> |
13 |
|
|
14 |
<p> |
<p> |
15 |
We maintain this free software definition to show clearly what must |
We maintain this free software definition to show clearly what must |
234 |
and avoid various practical problems. |
and avoid various practical problems. |
235 |
</p> |
</p> |
236 |
|
|
237 |
<h2>Open Source?</h2> |
<h2 id="beyond-software">Beyond Software</h2> |
238 |
|
|
239 |
<p> |
<p> |
240 |
Another group has started using the term <q>open source</q> to mean |
<a href="/philosophy/free-doc.html">Software manuals must be free</a>, |
241 |
something close (but not identical) to <q>free software.</q> We prefer |
for the same reasons that software must be free, and because the |
242 |
the term <q>free software</q> because, once you have heard it refers to |
manuals are in effect part of the software. |
243 |
freedom rather than price, <a href="free-software-for-freedom.html">it |
</p> |
244 |
calls to mind freedom</a>. The word <q>open</q> never does that. |
|
245 |
|
<p> |
246 |
|
The same arguments also make sense for other kinds of works of |
247 |
|
practical use — that is to say, works that embody useful knowledge, |
248 |
|
such as educational works and reference |
249 |
|
works. <a href="http://wikipedia.org">Wikipedia</a> is the best known |
250 |
|
example. |
251 |
</p> |
</p> |
252 |
|
|
253 |
<p><a href="/philosophy/philosophy.html">Other Texts to Read</a></p> |
<p> |
254 |
|
Any kind of work <em>can</em> be free, and the definition of free software |
255 |
|
has been extended to a definition of <a href="http://freedomdefined.org/"> |
256 |
|
free cultural works</a> applicable to any kind of works. |
257 |
|
</p> |
258 |
|
|
259 |
|
<h2 id="open-source">Open Source?</h2> |
260 |
|
|
261 |
|
<p> |
262 |
|
Another group has started using the term <q>open source</q> to mean |
263 |
|
something close (but not identical) to <q>free software.</q> We |
264 |
|
prefer the term <q>free software</q> because, once you have heard that |
265 |
|
it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom. The |
266 |
|
word <q>open</q> <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html"> |
267 |
|
never refers to freedom</a>. |
268 |
|
</p> |
269 |
|
|
270 |
</div> |
</div> |
271 |
|
|
292 |
</p> |
</p> |
293 |
|
|
294 |
<p> |
<p> |
295 |
Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, |
Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, |
296 |
2005, 2006 <br /> Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, |
2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc., |
297 |
Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA |
</p> |
298 |
<br /> |
<address>51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA</address> |
299 |
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is |
<p>Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is |
300 |
permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is |
permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is |
301 |
preserved. |
preserved. |
302 |
</p> |
</p> |
304 |
<p> |
<p> |
305 |
Updated: |
Updated: |
306 |
<!-- timestamp start --> |
<!-- timestamp start --> |
307 |
$Date$ $Author$ |
$Date$ |
308 |
<!-- timestamp end --> |
<!-- timestamp end --> |
309 |
</p> |
</p> |
310 |
</div> |
</div> |
325 |
<!-- Please also check you have the 2 letter language code right versus --> |
<!-- Please also check you have the 2 letter language code right versus --> |
326 |
<!-- http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/IG/ert/iso639.htm --> |
<!-- http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/IG/ert/iso639.htm --> |
327 |
<ul class="translations-list"> |
<ul class="translations-list"> |
328 |
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ar.html">العربية</a> <!-- Arabic --></li> |
<!-- Afrikaans --> |
329 |
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.bg.html">български</a> <!-- Bulgarian --></li> |
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.af.html">Afrikaans</a> [af]</li> |
330 |
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ca.html">Català</a> <!-- Catalan --></li> |
<!-- Arabic --> |
331 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ar.html">العربية</a> [ar]</li> |
332 |
|
<!-- Azerbaijani --> |
333 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.az.html">Azərbaycanca</a> [az]</li> |
334 |
|
<!-- Bulgarian --> |
335 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.bg.html">български</a> [bg]</li> |
336 |
|
<!-- Bengali --> |
337 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.bn.html">বাংলা</a> [bn]</li> |
338 |
|
<!-- Bosnian --> |
339 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.bs.html">Bosanski</a> [bs]</li> |
340 |
|
<!-- Catalan --> |
341 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ca.html">Català</a> [ca]</li> |
342 |
|
<!-- Czech --> |
343 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.cs.html">Česky</a> [cs]</li> |
344 |
|
<!-- Danish --> |
345 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.da.html">Dansk</a> [da]</li> |
346 |
|
<!-- German --> |
347 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.de.html">Deutsch</a> [de]</li> |
348 |
|
<!-- Greek --> |
349 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.el.html">Ελληνικά</a> [el]</li> |
350 |
|
<!-- English --> |
351 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">English</a> [en]</li> |
352 |
|
<!-- Esperanto --> |
353 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.eo.html">Esperanto</a> [eo]</li> |
354 |
|
<!-- Spanish --> |
355 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.es.html">Español</a> [es]</li> |
356 |
|
<!-- Farsi (Persian) --> |
357 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.fa.html">فارسی</a> [fa]</li> |
358 |
|
<!-- French --> |
359 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.fr.html">Français</a> [fr]</li> |
360 |
|
<!-- Galician --> |
361 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.gl.html">Galego</a> [gl]</li> |
362 |
|
<!-- Hebrew --> |
363 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.he.html">עברית</a> [he]</li> |
364 |
|
<!-- Croatian --> |
365 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.hr.html">Hrvatski</a> [hr]</li> |
366 |
|
<!-- Hungarian --> |
367 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.hu.html">Magyar</a> [hu]</li> |
368 |
|
<!-- Indonesian --> |
369 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.id.html">Bahasa Indonesia</a> [id]</li> |
370 |
|
<!-- Italian --> |
371 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.it.html">Italiano</a> [it]</li> |
372 |
|
<!-- Japanese --> |
373 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ja.html">日本語</a> [ja]</li> |
374 |
|
<!-- Korean --> |
375 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ko.html">한국어</a> [ko]</li> |
376 |
|
<!-- Norwegian Bokmål --> |
377 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.nb.html">Norsk (Bokmål)</a> [nb]</li> |
378 |
|
<!-- Dutch --> |
379 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.nl.html">Nederlands</a> [nl]</li> |
380 |
|
<!-- Polish --> |
381 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.pl.html">Polski</a> [pl]</li> |
382 |
|
<!-- Portuguese --> |
383 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.pt.html">Português</a> [pt]</li> |
384 |
|
<!-- Romanian --> |
385 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ro.html">Română</a> [ro]</li> |
386 |
|
<!-- Russian --> |
387 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ru.html">Русский</a> [ru]</li> |
388 |
|
<!--- Slovenian --> |
389 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.sl.html">Slovinsko</a> [sl]</li> |
390 |
|
<!-- Serbian --> |
391 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.sr.html">Српски</a> [sr]</li> |
392 |
|
<!-- Swedish --> |
393 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.sv.html">Svenska</a> [sv]</li> |
394 |
|
<!-- Tamil --> |
395 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ta.html">தமிழ்</a> [ta]</li> |
396 |
|
<!-- Tagalog --> |
397 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.tl.html">Tagalog</a> [tl]</li> |
398 |
|
<!-- Turkish --> |
399 |
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.tr.html">Türkçe</a> [tr]</li> |
400 |
<!-- Chinese (Simplified) --> |
<!-- Chinese (Simplified) --> |
401 |
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.cn.html">简体中文</a></li> |
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.zh-cn.html">简体中文</a> [zh-cn]</li> |
|
|
|
402 |
<!-- Chinese (Traditional) --> |
<!-- Chinese (Traditional) --> |
403 |
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.zh.html">繁體中文</a></li> |
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.zh-tw.html">繁體中文</a> [zh-tw]</li> |
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.cs.html">Česky</a> <!-- Czech --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.da.html">Dansk</a> <!-- Danish --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.de.html">Deutsch</a> <!-- German --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">English</a> </li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.el.html">Ελληνικά</a> <!--Greek--></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.es.html">Español</a> <!-- Spanish --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.eo.html">Esperanto</a></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.fa.html">فارسی</a></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.fr.html">Français</a> <!-- French --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.gl.html">Galego</a> <!-- Galician --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.he.html">עברית</a> <!-- Hebrew --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.hr.html">Hrvatski</a> <!-- Croatian --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.id.html">Bahasa Indonesia</a> <!-- Indonesian --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.it.html">Italiano</a> <!-- Italian --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ja.html">日本語</a> <!-- Japanese --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ko.html">한국어</a> <!-- Korean --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.hu.html">Magyar</a> <!-- Hungarian --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.nl.html">Nederlands</a> <!-- Dutch --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.no.html">Norsk</a> <!-- Norwegian --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.pl.html">Polski</a> <!-- Polish --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.pt.html">Português</a> <!-- Portuguese --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ro.html">Română</a> <!-- Romanian --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ru.html">Русский</a> <!-- Russian --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.sl.html">Slovinsko</a> <!--- Slovenian --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.sr.html">Српски</a> <!-- Serbian --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.tl.html">Tagalog</a> <!-- Tagalog --></li> |
|
|
<li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.tr.html">Türkçe</a> <!-- Turkish --></li> |
|
404 |
</ul> |
</ul> |
405 |
</div> |
</div> |
406 |
|
|