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Parent Directory | Revision Log | View Patch Patch

-revision 1.92 by rms,
Tue Mar 30 05:22:50 2010 UTC
+revision 1.122 by rms,
Tue Jun 18 04:41:56 2013 UTC
 Line 1
  <!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
- <title>The Free Software Definition - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</title>
+ <title>What is free software? - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</title>
  <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="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." />
  <link rel="alternate" title="What's New" href="http://www.gnu.org/rss/whatsnew.rss" type="application/rss+xml" />
  <link rel="alternate" title="New Free Software" href="http://www.gnu.org/rss/quagga.rss" type="application/rss+xml" />
+ <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/free-sw.translist" -->
  <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
- <h2>The Free Software Definition</h2>
+ <h2>What is free software?</h2>
+ <h3>The Free Software Definition</h3>
+ <blockquote>
+ <p>
+ The free software definition presents the criteria for whether a
+ particular software program qualifies as free software.  From time to
+ time we revise this definition, to clarify it or to resolve questions
+ about subtle issues.  See the <a href="#History">History section</a>
+ below for a list of changes that affect the definition of free
+ software.
+ </p>
+ </blockquote>
+ <p>
+ &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; means software that respects users'
+ freedom and community.  Roughly, <b>the users have the freedom to run,
+ copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software</b>.  With these
+ freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control the
+ program and what it does for them.
+ </p>
  <p>
- We maintain this free software definition to show clearly what must be
+ When users don't control the program, the program controls the users.
- true about a particular software program for it to be considered free
+ The developer controls the program, and through it controls the users.
- software.  From time to time we revise this definition to clarify it.
+ This nonfree or &ldquo;proprietary&rdquo; program is therefore an
- If you would like to review the changes we've made, please see
+ instrument of unjust power.
- the <a href="#History">History section</a> below for more information.
  </p>
  <p>
- &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; is a matter of liberty, not price.  To understand
+ Thus, &ldquo;free software&rdquo; is a matter of liberty, not price.
- the concept, you should think of &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo;
+ To understand the concept, you should think of &ldquo;free&rdquo; as
- not as in &ldquo;free beer.&rdquo;
+ in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo; not as in &ldquo;free beer&rdquo;.
  </p>
  <p>
- Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute,
+ A program is free software if the program's users have the
- study, change and improve the software.  More precisely, it means that the
+ four essential freedoms:
- program's users have the four essential freedoms:
  </p>
  <ul>
    <li>The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).</li>
-   <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
-       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
-       precondition for this.
+       code is a precondition for this.
    </li>
    <li>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
        (freedom 2).
-Line 87 
 make them.
+Line 107 
 make them.
  <p>
  In order for freedoms 1 and 3 (the freedom to make changes and the
- freedom to publish improved versions) to be meaningful, you must have
+ freedom to publish the changed versions) to be meaningful, you must have
  access to the source code of the program.  Therefore, accessibility of
  source code is a necessary condition for free software.  Obfuscated
  &ldquo;source code&rdquo; is not real source code and does not count
-Line 97 
 as source code.
+Line 117 
 as source code.
  <p>
  Freedom 1 includes the freedom to use your changed version in place of
  the original.  If the program is delivered in a product designed to
- 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
- a practice known as &ldquo;tivoization&rdquo; or (through
+ practice known as &ldquo;tivoization&rdquo; or &ldquo;lockdown&rdquo;,
- blacklisting) as &ldquo;secure boot&rdquo; &mdash; freedom 1 becomes a
+ or (in its practitioners' perverse terminology) as &ldquo;secure
- theoretical fiction rather than a practical freedom.  This is not
+ boot&rdquo; &mdash; freedom 1 becomes a theoretical fiction rather
- sufficient.  In other words, these binaries are not free software
+ than a practical freedom.  This is not sufficient.  In other words,
- even if the source code they are compiled from is free.
+ these binaries are not free software even if the source code they are
+ compiled from is free.
  </p>
  <p>
-Line 114 
 license is too restrictive to qualify as
+Line 135 
 license is too restrictive to qualify as
  </p>
  <p>
- Freedom 3 includes the freedom to use release your modified versions
+ Freedom 3 includes the freedom to release your modified versions
  as free software.  A free license may also permit other ways of
  releasing them; in other words, it does not have to be
  a <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a> license.  However, a
-Line 125 
 as a free license.
+Line 146 
 as a free license.
  <p>
  In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and
  irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the
- software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively change
+ software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively add
- its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give cause, the
+ restrictions to its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give
- software is not free.
+ cause, the software is not free.
  </p>
  <p>
-Line 140 
 the central freedoms; rather it protects
+Line 161 
 the central freedoms; rather it protects
  </p>
  <p>
- &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial.&rdquo;  A free
+ &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial&rdquo;.  A free
  program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,
  and commercial distribution.  Commercial development of free software
  is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.
-Line 152 
 you always have the freedom to copy and
+Line 173 
 you always have the freedom to copy and
  <p>
  Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.
- If your modifications are limited, in substance, to changes that
+ If your right to modify a program is limited, in substance, to changes that
- someone else considers an improvement, that is not freedom.
+ someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ However, rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable,
+ if they don't substantively limit your freedom to release modified
+ versions, or your freedom to make and use modified versions privately.
+ Thus, it is acceptable for the license to require that you change the
+ name of the modified version, remove a logo, or identify your
+ modifications as yours.  As long as these requirements are not so
+ burdensome that they effectively hamper you from releasing your
+ changes, they are acceptable; you're already making other changes to
+ the program, so you won't have trouble making a few more.
  </p>
  <p>
- However, rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable, if they
+ Rules that &ldquo;if you make your version available in this way, you
- don't substantively limit your freedom to release modified versions, or
+ must make it available in that way also&rdquo; can be acceptable too,
- your freedom to make and use modified versions privately.  Rules that &ldquo;if
+ on the same condition.  An example of such an acceptable rule is one
- you make your version available in this way, you must make it available in
+ saying that if you have distributed a
- that way also&rdquo; can be acceptable too, on the same condition.  (Note that
+ modified version and a previous developer asks for a copy of it, you
- such a rule still leaves you the choice of whether to publish your version
+ must send one.  (Note that such a rule still leaves you the choice of
- at all.)  Rules that require release of source code to the users for
+ whether to distribute your version at all.)  Rules that require release
- versions that you put into public use are also acceptable.  It is also
+ of source code to the users for versions that you put into public use
- acceptable for the license to require that you identify
+ are also acceptable.
- your modifications as yours, or that, if you have distributed a modified
- version and a previous developer asks for a copy of it, you must send
- one.
  </p>
  <p>
+ A special issue arises when a license requires changing the name by
+ which the program will be invoked from other programs.  That
+ effectively hampers you from releasing your changed version so that it
+ can replace the original when invoked by those other programs.  This
+ sort of requirement is acceptable only if there's a suitable aliasing
+ facility that allows you to specify the original program's name as an
+ alias for the modified version.</p>
+ <p>
  In the GNU project, we use
- &ldquo;<a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a>&rdquo;
+ <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a>
  to protect these freedoms legally for everyone.  But
- <a href="/philosophy/categories.html#Non-CopyleftedFreeSoftware">non-copylefted
+ <a href="/philosophy/categories.html#Non-CopyleftedFreeSoftware">noncopylefted
  free software</a> also exists.  We believe there are important reasons why
  <a href="/philosophy/pragmatic.html">it is better to use copyleft</a>,
- but if your program is non-copylefted free software, it is still basically
+ but if your program is noncopylefted free software, it is still basically
- ethical.
+ ethical. (See <a href="/philosophy/categories.html">Categories of Free Software</a> for a description of how &ldquo;free software,&rdquo; &ldquo;copylefted software&rdquo; and other categories of software relate to each other.)
- </p>
- <p>
- See <a href="/philosophy/categories.html">Categories of Free Software</a>
- for a description of how &ldquo;free software,&rdquo; &ldquo;copylefted software&rdquo;
- and other categories of software relate to each other.
  </p>
  <p>
-Line 196 
 eliminate or override these restrictions
+Line 229 
 eliminate or override these restrictions
  is refuse to impose them as conditions of use of the program.  In this
  way, the restrictions will not affect activities and people outside the
  jurisdictions of these governments.  Thus, free software licenses
- must not require obedience to any export regulations as a condition of
+ must not require obedience to any nontrivial export regulations as a
- any of the essential freedoms.
+ condition of exercising any of the essential freedoms.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ Merely mentioning the existence of export regulations, without making
+ them a condition of the license itself, is acceptable since it does
+ not restrict users.  If an export regulation is actually trivial for
+ free software, then requiring it as a condition is not an actual
+ problem; however, it is a potential problem, since a later change in
+ export law could make the requirement nontrivial and thus render the
+ software nonfree.
  </p>
  <p>
-Line 266 
 help you can ensure that the license rea
+Line 309 
 help you can ensure that the license rea
  and avoid various practical problems.
  </p>
- <h2 id="beyond-software">Beyond Software</h2>
+ <h3 id="beyond-software">Beyond Software</h3>
  <p>
  <a href="/philosophy/free-doc.html">Software manuals must be free</a>,
-Line 278 
 manuals are in effect part of the softwa
+Line 321 
 manuals are in effect part of the softwa
  The same arguments also make sense for other kinds of works of
  practical use &mdash; that is to say, works that embody useful knowledge,
  such as educational works and reference
- works.  <a href="http://wikipedia.org">Wikipedia</a> is the best known
+ works.  <a href="http://wikipedia.org">Wikipedia</a> is the best-known
  example.
  </p>
-Line 288 
 has been extended to a definition of <a
+Line 331 
 has been extended to a definition of <a
  free cultural works</a> applicable to any kind of works.
  </p>
- <h2 id="open-source">Open Source?</h2>
+ <h3 id="open-source">Open Source?</h3>
  <p>
  Another group has started using the term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; to mean
- something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software.&rdquo;  We
+ something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software&rdquo;.  We
  prefer the term &ldquo;free software&rdquo; because, once you have heard that
  it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom.  The
  word &ldquo;open&rdquo; <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">
  never refers to freedom</a>.
  </p>
- <h2 id="History">History</h2>
+ <h3 id="History">History</h3>
- <p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition to
+ <p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition.  Here is
- clarify it.  Here we provide a list of those modifications, along with
+ the list of substantive changes, along with links to show exactly what
- links to illustrate exactly what changed, so that others can review
+ was changed.</p>
- them if they like.</p>
  <ul>
+ <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.121&amp;r2=1.122">Version
+.122</a>: An export control requirement is a real problem if the
+ requirement is nontrivial; otherwise it is only a potential problem.</li>
+ <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.110&amp;r2=1.111">Version
+.111</a>: Clarify 1.77 by saying that only
+ retroactive <em>restrictions</em> are unacceptable.  The copyright
+ holders can always grant additional <em>permission</em> for use of the
+ work by releasing the work in another way in parallel.</li>
+ <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
+.105</a>: Reflect, in the brief statement of freedom 1, the point
+ (already stated in version 1.80) that it includes really using your modified
+ version for your computing.</li>
  <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
 .92</a>: Clarify that obfuscated code does not qualify as source code.</li>
-Line 380 
 versions you distribute to the author.</
+Line 437 
 versions you distribute to the author.</
  </ul>
- <p>There are gaps in the version numbers because there are many other
+ <p>There are gaps in the version numbers shown above because there are
- changes that do not affect the substance of the definition at all.
+ other changes in this page that do not affect the definition as such.
- Instead, they fix links, add translations, and so on.  If you would
+ These changes are in other parts of the page.  You can review the
- like to review the complete list of changes, you can do so on
+ complete list of changes to the page through
- our <a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;view=log">cvsweb
+ the <a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;view=log">cvsweb
  interface</a>.</p>
  </div>
-Line 411 
 translations of this article.
+Line 468 
 translations of this article.
  </p>
  <p>
- Copyright &copy; 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
+ Copyright &copy; 1996-2002, 2004-2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 Free Software
-, 2006, 2007, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+ Foundation, Inc.
  </p>
- <p>Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is
+ <p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
- permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is
+ href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/">Creative
- preserved.
+ Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License</a>.
  </p>
- <p>
+ <!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" -->
- Updated:
+ <p>Updated:
  <!-- timestamp start -->
  $Date$
  <!-- timestamp end -->
  </p>
  </div>
- <div id="translations">
- <h4>Translations of this page</h4>
- <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical, and in the original -->
- <!-- language if possible, otherwise default to English -->
- <!-- If you do not have it English, please comment what the -->
- <!-- English is.  If you add a new language here, please -->
- <!-- advise web-translators@gnu.org and add it to -->
- <!--    - in /home/www/bin/nightly-vars either TAGSLANG or WEBLANG -->
- <!--    - in /home/www/html/server/standards/README.translations.html -->
- <!--      one of the lists under the section "Translations Underway" -->
- <!--    - if there is a translation team, you also have to add an alias -->
- <!--      to mail.gnu.org:/com/mailer/aliases -->
- <!-- Please also check you have the 2 letter language code right versus -->
- <!--     http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/IG/ert/iso639.htm -->
- <ul class="translations-list">
- <!-- Afrikaans -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.af.html">Afrikaans</a>&nbsp;[af]</li>
- <!-- Arabic -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ar.html">&#1575;&#1604;&#1593;&#1585;&#1576;&#1610;&#1577;</a>&nbsp;[ar]</li>
- <!-- Azerbaijani -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.az.html">Az&#x0259;rbaycanca</a>&nbsp;[az]</li>
- <!-- Bulgarian -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.bg.html">&#x431;&#x44A;&#x43B;&#x433;&#x430;&#x440;&#x441;&#x43A;&#x438;</a>&nbsp;[bg]</li>
- <!-- Bengali -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.bn.html">&#2476;&#2494;&#2434;&#2482;&#2494;</a>&nbsp;[bn]</li>
- <!-- Bosnian -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.bs.html">bosanski</a>&nbsp;[bs]</li>
- <!-- Catalan -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ca.html">catal&#x00e0;</a>&nbsp;[ca]</li>
- <!-- Czech -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.cs.html">&#x010c;esky</a>&nbsp;[cs]</li>
- <!-- Danish -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.da.html">dansk</a>&nbsp;[da]</li>
- <!-- German -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.de.html">Deutsch</a>&nbsp;[de]</li>
- <!-- Greek -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.el.html">&#x03b5;&#x03bb;&#x03bb;&#x03b7;&#x03bd;&#x03b9;&#x03ba;&#x03ac;</a>&nbsp;[el]</li>
- <!-- English -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">English</a>&nbsp;[en]</li>
- <!-- Esperanto -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.eo.html">Esperanto</a>&nbsp;[eo]</li>
- <!-- Spanish -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.es.html">espa&#x00f1;ol</a>&nbsp;[es]</li>
- <!-- Farsi (Persian) -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.fa.html">&#x0641;&#x0627;&#x0631;&#x0633;&#x06cc;</a>&nbsp;[fa]</li>
- <!-- French -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.fr.html">fran&#x00e7;ais</a>&nbsp;[fr]</li>
- <!-- Galician -->
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- <!-- Hebrew -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.he.html">&#x05e2;&#x05d1;&#x05e8;&#x05d9;&#x05ea;</a>&nbsp;[he]</li>
- <!-- Croatian -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.hr.html">hrvatski</a>&nbsp;[hr]</li>
- <!-- Hungarian -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.hu.html">magyar</a>&nbsp;[hu]</li>
- <!-- Indonesian -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.id.html">Bahasa Indonesia</a>&nbsp;[id]</li>
- <!-- Italian -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.it.html">italiano</a>&nbsp;[it]</li>
- <!-- Japanese -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ja.html">&#x65e5;&#x672c;&#x8a9e;</a>&nbsp;[ja]</li>
- <!-- Korean -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ko.html">&#xd55c;&#xad6d;&#xc5b4;</a>&nbsp;[ko]</li>
- <!-- Norwegian Bokmål -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.nb.html">norsk (bokm&aring;l)</a>&nbsp;[nb]</li>
- <!-- Dutch -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.nl.html">Nederlands</a>&nbsp;[nl]</li>
- <!-- Polish -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.pl.html">polski</a>&nbsp;[pl]</li>
- <!-- Brazilian Portuguese -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.pt-br.html">portugu&#x0ea;s do Brasil</a>&nbsp;[pt-br]</li>
- <!-- Romanian -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ro.html">rom&#x00e2;n&#x0103;</a>&nbsp;[ro]</li>
- <!-- Russian -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ru.html">&#x0440;&#x0443;&#x0441;&#x0441;&#x043a;&#x0438;&#x0439;</a>&nbsp;[ru]</li>
- <!-- Slovak -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.sk.html">sloven&#269;ina</a>&nbsp;[sk]</li>
- <!--- Slovenian -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.sl.html">sloven&scaron;&#269;ina</a>&nbsp;[sl]</li>
- <!-- Serbian -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.sr.html">&#x0441;&#x0440;&#x043f;&#x0441;&#x043a;&#x0438;</a>&nbsp;[sr]</li>
- <!-- Swedish -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.sv.html">svenska</a>&nbsp;[sv]</li>
- <!-- Tamil -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.ta.html">&#2980;&#2990;&#3007;&#2996;&#3021;</a>&nbsp;[ta]</li>
- <!-- Tagalog -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.tl.html">Tagalog</a>&nbsp;[tl]</li>
- <!-- Turkish -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.tr.html">T&#x00fc;rk&#x00e7;e</a>&nbsp;[tr]</li>
- <!-- Chinese (Simplified) -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.zh-cn.html">&#x7b80;&#x4f53;&#x4e2d;&#x6587;</a>&nbsp;[zh-cn]</li>
- <!-- Chinese (Traditional) -->
- <li><a href="/philosophy/free-sw.zh-tw.html">&#x7e41;&#x9ad4;&#x4e2d;&#x6587;</a>&nbsp;[zh-tw]</li>
- </ul>
- </div>
  </div>

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