1 |
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//IETF//DTD HTML 2.0//EN"> |
2 |
<HTML> |
3 |
<HEAD> |
4 |
<TITLE>What is Free Software? - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</TITLE> |
5 |
<LINK REV="made" HREF="mailto:webmasters@www.gnu.org"> |
6 |
</HEAD> |
7 |
<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#1F00FF" ALINK="#FF0000" VLINK="#9900DD"> |
8 |
<H3>What is Free Software?</H3> |
9 |
|
10 |
<A HREF="/graphics/philosophicalgnu.html"><IMG SRC="/graphics/philosophical-gnu-sm.jpg" |
11 |
ALT=" [image of a Philosophical Gnu] " |
12 |
WIDTH="160" HEIGHT="200"></A> |
13 |
|
14 |
[ |
15 |
<A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.nl.html">Dutch</A> |
16 |
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.html">English</A> |
17 |
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.fr.html">French</A> |
18 |
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.it.html">Italian</A> |
19 |
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ja.html">Japanese</A> |
20 |
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ko.html">Korean</A> |
21 |
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.no.html">Norwegian</A> |
22 |
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pt.html">Portuguese</A> |
23 |
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ru.html">Russian</A> |
24 |
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.es.html">Spanish</A> |
25 |
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.tr.html">Turkish</A> |
26 |
] |
27 |
<P> |
28 |
|
29 |
``Free software'' is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand |
30 |
the concept, you should think of ``free speech'', not ``free beer.'' |
31 |
<P> |
32 |
``Free software'' refers to the users' freedom to run, copy, |
33 |
distribute, study, change and improve the software. More precisely, |
34 |
it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software: |
35 |
<P> |
36 |
|
37 |
<UL> |
38 |
<LI>The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0). |
39 |
<LI>The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs |
40 |
(freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this. |
41 |
<LI>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor |
42 |
(freedom 2). |
43 |
<LI>The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements |
44 |
to the public, so that the whole community benefits. |
45 |
(freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this. |
46 |
</UL> |
47 |
|
48 |
<P> |
49 |
A program is free software if users have all of these freedoms. |
50 |
Thus, you should be free to redistribute copies, either with or |
51 |
without modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for |
52 |
distribution, to <A HREF="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</A>. Being |
53 |
free to do these things means (among other things) that you do not |
54 |
have to ask or pay for permission. |
55 |
|
56 |
<P> |
57 |
You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them |
58 |
privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they |
59 |
exist. If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to |
60 |
notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way. |
61 |
|
62 |
<P> |
63 |
The freedom to use a program means the freedom for any kind of person |
64 |
or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind |
65 |
of overall job, and without being required to communicate subsequently |
66 |
with the developer or any other specific entity. |
67 |
|
68 |
<P> |
69 |
The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable |
70 |
forms of the program, as well as source code. (It is ok if there is |
71 |
no way to produce a binary or executable form, but people must have |
72 |
the freedom to redistribute such forms should they find a way to make |
73 |
them.) |
74 |
|
75 |
<P> |
76 |
In order for the freedoms to make changes, and to publish improved |
77 |
versions, to be meaningful, you must have access to the source code of |
78 |
the program. Therefore, accessibility of source code is a necessary |
79 |
condition for free software. |
80 |
|
81 |
<P> |
82 |
In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be irrevocable as |
83 |
long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the software has the |
84 |
power to revoke the license, without your doing anything to give |
85 |
cause, the software is not free. |
86 |
|
87 |
<P> |
88 |
However, certain kinds of rules about the manner of distributing free |
89 |
software are acceptable, when they don't conflict with the central |
90 |
freedoms. For example, copyleft (very simply stated) is the rule that |
91 |
when redistributing the program, you cannot add restrictions to deny |
92 |
other people the central freedoms. This rule does not conflict with |
93 |
the central freedoms; rather it protects them. |
94 |
|
95 |
<P> |
96 |
Thus, you may have paid money to get copies of GNU software, or you |
97 |
may have obtained copies at no charge. But regardless of how you got |
98 |
your copies, you always have the freedom to copy and change the |
99 |
software, even to <A HREF="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</A>. |
100 |
|
101 |
<P> |
102 |
``Free software'' does not mean ``non-commercial''. A free program |
103 |
must be available for commercial use. Commercial development of free |
104 |
software is no longer unusual; such programs are free commercial |
105 |
software. |
106 |
|
107 |
<P> |
108 |
Rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable, if they |
109 |
don't effectively block your freedom to release modified versions. |
110 |
Rules that ``if you make the program available in this way, you must |
111 |
make it available in that way also'' can be acceptable too, on the |
112 |
same condition. (Note that such a rule still leaves you the choice of |
113 |
whether to publish the program or not.) |
114 |
|
115 |
<P> |
116 |
In the GNU project, we use <A HREF="/copyleft/copyleft.html"> |
117 |
``copyleft''</A> to protect these freedoms legally for everyone. But |
118 |
<A HREF="/philosophy/categories.html#Non-CopyleftedFreeSoftware"> |
119 |
non-copylefted free software</A> also exists. We believe there are |
120 |
important reasons why <A HREF="/philosophy/pragmatic.html"> it is |
121 |
better to use copyleft</A>, but if your program is non-copylefted free |
122 |
software, we can still use it. |
123 |
|
124 |
<P> |
125 |
See <A HREF="/philosophy/categories.html">Categories of Free Software |
126 |
(18k characters)</A> |
127 |
for a description of how ``free software,'' ``copylefted software'' and |
128 |
other categories of software relate to each other. |
129 |
|
130 |
<P> |
131 |
Sometimes government <A NAME="exportcontrol">export control |
132 |
regulations</A> and trade sanctions can constrain your freedom to |
133 |
distribute copies of programs internationally. Software developers do |
134 |
not have the power to eliminate or override these restrictions, but |
135 |
what they can and must do is refuse to impose them as conditions of |
136 |
use of the program. In this way, the restrictions will not affect |
137 |
activities and people outside the jurisdictions of these governments. |
138 |
|
139 |
<P> |
140 |
When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms like |
141 |
``give away'' or ``for free'', because those terms imply that the |
142 |
issue is about price, not freedom. Some common terms such as |
143 |
``piracy'' embody opinions we hope you won't endorse. See <A |
144 |
HREF="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html">Confusing Words and Phrases |
145 |
that are Worth Avoiding</A> for a discussion of these terms. |
146 |
We also have a list of <A HREF="/philosophy/fs-translations.html">translations |
147 |
of "free software"</A> into various languages. |
148 |
<HR> |
149 |
|
150 |
<H4><A HREF="/philosophy/philosophy.html">Other Texts to Read</A></H4> |
151 |
|
152 |
<P> |
153 |
Another group has started using the term <A |
154 |
HREF="free-software-for-freedom.html"> open source</A> to mean |
155 |
something close (but not identical) to "free software". |
156 |
|
157 |
<HR> |
158 |
|
159 |
Return to <A HREF="/home.html">GNU's home page</A>. |
160 |
<P> |
161 |
FSF & GNU inquiries & questions to |
162 |
<A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>. |
163 |
Other <A HREF="/home.html#ContactInfo">ways to contact</A> the FSF. |
164 |
<P> |
165 |
Comments on these web pages to |
166 |
<A HREF="mailto:webmasters@www.gnu.org"><EM>webmasters@www.gnu.org</EM></A>, |
167 |
send other questions to |
168 |
<A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>. |
169 |
<P> |
170 |
Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc., |
171 |
59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111, USA |
172 |
<P> |
173 |
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is |
174 |
permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.<P> |
175 |
Updated: |
176 |
<!-- hhmts start --> |
177 |
24 Jan 2001 mhw |
178 |
<!-- hhmts end --> |
179 |
<HR> |
180 |
</BODY> |
181 |
</HTML> |