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1 <!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
2 <!-- Parent-Version: 1.84 -->
3 <title>What is free software?
4 - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
5
6 <meta http-equiv="Keywords" content="GNU, FSF, Free Software Foundation, Linux, Emacs, GCC, Unix, Free Software, Operating System, GNU Kernel, HURD, GNU HURD, Hurd" />
7 <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." />
8
9 <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/free-sw.translist" -->
10 <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
11
12 <h2>What is free software?</h2>
13
14 <blockquote class="note" id="fsf-licensing"><p style="font-size: 80%">
15 Have a question about free software licensing not answered here?
16 See our other <a href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing">licensing resources</a>,
17 and if necessary contact the FSF Compliance Lab
18 at <a href="mailto:licensing@fsf.org">licensing@fsf.org</a>.</p>
19 </blockquote>
20
21 <h3>The Free Software Definition</h3>
22
23 <blockquote>
24 <p>
25 The free software definition presents the criteria for whether a
26 particular software program qualifies as free software. From time to
27 time we revise this definition, to clarify it or to resolve questions
28 about subtle issues. See the <a href="#History">History section</a>
29 below for a list of changes that affect the definition of free
30 software.
31 </p>
32 </blockquote>
33
34 <p>
35 &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; means software that respects users'
36 freedom and community. Roughly, it means that <b>the users have the
37 freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the
38 software</b>. Thus, &ldquo;free software&rdquo; is a matter of
39 liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of
40 &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo; not as in
41 &ldquo;free beer&rdquo;. We sometimes call it &ldquo;libre
42 software,&rdquo; borrowing the French or Spanish word for
43 &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in freedom, to show we do not mean the software
44 is gratis.
45 </p>
46
47 <p>
48 We campaign for these freedoms because everyone deserves them. With
49 these freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control
50 the program and what it does for them. When users don't control the
51 program, we call it a &ldquo;nonfree&rdquo; or
52 &ldquo;proprietary&rdquo; program. The nonfree program controls the
53 users, and the developer controls the program; this makes the
54 program <a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">
55 an instrument of unjust power</a>.
56 </p>
57
58 <h4> The four essential freedoms</h4>
59
60 <p>
61 A program is free software if the program's users have the
62 four essential freedoms:
63 </p>
64
65 <ul>
66 <li>The freedom to run the program as you wish,
67 for any purpose (freedom 0).</li>
68 <li>The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it
69 does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source
70 code is a precondition for this.
71 </li>
72 <li>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
73 (freedom 2).
74 </li>
75 <li>The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions
76 to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole
77 community a chance to benefit from your changes.
78 Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
79 </li>
80 </ul>
81
82 <p>
83 A program is free software if it gives users adequately all of these
84 freedoms. Otherwise, it is nonfree. While we can distinguish various
85 nonfree distribution schemes in terms of how far they fall short of
86 being free, we consider them all equally unethical.</p>
87
88 <p>In any given scenario, these freedoms must apply to whatever code
89 we plan to make use of, or lead others to make use of. For instance,
90 consider a program A which automatically launches a program B to
91 handle some cases. If we plan to distribute A as it stands, that
92 implies users will need B, so we need to judge whether both A and B
93 are free. However, if we plan to modify A so that it doesn't use B,
94 only A needs to be free; B is not pertinent to that plan.</p>
95
96 <p>
97 &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial&rdquo;. A free
98 program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,
99 and commercial distribution. Commercial development of free software
100 is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.
101 You may have paid money to get copies of free software, or you may have
102 obtained copies at no charge. But regardless of how you got your copies,
103 you always have the freedom to copy and change the software, even to
104 <a href="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</a>.
105 </p>
106
107 <p>The rest of this page clarifies certain points about what makes
108 specific freedoms adequate or not.</p>
109
110 <h4>The freedom to run the program as you wish</h4>
111
112 <p>
113 The freedom to run the program means the freedom for any kind of person
114 or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind of
115 overall job and purpose, without being required to communicate about it
116 with the developer or any other specific entity. In this freedom, it is
117 the <em>user's</em> purpose that matters, not the <em>developer's</em>
118 purpose; you as a user are free to run the program for your purposes,
119 and if you distribute it to someone else, she is then free to run it
120 for her purposes, but you are not entitled to impose your purposes on her.
121 </p>
122
123 <p>
124 The freedom to run the program as you wish means that you are not
125 forbidden or stopped from making it run. This has nothing to do with what
126 functionality the program has, whether it is technically capable of
127 functioning in any given environment, or whether it is useful for any
128 particular computing activity.</p>
129
130 <h4>The freedom to study the source code and make changes</h4>
131
132 <p>
133 In order for freedoms 1 and 3 (the freedom to make changes and the
134 freedom to publish the changed versions) to be meaningful, you must have
135 access to the source code of the program. Therefore, accessibility of
136 source code is a necessary condition for free software. Obfuscated
137 &ldquo;source code&rdquo; is not real source code and does not count
138 as source code.
139 </p>
140
141 <p>
142 Freedom 1 includes the freedom to use your changed version in place of
143 the original. If the program is delivered in a product designed to
144 run someone else's modified versions but refuse to run yours &mdash; a
145 practice known as &ldquo;tivoization&rdquo; or &ldquo;lockdown&rdquo;,
146 or (in its practitioners' perverse terminology) as &ldquo;secure
147 boot&rdquo; &mdash; freedom 1 becomes an empty pretense rather than a
148 practical reality. These binaries are not free
149 software even if the source code they are compiled from is free.
150 </p>
151
152 <p>
153 One important way to modify a program is by merging in available free
154 subroutines and modules. If the program's license says that you
155 cannot merge in a suitably licensed existing module &mdash; for instance, if it
156 requires you to be the copyright holder of any code you add &mdash; then the
157 license is too restrictive to qualify as free.
158 </p>
159
160 <p>
161 Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.
162 If your right to modify a program is limited, in substance, to changes that
163 someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
164 </p>
165
166 <h4>The freedom to redistribute if you wish: basic requirements</h4>
167
168 <p>Freedom to distribute (freedoms 2 and 3) means you are free to
169 redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either
170 gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
171 <a href="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</a>. Being free to do these
172 things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay
173 for permission to do so.
174 </p>
175
176 <p>
177 You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them
178 privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they
179 exist. If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to
180 notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way.
181 </p>
182
183 <p>
184 Freedom 3 includes the freedom to release your modified versions
185 as free software. A free license may also permit other ways of
186 releasing them; in other words, it does not have to be
187 a <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a> license. However, a
188 license that requires modified versions to be nonfree does not qualify
189 as a free license.
190 </p>
191
192 <p>
193 The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable
194 forms of the program, as well as source code, for both modified and
195 unmodified versions. (Distributing programs in runnable form is necessary
196 for conveniently installable free operating systems.) It is OK if there
197 is no way to produce a binary or executable form for a certain program
198 (since some languages don't support that feature), but you must have the
199 freedom to redistribute such forms should you find or develop a way to
200 make them.
201 </p>
202
203 <h4>Copyleft</h4>
204
205 <p>
206 Certain kinds of rules about the manner of distributing free
207 software are acceptable, when they don't conflict with the central
208 freedoms. For example, <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a>
209 (very simply stated) is the rule that when redistributing the program,
210 you cannot add restrictions to deny other people the central freedoms.
211 This rule does not conflict with the central freedoms; rather it
212 protects them.
213 </p>
214
215 <p>
216 In the GNU project, we use copyleft to protect the four freedoms
217 legally for everyone. We believe there are important reasons why
218 <a href="/philosophy/pragmatic.html">it is better to use
219 copyleft</a>. However,
220 <a href="/philosophy/categories.html#Non-CopyleftedFreeSoftware">
221 noncopylefted free software</a> is ethical
222 too. See <a href="/philosophy/categories.html">Categories of Free
223 Software</a> for a description of how &ldquo;free software,&rdquo;
224 &ldquo;copylefted software&rdquo; and other categories of software
225 relate to each other.
226 </p>
227
228 <h4>Rules about packaging and distribution details</h4>
229
230 <p>
231 Rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable,
232 if they don't substantively limit your freedom to release modified
233 versions, or your freedom to make and use modified versions privately.
234 Thus, it is acceptable for the license to require that you change the
235 name of the modified version, remove a logo, or identify your
236 modifications as yours. As long as these requirements are not so
237 burdensome that they effectively hamper you from releasing your
238 changes, they are acceptable; you're already making other changes to
239 the program, so you won't have trouble making a few more.
240 </p>
241
242 <p>
243 Rules that &ldquo;if you make your version available in this way, you
244 must make it available in that way also&rdquo; can be acceptable too,
245 on the same condition. An example of such an acceptable rule is one
246 saying that if you have distributed a
247 modified version and a previous developer asks for a copy of it, you
248 must send one. (Note that such a rule still leaves you the choice of
249 whether to distribute your version at all.) Rules that require release
250 of source code to the users for versions that you put into public use
251 are also acceptable.
252 </p>
253
254 <p>
255 A special issue arises when a license requires changing the name by
256 which the program will be invoked from other programs. That
257 effectively hampers you from releasing your changed version so that it
258 can replace the original when invoked by those other programs. This
259 sort of requirement is acceptable only if there's a suitable aliasing
260 facility that allows you to specify the original program's name as an
261 alias for the modified version.</p>
262
263 <h4>Export regulations</h4>
264
265 <p>
266 Sometimes government <a id="exportcontrol">export control regulations</a>
267 and trade sanctions can constrain your freedom to distribute copies of
268 programs internationally. Software developers do not have the power to
269 eliminate or override these restrictions, but what they can and must do
270 is refuse to impose them as conditions of use of the program. In this
271 way, the restrictions will not affect activities and people outside the
272 jurisdictions of these governments. Thus, free software licenses
273 must not require obedience to any nontrivial export regulations as a
274 condition of exercising any of the essential freedoms.
275 </p>
276
277 <p>
278 Merely mentioning the existence of export regulations, without making
279 them a condition of the license itself, is acceptable since it does
280 not restrict users. If an export regulation is actually trivial for
281 free software, then requiring it as a condition is not an actual
282 problem; however, it is a potential problem, since a later change in
283 export law could make the requirement nontrivial and thus render the
284 software nonfree.
285 </p>
286
287 <h4>Legal considerations</h4>
288
289 <p>
290 In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and
291 irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the
292 software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively add
293 restrictions to its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give
294 cause, the software is not free.
295 </p>
296
297 <p>
298 A free license may not require compliance with the license of a
299 nonfree program. Thus, for instance, if a license requires you to
300 comply with the licenses of &ldquo;all the programs you use&rdquo;, in
301 the case of a user that runs nonfree programs this would require
302 compliance with the licenses of those nonfree programs; that makes the
303 license nonfree.
304 </p>
305
306 <p>
307 It is acceptable for a free license to specify which jurisdiction's
308 law applies, or where litigation must be done, or both.
309 </p>
310
311 <h4>Contract-based licenses</h4>
312
313 <p>
314 Most free software licenses are based on copyright, and there are limits
315 on what kinds of requirements can be imposed through copyright. If a
316 copyright-based license respects freedom in the ways described above, it
317 is unlikely to have some other sort of problem that we never anticipated
318 (though this does happen occasionally). However, some free software
319 licenses are based on contracts, and contracts can impose a much larger
320 range of possible restrictions. That means there are many possible ways
321 such a license could be unacceptably restrictive and nonfree.
322 </p>
323
324 <p>
325 We can't possibly list all the ways that might happen. If a
326 contract-based license restricts the user in an unusual way that
327 copyright-based licenses cannot, and which isn't mentioned here as
328 legitimate, we will have to think about it, and we will probably conclude
329 it is nonfree.
330 </p>
331
332 <h4>Use the right words when talking about free software</h4>
333
334 <p>
335 When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms
336 like &ldquo;give away&rdquo; or &ldquo;for free,&rdquo; because those terms imply that
337 the issue is about price, not freedom. Some common terms such
338 as &ldquo;piracy&rdquo; embody opinions we hope you won't endorse. See
339 <a href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html">Confusing Words and Phrases that
340 are Worth Avoiding</a> for a discussion of these terms. We also have
341 a list of proper <a href="/philosophy/fs-translations.html">translations of
342 &ldquo;free software&rdquo;</a> into various languages.
343 </p>
344
345 <h4>How we interpret these criteria</h4>
346
347 <p>
348 Finally, note that criteria such as those stated in this free software
349 definition require careful thought for their interpretation. To decide
350 whether a specific software license qualifies as a free software license,
351 we judge it based on these criteria to determine whether it fits their
352 spirit as well as the precise words. If a license includes unconscionable
353 restrictions, we reject it, even if we did not anticipate the issue
354 in these criteria. Sometimes a license requirement raises an issue
355 that calls for extensive thought, including discussions with a lawyer,
356 before we can decide if the requirement is acceptable. When we reach
357 a conclusion about a new issue, we often update these criteria to make
358 it easier to see why certain licenses do or don't qualify.
359 </p>
360
361 <h4>Get help with free licenses</h4>
362
363 <p>
364 If you are interested in whether a specific license qualifies as a free
365 software license, see our <a href="/licenses/license-list.html">list
366 of licenses</a>. If the license you are concerned with is not
367 listed there, you can ask us about it by sending us email at
368 <a href="mailto:licensing@gnu.org">&lt;licensing@gnu.org&gt;</a>.
369 </p>
370
371 <p>
372 If you are contemplating writing a new license, please contact the
373 Free Software Foundation first by writing to that address. The
374 proliferation of different free software licenses means increased work
375 for users in understanding the licenses; we may be able to help you
376 find an existing free software license that meets your needs.
377 </p>
378
379 <p>
380 If that isn't possible, if you really need a new license, with our
381 help you can ensure that the license really is a free software license
382 and avoid various practical problems.
383 </p>
384
385 <h3 id="beyond-software">Beyond Software</h3>
386
387 <p>
388 <a href="/philosophy/free-doc.html">Software manuals must be free</a>,
389 for the same reasons that software must be free, and because the
390 manuals are in effect part of the software.
391 </p>
392
393 <p>
394 The same arguments also make sense for other kinds of works of
395 practical use &mdash; that is to say, works that embody useful knowledge,
396 such as educational works and reference
397 works. <a href="http://wikipedia.org">Wikipedia</a> is the best-known
398 example.
399 </p>
400
401 <p>
402 Any kind of work <em>can</em> be free, and the definition of free software
403 has been extended to a definition of <a href="http://freedomdefined.org/">
404 free cultural works</a> applicable to any kind of works.
405 </p>
406
407 <h3 id="open-source">Open Source?</h3>
408
409 <p>
410 Another group uses the term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; to mean
411 something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software&rdquo;. We
412 prefer the term &ldquo;free software&rdquo; because, once you have heard that
413 it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom. The
414 word &ldquo;open&rdquo; <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">
415 never refers to freedom</a>.
416 </p>
417
418 <h3 id="History">History</h3>
419
420 <p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition. Here is
421 the list of substantive changes, along with links to show exactly what
422 was changed.</p>
423
424 <ul>
425
426 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.152&amp;r2=1.153">Version
427 1.153</a>: Clarify that freedom to run the program means nothing stops
428 you from making it run.</li>
429
430 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.140&amp;r2=1.141">Version
431 1.141</a>: Clarify which code needs to be free.</li>
432
433 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.134&amp;r2=1.135">Version
434 1.135</a>: Say each time that freedom 0 is the freedom to run the program
435 as you wish.</li>
436
437 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.133&amp;r2=1.134">Version
438 1.134</a>: Freedom 0 is not a matter of the program's functionality.</li>
439
440 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.130&amp;r2=1.131">Version
441 1.131</a>: A free license may not require compliance with a nonfree license
442 of another program.</li>
443
444 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.128&amp;r2=1.129">Version
445 1.129</a>: State explicitly that choice of law and choice of forum
446 specifications are allowed. (This was always our policy.)</li>
447
448 <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
449 1.122</a>: An export control requirement is a real problem if the
450 requirement is nontrivial; otherwise it is only a potential problem.</li>
451
452 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.117&amp;r2=1.118">Version
453 1.118</a>: Clarification: the issue is limits on your right to modify,
454 not on what modifications you have made. And modifications are not limited
455 to &ldquo;improvements&rdquo;</li>
456
457 <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
458 1.111</a>: Clarify 1.77 by saying that only
459 retroactive <em>restrictions</em> are unacceptable. The copyright
460 holders can always grant additional <em>permission</em> for use of the
461 work by releasing the work in another way in parallel.</li>
462
463 <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
464 1.105</a>: Reflect, in the brief statement of freedom 1, the point
465 (already stated in version 1.80) that it includes really using your modified
466 version for your computing.</li>
467
468 <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
469 1.92</a>: Clarify that obfuscated code does not qualify as source code.</li>
470
471 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.89&amp;r2=1.90">Version
472 1.90</a>: Clarify that freedom 3 means the right to distribute copies
473 of your own modified or improved version, not a right to participate
474 in someone else's development project.</li>
475
476 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.88&amp;r2=1.89">Version
477 1.89</a>: Freedom 3 includes the right to release modified versions as
478 free software.</li>
479
480 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.79&amp;r2=1.80">Version
481 1.80</a>: Freedom 1 must be practical, not just theoretical;
482 i.e., no tivoization.</li>
483
484 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.76&amp;r2=1.77">Version
485 1.77</a>: Clarify that all retroactive changes to the license are
486 unacceptable, even if it's not described as a complete
487 replacement.</li>
488
489 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.73&amp;r2=1.74">Version
490 1.74</a>: Four clarifications of points not explicit enough, or stated
491 in some places but not reflected everywhere:
492 <ul>
493 <li>"Improvements" does not mean the license can
494 substantively limit what kinds of modified versions you can release.
495 Freedom 3 includes distributing modified versions, not just changes.</li>
496 <li>The right to merge in existing modules
497 refers to those that are suitably licensed.</li>
498 <li>Explicitly state the conclusion of the point about export controls.</li>
499 <li>Imposing a license change constitutes revoking the old license.</li>
500 </ul>
501 </li>
502
503 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.56&amp;r2=1.57">Version
504 1.57</a>: Add &quot;Beyond Software&quot; section.</li>
505
506 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.45&amp;r2=1.46">Version
507 1.46</a>: Clarify whose purpose is significant in the freedom to run
508 the program for any purpose.</li>
509
510 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.40&amp;r2=1.41">Version
511 1.41</a>: Clarify wording about contract-based licenses.</li>
512
513 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.39&amp;r2=1.40">Version
514 1.40</a>: Explain that a free license must allow to you use other
515 available free software to create your modifications.</li>
516
517 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.38&amp;r2=1.39">Version
518 1.39</a>: Note that it is acceptable for a license to require you to
519 provide source for versions of the software you put into public
520 use.</li>
521
522 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.30&amp;r2=1.31">Version
523 1.31</a>: Note that it is acceptable for a license to require you to
524 identify yourself as the author of modifications. Other minor
525 clarifications throughout the text.</li>
526
527 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.22&amp;r2=1.23">Version
528 1.23</a>: Address potential problems related to contract-based
529 licenses.</li>
530
531 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.15&amp;r2=1.16">Version
532 1.16</a>: Explain why distribution of binaries is important.</li>
533
534 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.10&amp;r2=1.11">Version
535 1.11</a>: Note that a free license may require you to send a copy of
536 versions you distribute to previous developers on request.</li>
537
538 </ul>
539
540 <p>There are gaps in the version numbers shown above because there are
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603 <!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" -->
604
605 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
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607 $Date: 2017/04/04 08:56:21 $
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