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www/server/staging/readability free-sw.html
|
From: |
Therese Godefroy |
|
Subject: |
www/server/staging/readability free-sw.html |
|
Date: |
Sat, 10 Jul 2021 07:37:17 -0400 (EDT) |
CVSROOT: /webcvs/www
Module name: www
Changes by: Therese Godefroy <th_g> 21/07/10 07:37:17
Modified files:
server/staging/readability: free-sw.html
Log message:
Update: text, breadcrumb, boilerplate 1.96, etc.
CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/server/staging/readability/free-sw.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.31&r2=1.32
Patches:
Index: free-sw.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/server/staging/readability/free-sw.html,v
retrieving revision 1.31
retrieving revision 1.32
diff -u -b -r1.31 -r1.32
--- free-sw.html 30 Mar 2020 13:06:58 -0000 1.31
+++ free-sw.html 10 Jul 2021 11:37:17 -0000 1.32
@@ -1,57 +1,29 @@
-<!DOCTYPE html>
-<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"; xml:lang="en" lang="en">
-<head>
-<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
-<link rev="made" href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"; />
-<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/graphics/gnu-head-mini.png" />
-<meta name="ICBM" content="42.355469,-71.058627" />
-<meta name="DC.title" content="gnu.org" />
-<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/reset.css" media="screen" />
-<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/mini.css" media="handheld" />
-<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"
href="/server/staging/layout/layout.css" media="screen" />
-<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/print.min.css" media="print" />
+<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
+<!-- Parent-Version: 1.96 -->
+<!-- This page is derived from /server/standards/boilerplate.html -->
+<!--#set var="TAGS" value="aboutfs" -->
<!--#set var="DISABLE_TOP_ADDENDUM" value="yes" -->
-<!--#set var="TAGS" value="essay aboutfs" -->
<title>What is free software?
- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
-<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/server/staging/education.css"
media="screen" />
<style type="text/css" media="print,screen"><!--
-.toc { width: 35em; }
-.note { width: 20em; max-width: 92%; }
+.note { margin-left: 6%; margin-right: 6%; }
@media (min-width: 48em) {
- .left { width: 57% }
- .note { width: 38%; box-shadow: none; }
+ .note { margin-top: .8em; }
}
--></style>
<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." />
-
<!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/free-sw.translist" -->
-<!--#include virtual="/server/staging/layout/banner.html" -->
-<div id="main">
-
-<div id="section-menu">
- <a id="sect-menu-button" class="switch" href="#navlinks">
- <img id="sect-menu-icon" height="32"
- src="/server/staging/layout/sect-menu.png"
- alt="Section menu" /></a>
-</div>
-<p class="breadcrumb">
- <a href="/philosophy/philosophy.html">Philosophy</a> >
- <a href="/philosophy/essays-and-articles.html#content">Essays &
articles</a> >
- <a href="/philosophy/essays-and-articles.html#aboutfs">About free
software</a> ≫
-</p>
-
+<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
+<!--#include virtual="/philosophy/ph-breadcrumb.html" -->
<!--GNUN: OUT-OF-DATE NOTICE-->
-<!--#if expr="$OUTDATED_SINCE" --><!--#else -->
-<!--#if expr="$LANGUAGE_SUFFIX" -->
-<!--#set var="DISABLE_TOP_ADDENDUM" value="no" -->
<!--#include virtual="/server/top-addendum.html" -->
-<!--#endif -->
-<!--#endif -->
-<h2 id="main-heading">What is free software?</h2>
+<div class="reduced-width">
+<h2>What is free software?</h2>
+<div class="thin"></div>
-<div class="important italic">
+<div class="article">
+<div class="comment">
<p>
“Free software” means software that respects users'
freedom and community. Roughly, it means that <b>the users have the
@@ -64,6 +36,13 @@
“free” as in freedom, to show we do not mean the software
is gratis.
</p>
+
+<p>
+You may have paid money to get copies of a free program, or you may
+have obtained copies at no charge. But regardless of how you got your
+copies, you always have the freedom to copy and change the software,
+even to <a href="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</a>.
+</p>
</div>
<p>
@@ -88,22 +67,24 @@
<div class="toc">
<hr class="no-display" />
-<h3 id="TableOfContents">Table of Contents</h3>
+<h3 class="no-display">Table of contents</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="#fs-definition">The free software definition</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#four-freedoms">The four essential freedoms</a></li>
- <li><a href="#selling">Selling free software is OK</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#selling">Free software <em>can</em> be commercial</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
- <li><a href="#clarifying">Clarifying the line at various points</a>
+ <li><a href="#clarifying">Clarifying the boundary between free and nonfree</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#run-the-program">The freedom to run the program as you
wish</a></li>
<li><a href="#make-changes">The freedom to study the source code and make
changes</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#redistribute">The freedom to redistribute if you wish:
+ basic requirements</a></li>
<li><a href="#copyleft">Copyleft</a></li>
- <li><a href="#distribute">Rules about packaging and distribution
+ <li><a href="#packaging">Rules about packaging and distribution
details</a></li>
<li><a href="#exportcontrol">Export regulations</a></li>
<li><a href="#legal-details">Legal considerations</a></li>
@@ -114,16 +95,26 @@
<ul>
<li><a href="#interpretation">How we interpret these criteria</a></li>
<li><a href="#get-help">Get help with free licenses</a></li>
- <li><a href="#terminology">Use the right terms</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#terminology">Use the right words when talking about free
+ software</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
- <li><a href="#beyond-software">Beyond Software</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#beyond-software">Beyond software</a></li>
<li><a href="#History">History</a></li>
</ul>
+</div>
+
+<div class="edu-note" id="fsf-licensing">
+<p style="font-size:80%">
+Have a question about free software licensing not answered here?
+See our other <a href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing";>licensing resources</a>,
+and if necessary contact the FSF Compliance Lab
+at <a href="mailto:licensing@fsf.org";>licensing@fsf.org</a>.</p>
<hr class="no-display" />
</div>
-<h3 id="fs-definition" class="subheader">The Free Software Definition</h3>
+
+<h3 id="fs-definition" class="subheader">The Free software definition</h3>
<p>
The free software definition presents the criteria for whether a
@@ -157,14 +148,7 @@
</li>
</ul>
-<blockquote class="note" id="fsf-licensing"><p style="font-size: 80%">
-Have a question about free software licensing not answered here?
-See our other <a href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing";>licensing resources</a>,
-and if necessary contact the FSF Compliance Lab
-at <a href="mailto:licensing@fsf.org";>licensing@fsf.org</a>.</p>
-</blockquote>
-
-<p class="left">
+<p>
A program is free software if it gives users adequately all of these
freedoms. Otherwise, it is nonfree. While we can distinguish various
nonfree distribution schemes in terms of how far they fall short of
@@ -178,29 +162,48 @@
are free. However, if we plan to modify A so that it doesn't use B,
only A needs to be free; B is not pertinent to that plan.</p>
-<h4 id="selling">Selling free software is OK</h4>
+
+<h4 id="selling">Free software <em>can</em> be commercial</h4>
+
+<p>
+“Free software” does not mean “noncommercial”.
+On the contrary, a free program must be available for commercial use,
+commercial development, and commercial distribution. This policy is
+of fundamental importance—without this, free software could not
+achieve its aims.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+We want to invite everyone to use the GNU system, including businesses
+and their workers. That requires allowing commercial use. We hope
+that free replacement programs will supplant comparable proprietary
+programs, but they can't do that if businesses are forbidden to use
+them. We want commercial products that contain software to include
+the GNU system, and that would constitute commercial distribution for
+a price. Commercial development of free software is no longer
+unusual; such free commercial software is very important. Paid,
+professional support for free software fills an important need.
+</p>
<p>
-“Free software” does not mean “noncommercial”. 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.
-You may have paid money to get copies of free software, or you may have
-obtained copies at no charge. But regardless of how you got your copies,
-you always have the freedom to copy and change the software, even to
-<a href="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</a>.
+Thus, to exclude commercial use, commercial development or commercial
+distribution would hobble the free software community and obstruct its
+path to success. We must conclude that a program licensed with such
+restrictions does not qualify as free software.
</p>
<p>
-A free program must offer the four freedoms to any user that obtains a
-copy of the software, provided the user has complied thus far with the
-conditions of the free license covering the software. Putting some of
-the freedoms off limits to some users, or requiring that users pay, in
-money or in kind, to exercise them, is tantamount to not granting the
-freedoms in question, and thus renders the program nonfree.
+A free program must offer the four freedoms to any would-be user that
+obtains a copy of the software, who has complied thus far with the
+conditions of the free license covering the software in any previous
+distribution of it. Putting some of the freedoms off limits to some
+users, or requiring that users pay, in money or in kind, to exercise
+them, is tantamount to not granting the freedoms in question, and thus
+renders the program nonfree.
</p>
-<h3 id="clarifying" class="subheader">Clarifying the line at various
points</h3>
+
+<h3 id="clarifying" class="subheader">Clarifying the boundary between free and
nonfree</h3>
<p>In the rest of this article we explain more precisely how far the
various freedoms need to extend, on various issues, in order for a
@@ -235,6 +238,10 @@
communities to make and distribute modified versions without the
arbitrary nuisance code.</p>
+<p>“As you wish” includes, optionally, “not at
+all” if that is what you wish. So there is no need for a
+separate “freedom not to run a program.”</p>
+
<h4 id="make-changes">The freedom to study the source code and make
changes</h4>
<p>
@@ -271,7 +278,14 @@
someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
</p>
-<h4>The freedom to redistribute if you wish: basic requirements</h4>
+<p>
+One special case of freedom 1 is to delete the program's code so it
+returns after doing nothing, or make it invoke some other program.
+Thus, freedom 1 includes the “freedom to delete the program.”
+</p>
+
+<h4 id="redistribute">The freedom to redistribute if you wish: basic
+requirements</h4>
<p>Freedom to distribute (freedoms 2 and 3) means you are free to
redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either
@@ -333,7 +347,7 @@
relate to each other.
</p>
-<h4 id="distribute">Rules about packaging and distribution details</h4>
+<h4 id="packaging">Rules about packaging and distribution details</h4>
<p>
Rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable,
@@ -437,8 +451,7 @@
it is nonfree.
</p>
-<h3 id="in-practice" class="subheader">The free software definition in
-practice</h3>
+<h3 id="in-practice" class="subheader">The free software definition in
practice</h3>
<h4 id="interpretation">How we interpret these criteria</h4>
@@ -480,7 +493,7 @@
and avoid various practical problems.
</p>
-<h4 id="terminology">Use the right terms</h4>
+<h4 id="terminology">Use the right words when talking about free software</h4>
<p>
When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms
@@ -498,11 +511,10 @@
something close (but not identical) to “free software”. We
prefer the term “free software” because, once you have heard that
it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom. The
-word “open” <a
href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">
-never refers to freedom</a>.
+word “open” never refers to freedom.
</p>
-<h3 id="beyond-software" class="subheader">Beyond Software</h3>
+<h3 id="beyond-software" class="subheader">Beyond software</h3>
<p>
<a href="/philosophy/free-doc.html">Software manuals must be free</a>,
@@ -514,7 +526,7 @@
The same arguments also make sense for other kinds of works of
practical use — 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="https://wikipedia.org";>Wikipedia</a> is the best-known
example.
</p>
@@ -523,9 +535,9 @@
has been extended to a definition of <a href="http://freedomdefined.org/";>
free cultural works</a> applicable to any kind of works.
</p>
-<div class="column-limit"></div>
+<hr class="column-limit" />
+</div>
-<div class="infobox">
<h3 id="History">History</h3>
<p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition. Here is
@@ -534,6 +546,12 @@
<ul>
+<li><a
href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&r1=1.168&r2=1.169";>Version
+1.169</a>: Explain more clearly why the four freedoms must apply
+to commercial activity. Explain why the four freedoms imply the
+freedom not to run the program and the freedom to delete it, so there
+is no need to state those as separate requirements.</li>
+
<li><a
href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&r1=1.164&r2=1.165";>Version
1.165</a>: Clarify that arbitrary annoyances in the code do not
negate freedom 0, and that freedoms 1 and 3 enable users to remove them.</li>
@@ -659,9 +677,9 @@
You can review the complete list of changes to the page through
the <a
href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&view=log";>cvsweb
interface</a>.</p>
-<div class="column-limit"></div>
+<hr class="column-limit" />
-<h3>Footnote</h3>
+<h3 class="footnote">Footnote</h3>
<ol>
<li id="f1">The reason they are numbered 0, 1, 2 and 3 is historical. Around
1990 there were three freedoms, numbered 1, 2 and 3. Then we realized that
@@ -669,11 +687,10 @@
It was clearly more basic than the other three, so it properly should
precede them. Rather than renumber the others, we made it freedom 0.</li>
</ol>
-</div><!-- /.infobox -->
+</div>
-</div><!-- /#main-text -->
-<!--#include virtual="/server/staging/nav-bar/test9/philosophy-menu.html" -->
-<!--#include virtual="/server/staging/layout/footer-text.html" -->
+</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
+<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
<div id="footer">
<div class="unprintable">
@@ -692,13 +709,13 @@
to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org";>
<web-translators@gnu.org></a>.</p>
- <p>For information on coordinating and submitting translations of
+ <p>For information on coordinating and contributing translations of
our web pages, see <a
href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
README</a>. -->
Please see the <a
href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
-README</a> for information on coordinating and submitting translations
+README</a> for information on coordinating and contributing translations
of this article.</p>
</div>
@@ -719,7 +736,7 @@
There is more detail about copyright years in the GNU Maintainers
Information document, www.gnu.org/prep/maintain. -->
-<p>Copyright © 1996, 2002, 2004-2007, 2009-2020
+<p>Copyright © 1996, 2002, 2004-2007, 2009-2021
Free Software Foundation, Inc.</p>
<p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
@@ -730,7 +747,7 @@
<p class="unprintable">Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2020/03/30 13:06:58 $
+$Date: 2021/07/10 11:37:17 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
- www/server/staging/readability free-sw.html,
Therese Godefroy <=