GNU
Q
2
ABOUT GNU
PHILOSOPHY
LICENSES
Wnu
Philosophy
Essays & articles
About free software
Principles
What is Free Software?
"Free software" means software that respects users'
freedom and community Roughly, it means that the
users have the freedom to run; cOpPy distribute;
study; change and improve the software. Thus,
"free software" is
matter of
liberty; not price. To
understand the concept; you should think of
free" as
in "free speech;
not as in
beer:
We sometimes
call it "libre software; " borrowing the French or
Spanish word tor
as in freedom; t0 show we do
not mean the software is
may have
money to get copies of =
tree
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 t0 sell copies
We campaign tor these freedoms because everyone deserves
then.
With these freedoms; the users (both individually and
collectively) control the program and what it does for them.
When users don't control the program; we call it a "nonfree"
or "proprietary" program: The nontree program controls the
users, and the developer controls the program; this makes
the program an instrument of unjust power.
"Open source" is
something different: it has
different
"free
"free"
gratis.
You .
paid
very