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-<!-- This is the second edition of Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman.
-
-Free Software Foundation
-
-51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor
-
-Boston, MA 02110-1335
-Copyright C 2002, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire book are permitted
-worldwide, without royalty, in any medium, provided this notice is
-preserved. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations
-of this book from the original English into another language provided
-the translation has been approved by the Free Software Foundation and
-the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all
-copies.
-
-ISBN 978-0-9831592-0-9
-Cover design by Rob Myers.
-
-Cover photograph by Peter Hinely.
- -->
-
-
- <a name="Categories-of-Free-and-Nonfree-Software">
- </a>
- <h1 class="chapter">
- 13. Categories of Free and Nonfree Software
- </h1>
- <div style="display:none">
- <p id="teaser">
- Free software is software that comes with permission for
- anyone to use, copy, and/or distribute, either verbatim or with
- modifications, either gratis or for a fee. In particular, this
- means that source code must be available. “If it’s not
- source, it’s not software.”
- </p>
- </div>
- <a name="index-call-to-action_002c-use-correct-terminology-_0028see-also-terminology_0029-3">
- </a>
- <img alt="category" src="/essay/13._Categories_of_Free_and_Nonfree_Software/data/category.jpg">
- <blockquote class="smallquotation">
- <p>
- <em>
- This diagram, originally by Chao-Kuei and updated by several
-others since, explains the different categories of software. It’s
-available at
- <a href="http://gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html">
- http://gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html
- </a>
- as
-a Scalable Vector Graphic and as an XFig document, under the terms of
-any of the GNU GPL v2 or later, the GNU FDL v1.2 or later, or the
-Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike v2.0 or later. To view a copy
-of the Creative Commons license, visit
- <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0">
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
- </a>
- , or
-send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street,
-Suite 300, San Francisco, California 94105, USA.
- </em>
- </p>
- </blockquote>
- <br>
- <a name="Free-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Free Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-free-_0028see-also-free-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-free-software-_0028see-also-free-software_002c-four-freedoms_002c-citizen-values_002c-selling_002c-and-software_0029-2">
- </a>
- <p>
- Free software is software that comes with permission for
- anyone to use, copy, and/or distribute, either verbatim or with
- modifications, either gratis or for a fee. In particular, this
- means that source code must be available. “If it’s not
- source, it’s not software.” This is a simplified
- description; see also the full definition (p. @refx{Definition-pg}{).
- </p>
- <p>
- If a program is free, then it can potentially be included
- in a free operating system such as GNU, or free versions of
- the GNU/Linux
- system.
- </p>
- <p>
- There are many different ways to make a program free—many
- questions of detail, which could be decided in more than one way
- and still make the program free. Some of the possible variations
- are described below. For information on specific free software
- licenses, see the license list page, at
- <a href="http://gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html">
- http://gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html
- </a>
- .
- </p>
- <p>
- Free software is a matter of freedom, not price. But
- proprietary software companies typically use the term
- “free software” to refer to price. Sometimes they
- mean that you can obtain a binary copy at no charge; sometimes
- they mean that a copy is bundled with a computer that you are
- buying, and the price includes both. Either way, it has
- nothing to do with what we mean by free software in the GNU
- Project.
- </p>
- <p>
- Because of this potential confusion, when a software company
- says its product is free software, always check the actual
- distribution terms to see whether users really have all the
- freedoms that free software implies. Sometimes it really is free
- software; sometimes it isn’t.
- </p>
- <p>
- Many languages have two separate words for
- “free” as in freedom and “free” as in
- zero price. For example, French has “libre” and
- “gratuit.” Not so English; there is a word
- “gratis” that refers unambiguously to price, but
- no common adjective that refers unambiguously to freedom. So
- if you are speaking another language, we suggest you translate
- “free” into your language to make it clearer. See
- our list of
- translations of the term “free software” into
- various other languages (p. @refx{FS Translations-pg}{).
- </p>
- <p>
- Free software is often more reliable than nonfree software.
- <a name="index-software_002c-free-_0028see-also-free-software_0029-1">
- </a>
- <a name="index-free-software-_0028see-also-free-software_002c-four-freedoms_002c-citizen-values_002c-selling_002c-and-software_0029-3">
- </a>
- </p>
- <a name="Open-Source-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Open Source Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-open-source-_0028see-also-open-source-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-open-source-software-_0028see-also-software_0029">
- </a>
- <p>
- The term “open source” software is used by some
- people to mean more or less the same category as free
- software. It is not exactly the same class of software: they
- accept some licenses that we consider too restrictive, and
- there are free software licenses they have not
- accepted. However, the differences in extension of the
- category are small: nearly all free software is open source,
- and nearly all open source software is free.
- <a name="index-free-software_002c-essential-difference-between-open-source-and-1">
- </a>
- <a name="index-open-source_002c-essential-difference-between-free-software-and-1">
- </a>
- </p>
- <p>
- We prefer the term “free
- software” because it refers to
- freedom—something that the term “open
- source” does not do.
- </p>
- <a name="Public-Domain-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Public Domain Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-public-domain-_0028see-also-public-domain-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-public-domain-software-_0028see-also-software_0029-2">
- </a>
- <a name="index-copyright_002c-public-domain-software-and-_0028see-also-public-domain-software_0029">
- </a>
- <p>
- Public domain software is software that is not copyrighted. If
- the source code is in the public domain, that is a special case of
- noncopylefted free
- software, which means that some copies or modified versions
- may not be free at all.
- </p>
- <p>
- In some cases, an executable program can be in the public
-domain but the source code is not available. This is not free
-software, because free software requires accessibility of source code.
-Meanwhile, most free software is not in the
-
-public domain; it is
-copyrighted, and the copyright holders have legally given permission
-for everyone to use it in freedom, using a free software license.
- </p>
- <p>
- Sometimes people use the term “public domain”
- in a loose fashion to
- mean “free” or
- “available gratis.” However, “public
- domain” is a legal term and means, precisely, “not
- copyrighted.” For clarity, we recommend using
- “public domain” for that meaning only, and using
- other terms to convey the other meanings.
- </p>
- <p>
- Under the
- <a name="index-copyright_002c-Berne-Convention">
- </a>
- <a name="index-Berne-Convention-_0028see-also-copyright_0029">
- </a>
- Berne Convention, which most countries have
- signed, anything written down is automatically
- copyrighted. This includes programs. Therefore, if you want a
- program you have written to be in the public domain, you must
- take some legal steps to disclaim the copyright on it;
- otherwise, the program is copyrighted.
- <a name="index-software_002c-public-domain-_0028see-also-public-domain-software_0029-1">
- </a>
- <a name="index-public-domain-software-_0028see-also-software_0029-3">
- </a>
- <a name="index-copyright_002c-public-domain-software-and-_0028see-also-public-domain-software_0029-1">
- </a>
- </p>
- <a name="Copylefted-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Copylefted Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-copylefted-_0028see-also-copylefted-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-copylefted-software-_0028see-also-software_0029">
- </a>
- <p>
- Copylefted software is free software whose distribution terms ensure
-that all copies of all versions carry more or less the same
-distribution terms. This means, for instance, that copyleft licenses
-generally disallow others to add additional requirements to the
-software (though a limited set of safe added requirements can be
-allowed) and require making source code available. This shields the
-program, and its modified versions, from some of the common ways of
-making a program proprietary.
- </p>
- <p>
- Some copyleft licenses, such as GPL version 3, block other
-means of turning software proprietary, such as tivoization.
- </p>
- <p>
- In the GNU Project, we copyleft almost all the software we
-write, because our goal is to give
- <em>
- every
- </em>
- user the freedoms
-implied by the term “free software.” See the essay “Copyleft”
-(p. @refx{Copyleft-pg}{) for more explanation of how copyleft works and
-why we use it.
- </p>
- <a name="index-copyleft_002c-and-GPL">
- </a>
- <p>
- Copyleft is a general concept; to copyleft an actual program,
-you need to use a specific set of distribution terms. There are many
-possible ways to write copyleft distribution terms, so in principle
-there can be many copyleft free software licenses. However, in actual
-practice nearly all copylefted software uses the GNU General Public
-License. Two different copyleft licenses are usually “incompatible,”
-which means it is illegal to merge the code using one license with the
-code using the other license; therefore, it is good for the community
-if people use a single copyleft license.
- </p>
- <a name="Noncopylefted-Free-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Noncopylefted Free Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-noncopylefted-free-_0028see-also-noncopylefted-free-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-noncopylefted-free-software-_0028see-also-software_0029-1">
- </a>
- <p>
- Noncopylefted free software comes from the author with
- permission to redistribute and modify, and also to add additional
- restrictions to it.
- </p>
- <p>
- If a program is free but not copylefted, then some copies
- or modified versions may not be free at all. A software
- company can compile the program, with or without
- modifications, and distribute the executable file as
- a proprietary software product.
- </p>
- <a name="index-X-Window-System-3">
- </a>
- <a name="index-X-Consortium-_0028see-also-Open-Group_002c-its-successor_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-X11-licenses">
- </a>
- <p>
- The X Window System illustrates this. The X Consortium
-releases X11 with distribution terms that make it noncopylefted free
-software. If you wish, you can get a copy which has those distribution
-terms and is free. However, there are nonfree versions as well, and
-there are (or at least were) popular workstations and PC graphics
-boards for which nonfree versions are the only ones that work. If you
-are using this hardware, X11 is not free software for you. The
-developers of X11 even made X11 nonfree for a while; they were able to
-do this because others had contributed their code under the same
-noncopyleft license.
- </p>
- <a name="index-X-Window-System-4">
- </a>
- <a name="index-X-Consortium-_0028see-also-Open-Group_002c-its-successor_0029-1">
- </a>
- <a name="index-X11-licenses-1">
- </a>
- <a name="index-software_002c-noncopylefted-free-_0028see-also-noncopylefted-free-software_0029-1">
- </a>
- <a name="index-noncopylefted-free-software-_0028see-also-software_0029-2">
- </a>
- <a name="Lax-Permissive-Licensed-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Lax Permissive Licensed Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-lax-permissive-licensed-software">
- </a>
- <a name="index-software_002c-lax-permissive-licensed">
- </a>
- <p>
- Lax permissive licenses include the
- <a name="index-X11-licenses-2">
- </a>
- X11 license and the two
- <a name="index-BSD-licenses-_0028see-also-both-_0060_0060BSD_002dstyle_0027_0027-and-GPL_0029">
- </a>
- BSD
-licenses. These licenses permit almost any use of the code, including
-distributing proprietary binaries with or without changing the source
-code.
- </p>
- <a name="GPL_002dCovered-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- GPL-Covered Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-GPL_002dcovered-_0028see-also-GPL_002dcovered-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-GPL_002c-GPL_002dcovered-software-_0028see-also-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-GPL_002dcovered-software-_0028see-also-software_0029">
- </a>
- <p>
- The GNU GPL (General Public
- License) is one specific set of distribution terms for
- copylefting a program. The GNU Project uses it as the distribution
- terms for most GNU software.
- </p>
- <p>
- To equate free software with GPL-covered software is therefore
- an error.
- </p>
- <a name="The-GNU-Operating-System">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- The GNU Operating System
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-GNU-operating-system-_0028see-also-GNU_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-GNU_002c-GNU-operating-system-_0028see-also-both-software-and-GNU_0029">
- </a>
- <p>
- The GNU operating system is the
- Unix-like operating system, which is entirely free software, that
- we in the GNU Project have developed since 1984.
- </p>
- <a name="index-TeX-2">
- </a>
- <p>
- A Unix-like operating system consists of many programs. The GNU
- system includes all the GNU software, as well as many other
- packages, such as the X Window System and TeX, which are not GNU
- software.
- </p>
- <a name="index-Hurd_002c-GNU-1">
- </a>
- <a name="index-GNU_002c-GNU-Hurd-2">
- </a>
- <a name="index-kernel_002c-GNU-Hurd-1">
- </a>
- <p>
- The first test release of the complete GNU system was in
- 1996. This includes the GNU Hurd, our kernel, developed since
- 1990. In 2001 the GNU system (including the GNU Hurd) began
- working fairly reliably, but the Hurd still lacks some
- important features, so it is not widely used. Meanwhile,
- the GNU/Linux system,
- an offshoot of the GNU operating system which uses Linux as
- the kernel instead of the GNU Hurd, has been a great success
- since the 90s.
- </p>
- <p>
- Since the purpose of GNU is to be free, every single
- component in the GNU operating system has to be free
- software. They don’t all have to be copylefted, however; any
- kind of free software is legally suitable to include if it
- helps meet technical goals. And it isn’t necessary for all the
- components to be GNU software, individually. GNU can and does
- include noncopylefted free software such as the X Window
- System that were developed by other projects.
- </p>
- <a name="GNU-Programs">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- GNU Programs
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-GNU-programs-_0028see-also-GNU-programs_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-GNU_002c-GNU-programs-_0028see-also-software_0029-1">
- </a>
- <p>
- “GNU programs” is equivalent
- to GNU software. A program Foo is a
- GNU program if it is GNU software. We also sometimes say it
- is a “GNU package.”
- </p>
- <a name="GNU-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- GNU Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-GNU_0028see-also-GNU-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-GNU-_0028see-also-both-software-and-GNU_0029-3">
- </a>
- <p>
- GNU software is
- software that is released under the auspices of the GNU Project. If a program is GNU
- software, we also say that it is a GNU program or a GNU
- package. The README or manual of a GNU package should say it
- is one; also,
-
- the Free Software Directory identifies all GNU packages.
- </p>
- <p>
- Most GNU software is copylefted, but not all; however,
- all GNU software must be free software.
- </p>
- <a name="index-FSF_002c-software-development">
- </a>
- <a name="index-FSF_002c-copyright-on-software">
- </a>
- <p>
- Some GNU software was written by staff of the Free Software
-Foundation, but most GNU software comes from many volunteers. (Some of
-these volunteers are paid by companies or universities, but they are
-volunteers for us.) Some contributed software is copyrighted by the
-Free Software Foundation; some is copyrighted by the contributors who
-wrote it.
- <a name="index-software_002c-GNU_0028see-also-GNU-software_0029-1">
- </a>
- <a name="index-GNU-_0028see-also-both-software-and-GNU_0029-4">
- </a>
- </p>
- <a name="Nonfree-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Nonfree Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-nonfree-_0028see-also-nonfree-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-nonfree-software-_0028see-also-software_0029">
- </a>
- <p>
- Nonfree software is any software that is not free.
- Its use, redistribution or modification is prohibited, or
- requires you to ask for permission, or is restricted so much
- that you effectively can’t do it freely.
- </p>
- <a name="Proprietary-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Proprietary Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-proprietary-_0028see-also-proprietary-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-proprietary-software-_0028see-also-software_0029">
- </a>
- <p>
- Proprietary software is another name for nonfree software.
- In the past we subdivided nonfree software into
- “semifree software,” which could be modified and
- redistributed noncommercially, and “proprietary
- software,” which could not be. But we have dropped that
- distinction and now use “proprietary software” as
- synonymous with nonfree software.
- </p>
- <a name="index-FSF_002c-on-installing-proprietary-software">
- </a>
- <p>
- The Free Software Foundation follows the rule that we cannot
- install any proprietary program on our computers except temporarily
- for the specific purpose of writing a free replacement for that
- very program. Aside from that, we feel there is no possible excuse
- for installing a proprietary program.
- </p>
- <p>
- For example, we felt justified in installing Unix on our
- computer in the 1980s, because we were using it to write a free
- replacement for Unix. Nowadays, since free operating systems are
- available, the excuse is no longer applicable; we do not use any
- nonfree operating systems, and any new computer we install
- must run a completely free operating system.
- </p>
- <p>
- We don’t insist that users of GNU, or contributors to GNU, have
- to live by this rule. It is a rule we made for ourselves. But we
- hope you will follow it too, for your freedom’s sake.
- </p>
- <a name="Freeware">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Freeware
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-freeware-_0028see-also-freeware_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-_0060_0060freeware_002c_0027_0027-erroneous-use-of-term">
- </a>
- <p>
- The term “freeware” has no clear accepted
- definition, but it is commonly used for packages which permit
- redistribution but not modification (and their source code is
- not available). These packages are
- <em>
- not
- </em>
- free software,
- so please don’t use “freeware” to refer to free
- software.
- </p>
- <a name="Shareware">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Shareware
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-shareware">
- </a>
- <a name="index-shareware-_0028see-also-software_0029">
- </a>
- <p>
- Shareware is software which comes with permission for people to
- redistribute copies, but says that anyone who continues to use a
- copy is
- <em>
- required
- </em>
- to pay a license fee.
- </p>
- <p>
- Shareware is not free software, or even semifree. There are two
- reasons it is not:
- </p>
- <ul>
- <li>
- For most shareware, source code is not available; thus, you cannot modify the program at all.
- </li>
- <li>
- Shareware does not come with permission to make a copy and install it without paying a license fee, not even for individuals engaging in nonprofit activity. (In practice, people often disregard the distribution terms and do this anyway, but the terms don’t permit it.)
- </li>
- </ul>
- <a name="index-software_002c-shareware-1">
- </a>
- <a name="index-shareware-_0028see-also-software_0029-1">
- </a>
- <a name="Private-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Private Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-private">
- </a>
- <a name="index-private-software-_0028see-also-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-development_002c-private-software">
- </a>
- <p>
- Private or custom software is software developed for one user
- (typically an organization or company). That user keeps it and uses
- it, and does not release it to the public either as source code or
- as binaries.
- </p>
- <p>
- A private program is free software in a trivial sense if its
- sole user has full rights to it.
- </p>
- <p>
- In general we do not believe it is wrong to develop a program
- and not release it. There are occasions when a program is so useful
- that withholding it from release is treating humanity badly.
- However, most programs are not that important, so not releasing them
- is not particularly harmful. Thus, there is no conflict between the
- development of private or custom software and the principles of the
- free software movement.
- </p>
- <p>
- Nearly all employment for programmers is in development of
- custom software; therefore most programming jobs are, or could be,
- done in a way compatible with the free software movement.
- </p>
- <a name="Commercial-Software">
- </a>
- <h3 class="subheading">
- Commercial Software
- </h3>
- <a name="index-software_002c-commercial-_0028see-also-commercial-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-commercial-software-_0028see-also-software_0029">
- </a>
- <a name="index-commercial-software_002c-to-be-distinguished-from-proprietary-software">
- </a>
- <a name="index-proprietary-software_002c-to-be-distinguished-from-commercial-software">
- </a>
- <a name="index-development_002c-commercial-software">
- </a>
- <p>
- Commercial software is software being developed by a
- business which aims to make money from the use of the
- software. “Commercial” and
- “proprietary” are not the same thing! Most
- commercial software
- is proprietary, but there
- is commercial free software, and there is noncommercial
- nonfree software.
- </p>
- <a name="index-GNU_002c-GNU-Ada-compiler-1">
- </a>
- <a name="index-Ada-compiler_002c-GNU-1">
- </a>
- <p>
- For example, GNU Ada is developed by a company. It is always
- distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL, and every copy is
- free software; but its developers sell support contracts. When
- their salesmen speak to prospective customers, sometimes the
- customers say, “We would feel safer with a commercial
- compiler.” The salesmen reply, “GNU
- Ada
- <em>
- is
- </em>
- a commercial compiler; it happens to be free
- software.”
- </p>
- <p>
- For the GNU Project, the emphasis is in the other order:
- the important thing is that GNU Ada is free software; whether
- it is commercial is just a detail. However, the additional
- development of GNU Ada that results from its being commercial
- is definitely beneficial.
- </p>
- <p>
- Please help spread the awareness that free commercial
- software is possible. You can do this by making an effort not
- to say “commercial” when you mean
- “proprietary.”
- <a name="index-call-to-action_002c-use-correct-terminology-_0028see-also-terminology_0029-4">
- </a>
- </p>
- <hr size="2"/>
- </br>
- </img>
-