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'''''The Free Software Definition''''' is a policy document written by [[Richard Stallman]] and published by the [[Free Software Foundation]] (FSF). It defines [[free software]] as software that grants users the freedom to use, study, share, and modify the software. The term "free" is used in the sense of "free speech", not "free of charge".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en |title=What is free software? |publisher=Free Software Foundation |access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref> | '''''The Free Software Definition''''' is a policy document written by [[Richard Stallman]] and published by the [[Free Software Foundation]] (FSF). It defines [[free software]] as software that grants users the freedom to use, study, share, and modify the software. The term "free" is used in the sense of "free speech", not "free of charge".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en |title=What is free software? |publisher=Free Software Foundation |access-date=2023-10-03 |archive-date=1998-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980126185518/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> | ||
The earliest known publication of the definition appeared in the February 1986 edition of the now-discontinued ''GNU's Bulletin'' published by the FSF.<ref name="bull6">{{cite web |url=https://www.gnu.org/bulletins/bull1.txt |title=GNU's Bulletin, Volume 1 Number 1 |last=Stallman |first=Richard M. |date=February 1986 |publisher=Free Software Foundation |page=8 |access-date=2019-02-08}}</ref> Since 1996, the official version of the document has been maintained in the philosophy section of the [[GNU Project]] website. {{As of|2025|03}}, the definition had seen 27 major revisions since it was originally published online and it had been translated into 65 languages.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en |title=The Free Software Definition |publisher=Free Software Foundation |access-date=2025-06-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en#translations |title=The Free Software Definition – Translations |publisher=Free Software Foundation |access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref> The FSF also publishes a [[Comparison of free and open-source software licenses|list of licenses]] that meet this definition. | The earliest known publication of the definition appeared in the February 1986 edition of the now-discontinued ''GNU's Bulletin'' published by the FSF.<ref name="bull6">{{cite web |url=https://www.gnu.org/bulletins/bull1.txt |title=GNU's Bulletin, Volume 1 Number 1 |last=Stallman |first=Richard M. |date=February 1986 |publisher=Free Software Foundation |page=8 |access-date=2019-02-08 |archive-date=2015-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623180723/https://www.gnu.org/bulletins/bull1.txt |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since 1996, the official version of the document has been maintained in the philosophy section of the [[GNU Project]] website. {{As of|2025|03}}, the definition had seen 27 major revisions since it was originally published online and it had been translated into 65 languages.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en |title=The Free Software Definition |publisher=Free Software Foundation |access-date=2025-06-16 |archive-date=1998-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980126185518/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en#translations |title=The Free Software Definition – Translations |publisher=Free Software Foundation |access-date=2023-10-03 |archive-date=1998-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980126185518/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html#translations |url-status=dead }}</ref> The FSF also publishes a [[Comparison of free and open-source software licenses|list of licenses]] that meet this definition. | ||
== The Four Essential Freedoms == | == The Four Essential Freedoms == | ||
[[File:4 Essential Freedoms of Software.png|thumb|4 Essential Freedoms of Software, made by Jeison Yehuda Amihud]] | |||
The definition published by the FSF in 1986 originally listed two key points:<ref name="bull6" /> | The definition published by the FSF in 1986 originally listed two key points:<ref name="bull6" /> | ||
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In 1996, when the GNU Project website was launched, the definition was expanded to include "three levels of freedom", explicitly adding the freedom to study the software (which had been implied in the original).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ru.j-npcs.org/usoft/WWW/www_gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en |title=What is Free Software? - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF) |publisher=Ru.j-npcs.org |date=1997-03-20 |access-date=2013-10-03 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What is Free Software? |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980126185518/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html |archive-date=January 26, 1998 |access-date=2013-10-03 |website=GNU Project - Free Software Foundation}}</ref> Stallman later discouraged describing them as "levels," noting that all freedoms are equally essential.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stallman |first=Richard |date=February 17, 2004 |title=Speech on Free Software |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/nit-india.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250317194739/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/nit-india.html |archive-date=2025-03-17 |access-date=2025-06-17 |website=GNU Project - Free Software Foundation |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref> | In 1996, when the GNU Project website was launched, the definition was expanded to include "three levels of freedom", explicitly adding the freedom to study the software (which had been implied in the original).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ru.j-npcs.org/usoft/WWW/www_gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en |title=What is Free Software? - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF) |publisher=Ru.j-npcs.org |date=1997-03-20 |access-date=2013-10-03 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What is Free Software? |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980126185518/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html |archive-date=January 26, 1998 |access-date=2013-10-03 |website=GNU Project - Free Software Foundation}}</ref> Stallman later discouraged describing them as "levels," noting that all freedoms are equally essential.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stallman |first=Richard |date=February 17, 2004 |title=Speech on Free Software |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/nit-india.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250317194739/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/nit-india.html |archive-date=2025-03-17 |access-date=2025-06-17 |website=GNU Project - Free Software Foundation |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
A fourth freedom was later introduced to explicitly affirm the user's right to run the program. Because it was seen as more fundamental than the others, it was placed first. Since the existing freedoms were numbered one through three, this new one was designated "freedom zero".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en#f1|title=What is free software? - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (Footnote)|author=Free Software Foundation|quote="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 the freedom to run the program needed to be mentioned explicitly. 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."|date=2018-07-21}}</ref> Such [[zero-based numbering]], where counting begins at zero, is also a common convention in computer programming.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ma.tt/2014/01/four-freedoms/|title=The Four Freedoms|date=23 January 2014|quote=I [Matt Mullenweg] originally thought Stallman started counting with zero instead of one because he's a geek. He is, but that wasn't the reason. Freedoms one, two, and three came first, but later he wanted to add something to supersede all of them. So: freedom zero. The geekness is a happy accident.}}</ref> | A fourth freedom was later introduced to explicitly affirm the user's right to run the program. Because it was seen as more fundamental than the others, it was placed first. Since the existing freedoms were numbered one through three, this new one was designated "freedom zero".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.en#f1|title=What is free software? - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (Footnote)|author=Free Software Foundation|quote="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 the freedom to run the program needed to be mentioned explicitly. 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."|date=2018-07-21|access-date=2018-07-21|archive-date=1998-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980126185518/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html#f1|url-status=dead}}</ref> Such [[zero-based numbering]], where counting begins at zero, is also a common convention in computer programming.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ma.tt/2014/01/four-freedoms/|title=The Four Freedoms|date=23 January 2014|quote=I [Matt Mullenweg] originally thought Stallman started counting with zero instead of one because he's a geek. He is, but that wasn't the reason. Freedoms one, two, and three came first, but later he wanted to add something to supersede all of them. So: freedom zero. The geekness is a happy accident.}}</ref> | ||
The modern definition states that a program is free software if it grants users the following four essential freedoms:<ref>{{cite web | The modern definition states that a program is free software if it grants users the following four essential freedoms:<ref>{{cite web | ||
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|publisher=Free Software Foundation | |publisher=Free Software Foundation | ||
|access-date=2013-10-15 | |access-date=2013-10-15 | ||
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|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980126185518/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html | |||
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}}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
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* [[Debian Free Software Guidelines]] | * [[Debian Free Software Guidelines]] | ||
* ''[[The Open Source Definition]]'' | * ''[[The Open Source Definition]]'' | ||
* [[Copyleft]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Latest revision as of 20:18, 29 May 2026
The Free Software Definition is a policy document written by Richard Stallman and published by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). It defines free software as software that grants users the freedom to use, study, share, and modify the software. The term "free" is used in the sense of "free speech", not "free of charge".[1]
The earliest known publication of the definition appeared in the February 1986 edition of the now-discontinued GNU's Bulletin published by the FSF.[2] Since 1996, the official version of the document has been maintained in the philosophy section of the GNU Project website. As of March 2025[update], the definition had seen 27 major revisions since it was originally published online and it had been translated into 65 languages.[3][4] The FSF also publishes a list of licenses that meet this definition.
The Four Essential Freedoms
The definition published by the FSF in 1986 originally listed two key points:[2]
The word "free" in our name does not refer to price; it refers to freedom. First, the freedom to copy a program and redistribute it to your neighbors, so that they can use it as well as you. Second, the freedom to change a program, so that you can control it instead of it controlling you; for this, the source code must be made available to you.
In 1996, when the GNU Project website was launched, the definition was expanded to include "three levels of freedom", explicitly adding the freedom to study the software (which had been implied in the original).[5][6] Stallman later discouraged describing them as "levels," noting that all freedoms are equally essential.[7]
A fourth freedom was later introduced to explicitly affirm the user's right to run the program. Because it was seen as more fundamental than the others, it was placed first. Since the existing freedoms were numbered one through three, this new one was designated "freedom zero".[8] Such zero-based numbering, where counting begins at zero, is also a common convention in computer programming.[9]
The modern definition states that a program is free software if it grants users the following four essential freedoms:[10]
- The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose (freedom 0).
- The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
- The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others (freedom 2).
- The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
Freedoms 1 and 3 require source code to be available, as studying and modifying software without source code is impractical.
Later definitions
In July 1997, Bruce Perens published the Debian Free Software Guidelines.[11] A definition based on the DFSG was later adopted by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) under the name The Open Source Definition.
Comparison with the Open Source Definition
Despite philosophical differences between the free software movement and the open-source movement, the FSF's definition of free software and the OSI's definition of open-source software describe largely overlapping sets of licenses, with only a few minor differences. While emphasizing these philosophical distinctions, the FSF states:
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 licences that we consider too restrictive, and there are free software licences 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.
— Free Software Foundation[12]
See also
- Free software movement (FSM)
- The GNU Manifesto
- Definition of Free Cultural Works
- Debian Free Software Guidelines
- The Open Source Definition
- Copyleft
References
- ↑ "What is free software?". Free Software Foundation. Archived from the original on 1998-01-26. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Stallman, Richard M. (February 1986). "GNU's Bulletin, Volume 1 Number 1". Free Software Foundation. p. 8. Archived from the original on 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
- ↑ "The Free Software Definition". Free Software Foundation. Archived from the original on 1998-01-26. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ "The Free Software Definition – Translations". Free Software Foundation. Archived from the original on 1998-01-26. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
- ↑ "What is Free Software? - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)". Ru.j-npcs.org. 1997-03-20. Retrieved 2013-10-03.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "What is Free Software?". GNU Project - Free Software Foundation. Archived from the original on January 26, 1998. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ↑ Stallman, Richard (February 17, 2004). "Speech on Free Software". GNU Project - Free Software Foundation. Archived from the original on 2025-03-17. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
- ↑ Free Software Foundation (2018-07-21). "What is free software? - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (Footnote)". Archived from the original on 1998-01-26. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
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 the freedom to run the program needed to be mentioned explicitly. 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.
- ↑ "The Four Freedoms". 23 January 2014.
I [Matt Mullenweg] originally thought Stallman started counting with zero instead of one because he's a geek. He is, but that wasn't the reason. Freedoms one, two, and three came first, but later he wanted to add something to supersede all of them. So: freedom zero. The geekness is a happy accident.
- ↑ Stallman, Richard. "The Free Software Definition". Free Software Foundation. Archived from the original on 1998-01-26. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ↑ Bruce Perens. "Debian's "Social Contract" with the Free Software Community". debian-announce mailing list.
- ↑ "Categories of Free and Nonfree Software - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation".