Editing Free software (section)

{{Short description|Software licensed to be freely used, modified and distributed}}
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 {{Other uses}}
 {{Distinguish|Freeware}}
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[[File:Example_of_GNU_Guix's_desktop_environment.png|thumb|300px|alt=An operating system's computer screen, the screen completely covered by various free software applications.|[[GNU Guix System|GNU Guix]]. An example of a [[GNU Project#GNU Free System Distribution Guidelines|GNU FSDG]] complying free-software operating system running some representative applications. Shown are the [[GNOME]] desktop environment the [[Emacs|GNU Emacs]] text editor, the [[GIMP]] image editor, and the [[VLC media player]].]]

'''Free software''', '''libre software''', '''libreware'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html|author=GNU Project |title= What is free software?|publisher=Free Software Foundation|language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115065058/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html |archive-date=Nov 15, 2023 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.internethalloffame.org/inductees/richard-stallman|title=Richard Stallman |website=Internet Hall of Fame|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref> sometimes known as '''freedom-respecting software''' is computer [[software]] distributed [[open-source license|under terms]] that allow users to run the software for any purpose as well as to study, change, distribute it and any adapted versions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Free Software Movement|url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-intro.en.html|access-date=2021-01-11|website=GNU|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Philosophy of the GNU Project|url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.en.html|access-date=2021-01-11|website=GNU|language=en}}</ref><ref name="def">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=What is free software and why is it so important for society?|url=https://www.fsf.org/about/what-is-free-software|access-date=2021-01-11|website=[[Free Software Foundation]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Stallman|first=Richard M.|title=Free Software Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman, 3rd Edition|publisher=|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=|author-link=Richard Stallman|url=https://www.gnu.org/doc/fsfs3-hardcover.pdf}}</ref> Free software is a matter of [[liberty]], not price; all users are legally free to do what they want with their copies of a free software (including profiting from them) regardless of how much is paid to obtain the program.<ref name=":1">[https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html Selling Free Software] (GNU)</ref><ref name=":0" /> Computer programs are deemed "free" if they give end-users (not just the developer) ultimate control over the software and, subsequently, over their devices.<ref name="def" /><ref name="initial-announcement" />

The right to study and modify a computer program entails that the [[source code]]—the preferred format for making changes—be made available to users of that program. While this is often called "access to source code" or "public availability", the Free Software Foundation (FSF) recommends against thinking in those terms,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.en.html#Access |last=Stallman|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Stallman|title=Words to Avoid (or Use with Care) Because They Are Loaded or Confusing: Access|website=www.gnu.org|language=en}}</ref> because it might give the impression that users have an obligation (as opposed to a right) to give non-users a copy of the program.

Although the term "free software" had already been used loosely in the past and other permissive software like the [[Berkeley Software Distribution]] released in 1978 existed,<ref name="infoworld1983" /> [[Richard Stallman]] is credited with tying it to the sense under discussion and starting the [[free software movement]] in 1983, when he launched the [[GNU Project]]: a collaborative effort to create a freedom-respecting [[operating system]], and to revive the spirit of cooperation once prevalent among [[Hacker (programmer subculture)|hackers]] during the early days of computing.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Richard Stallman and The History of Free Software and Open Source|last=Levi|first=Ran|work=Curious Minds Podcast|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs181/projects/open-source/gnu.htm|title=GNU|author=<!--not stated-->|website=cs.stanford.edu|access-date=2017-10-17}}</ref>