Editing GNU Project (section)

=== GNU Free System Distribution Guidelines ===
{{Anchor|Free System Distribution Guidelines (GNU FSDG)|GNU FSDG|FSDG}}
The GNU Free System Distribution Guidelines (GNU FSDG) is a system distribution commitment that explains how an installable system distribution (such as a Linux distribution) qualifies as free (libre), and helps distribution developers make their distributions qualify.

The list mostly describes distributions that are a combination of GNU packages with a [[Linux-libre]] kernel (a modified Linux kernel that removes binary blobs, obfuscated code, and portions of code under proprietary licenses) and consist only of free software (eschewing proprietary software entirely).<ref>{{cite web 
 | url = https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html 
 | title = Guidelines for Free System Distributions 
 | work = gnu.org 
 | access-date = 2014-04-17 
 | archive-date = 2015-12-08 
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208205726/https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html 
 | url-status = live 
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Avoiding Ruinous Compromises |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/compromise.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622094238/http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/compromise.html |archive-date=2018-06-22 |access-date=2016-07-22 |work=www.gnu.org}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Explaining Why We Don't Endorse Other Systems |url=https://www.gnu.org/distros/common-distros.html |work=GNU |access-date=2016-07-22 |archive-date=2011-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110424061731/http://www.gnu.org/distros/common-distros.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Distributions that have adopted the GNU FSDG include [[Dragora GNU/Linux-Libre]], [[GNU Guix System]], [[Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre]], [[Parabola GNU/Linux-libre]], [[Trisquel GNU/Linux]], [[PureOS]], and a few others.<ref name="gnu">{{cite web
 | url = https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html
 | title = List of Free GNU/Linux Distributions – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation
 | work = gnu.org
 | access-date = 2014-08-18
 | archive-date = 2014-12-16
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141216063244/http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

The Fedora Project's distribution license guidelines were used as a basis for the FSDG.<ref>{{cite web
 | url = https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html
 | title = Free System Distribution Guidelines (GNU FSDG) – GNU Project
 | publisher = publisher
 | work = gnu.org
 | access-date = 2014-06-07
 | quote = We would like to thank the Fedora Project for their help in focusing these policies, and allowing us to use their own distribution license guidelines as a basis for this document.
 | archive-date = 2015-12-08
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208205726/https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> The Fedora Project's own guidelines, however, currently do not follow the FSDG, and thus the GNU Project does not consider [[Fedora Linux|Fedora]] to be a fully free (libre) GNU/Linux distribution.<ref name=":0" />