GNU philosophy

GNU philosophy is the GNU Project’s exhaustive collection of articles and essays about free software and related matters.

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.

Package Information:
• Overview:		Description, prerequisites, configuration, build, installation, use, distribution, obtainment, contact, bug reports, contribution, donation and hacking;
• Release:		Information specifically relevant for the current release;
Part I: The GNU Project and Free Software
• The Free Software Definition:
• The GNU Project:
• The Initial Announcement of the GNU Operating System:
• The GNU Manifesto:
• Why Software Should Not Have Owners:
• Why Software Should Be Free:
• Why Schools Should Exclusively Use Free Software:
• Releasing Free Software If You Work at a University:
• Why Free Software Needs Free Documentation:
• Selling Free Software:
• The Free Software Song:
Part II: What’s in a Name?
• What's in a Name?:
• Categories of Free and Nonfree Software:
• Why Open Source Misses the Point of Free Software:
• Did You Say “Intellectual Property”? It’s a Seductive Mirage:
• Words to Avoid (or Use with Care) Because They Are Loaded or Confusing:
Part III: Copyright, Copyleft
• The Right to Read; A Dystopian Short Story:
• Misinterpreting Copyright---A Series of Errors:
• Science Must Push Copyright Aside:
• Freedom---or Copyright:
• What Is Copyleft?:
• Copyleft; Pragmatic Idealism:
Part IV: Software Patents: Danger to Programmers
• Anatomy of a Trivial Patent:
• Software Patents and Literary Patents:
• The Danger of Software Patents:
• Microsoft's New Monopoly:
Part V: The Licenses
• Introduction to the Licenses:
• GNU General Public License:
• Why Upgrade to GPLv3:
• GNU Lesser General Public License:
• GNU Free Documentation License:
Part VI: Traps and Challenges
• Can You Trust Your Computer?:
• Who Does That Server Really Serve?:
• Free but Shackled; The Java Trap:
• The JavaScript Trap:
• The X Window System Trap:
• The Problem Is Software Controlled by Its Developer:
• We Can Put an End to Word Attachments:
• Thank You, Larry McVoy:
Part VII: An Assessment and a Look Ahead
• Computing “Progress”; Good and Bad:
• Avoiding Ruinous Compromises:
• Overcoming Social Inertia:
• Freedom or Power?:
Appendices:
• A Note on Software:
• Translations of the Term “Free Software”:
• Index: