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| Free Software Needs Free Documentation |
| |
| </th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="backwards.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">Part IV. |
| Appendices |
| </th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="appendix_gpl.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr /></div><div class="appendix"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a id="appendix.free"></a> |
| Free Software Needs Free Documentation |
| <a id="idm269992106560" class="indexterm"></a> |
| </h1></div></div></div><p> |
| The biggest deficiency in free operating systems is not in the |
| software--it is the lack of good free manuals that we can include in |
| these systems. Many of our most important programs do not come with |
| full manuals. Documentation is an essential part of any software |
| package; when an important free software package does not come with a |
| free manual, that is a major gap. We have many such gaps today. |
| </p><p> |
| Once upon a time, many years ago, I thought I would learn Perl. I got |
| a copy of a free manual, but I found it hard to read. When I asked |
| Perl users about alternatives, they told me that there were better |
| introductory manuals--but those were not free. |
| </p><p> |
| Why was this? The authors of the good manuals had written them for |
| O'Reilly Associates, which published them with restrictive terms--no |
| copying, no modification, source files not available--which exclude |
| them from the free software community. |
| </p><p> |
| That wasn't the first time this sort of thing has happened, and (to |
| our community's great loss) it was far from the last. Proprietary |
| manual publishers have enticed a great many authors to restrict their |
| manuals since then. Many times I have heard a GNU user eagerly tell |
| me about a manual that he is writing, with which he expects to help |
| the GNU project--and then had my hopes dashed, as he proceeded to |
| explain that he had signed a contract with a publisher that would |
| restrict it so that we cannot use it. |
| </p><p> |
| Given that writing good English is a rare skill among programmers, we |
| can ill afford to lose manuals this way. |
| </p><p> |
| Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, |
| not price. The problem with these manuals was not that O'Reilly |
| Associates charged a price for printed copies--that in itself is fine. |
| (The Free Software Foundation <a class="link" href="http://www.gnu.org/doc/doc.html" target="_top">sells printed copies</a> of |
| free GNU manuals, too.) But GNU manuals are available in source code |
| form, while these manuals are available only on paper. GNU manuals |
| come with permission to copy and modify; the Perl manuals do not. |
| These restrictions are the problems. |
| </p><p> |
| The criterion for a free manual is pretty much the same as for free |
| software: it is a matter of giving all users certain freedoms. |
| Redistribution (including commercial redistribution) must be |
| permitted, so that the manual can accompany every copy of the program, |
| on-line or on paper. Permission for modification is crucial too. |
| </p><p> |
| As a general rule, I don't believe that it is essential for people to |
| have permission to modify all sorts of articles and books. The issues |
| for writings are not necessarily the same as those for software. For |
| example, I don't think you or I are obliged to give permission to |
| modify articles like this one, which describe our actions and our |
| views. |
| </p><p> |
| But there is a particular reason why the freedom to modify is crucial |
| for documentation for free software. When people exercise their right |
| to modify the software, and add or change its features, if they are |
| conscientious they will change the manual too--so they can provide |
| accurate and usable documentation with the modified program. A manual |
| which forbids programmers to be conscientious and finish the job, or |
| more precisely requires them to write a new manual from scratch if |
| they change the program, does not fill our community's needs. |
| </p><p> |
| While a blanket prohibition on modification is unacceptable, some |
| kinds of limits on the method of modification pose no problem. For |
| example, requirements to preserve the original author's copyright |
| notice, the distribution terms, or the list of authors, are ok. It is |
| also no problem to require modified versions to include notice that |
| they were modified, even to have entire sections that may not be |
| deleted or changed, as long as these sections deal with nontechnical |
| topics. (Some GNU manuals have them.) |
| </p><p> |
| These kinds of restrictions are not a problem because, as a practical |
| matter, they don't stop the conscientious programmer from adapting the |
| manual to fit the modified program. In other words, they don't block |
| the free software community from making full use of the manual. |
| </p><p> |
| However, it must be possible to modify all the <span class="emphasis"><em>technical</em></span> |
| content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual |
| media, through all the usual channels; otherwise, the restrictions do |
| block the community, the manual is not free, and so we need another |
| manual. |
| </p><p> |
| Unfortunately, it is often hard to find someone to write another |
| manual when a proprietary manual exists. The obstacle is that many |
| users think that a proprietary manual is good enough--so they don't |
| see the need to write a free manual. They do not see that the free |
| operating system has a gap that needs filling. |
| </p><p> |
| Why do users think that proprietary manuals are good enough? Some |
| have not considered the issue. I hope this article will do something |
| to change that. |
| </p><p> |
| Other users consider proprietary manuals acceptable for the same |
| reason so many people consider proprietary software acceptable: they |
| judge in purely practical terms, not using freedom as a criterion. |
| These people are entitled to their opinions, but since those opinions |
| spring from values which do not include freedom, they are no guide for |
| those of us who do value freedom. |
| </p><p> |
| Please spread the word about this issue. We continue to lose manuals |
| to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that proprietary |
| manuals are not sufficient, perhaps the next person who wants to help |
| GNU by writing documentation will realize, before it is too late, that |
| he must above all make it free. |
| </p><p> |
| We can also encourage commercial publishers to sell free, copylefted |
| manuals instead of proprietary ones. One way you can help this is to |
| check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it, and |
| prefer copylefted manuals to non-copylefted ones. |
| </p><p> |
| [Note: We now maintain a <a class="link" href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing/doc/other-free-books.html" target="_top">web page |
| that lists free books available from other publishers</a>]. |
| </p><p>Copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA</p><p>Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article are |
| permitted worldwide, without royalty, in any medium, provided this |
| notice is preserved.</p><p>Report any problems or suggestions to <code class="email"><<a class="email" href="mailto:webmaster@fsf.org">webmaster@fsf.org</a>></code>.</p></div><div class="navfooter"><hr /><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="backwards.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="appendix.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="appendix_gpl.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">Backwards Compatibility </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> Appendix D. |
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