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author | Tong Hui <tonghuix@gmail.com> | 2016-03-25 16:52:03 +0800 |
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committer | Tong Hui <tonghuix@gmail.com> | 2016-03-25 16:52:03 +0800 |
commit | 5d6f7b414de4b04ddc19629ac6d1f5e5f3cb42ac (patch) | |
tree | b7d47d7d26bf9cd76ceeae138c71d4a99c7ac662 /docs/free-doc.md | |
download | fsfs-zh-5d6f7b414de4b04ddc19629ac6d1f5e5f3cb42ac.tar.xz |
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diff --git a/docs/free-doc.md b/docs/free-doc.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ced678c --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/free-doc.md @@ -0,0 +1,145 @@ +--- +Generator: 'texi2html 1.82' +description: Untitled Document +distribution: global +keywords: Untitled Document +resource-type: document +title: Untitled Document +... + +1. Why Free Software Needs Free Documentation {#why-free-software-needs-freedocumentation .chapter} +============================================= + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +Given that writing good English is a rare skill among programmers, we +can ill afford to lose manuals this way. + +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 sells printed copies of free GNU manuals, +too.[(1)](#FOOT1)) 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. + +@firstcopyingnotice{{@footnoterule @smallskip Copyright © 1996–2007, +2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.\ + {This essay was originally published on <http://gnu.org>, in 1996. This +version is part of @fsfsthreecite} + +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. + +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. + +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 from being conscientious and finishing 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. + +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.) + +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. + +However, it must be possible to modify all the *technical* content of +the manual, and then distribute the result through 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +We can also encourage commercial publishers to sell free, copylefted +manuals instead of proprietary ones.[(2)](#FOOT2) One way you can help +this is to check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it, +and prefer copylefted manuals to noncopylefted ones. + +<div class="footnote"> + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +### Footnotes + +### [(1)](#DOCF1) + +@raggedright See <http://shop.fsf.org/category/books/> and\ + <http://gnu.org/doc/doc.html>. @end raggedright + +### [(2)](#DOCF2) + +@raggedright See <http://gnu.org/doc/other-free-books.html> for a list +of free books available from other publishers. @end raggedright + +</div> + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +This document was generated by *tonghuix* on *March 25, 2016* using +[*texi2html 1.82*](http://www.nongnu.org/texi2html/).\ |