| 1 |
742 |
jeremybenn |
|
| 2 |
|
|
xml:id="appendix.free" xreflabel="Free">
|
| 3 |
|
|
|
| 4 |
|
|
|
| 5 |
|
|
</code></pre></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="middle">
<td>6</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td class="code"><pre><code> Free Software Needs Free Documentation</code></pre></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="middle">
<td>7</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td class="code"><pre><code> <indexterm></code></pre></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="middle">
<td>8</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td class="code"><pre><code> <primary>Appendix</primary></code></pre></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="middle">
<td>9</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td class="code"><pre><code> <secondary>Free Documentation</secondary></code></pre></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="middle">
<td>10</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td class="code"><pre><code> </indexterm></code></pre></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="middle">
<td>11</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td class="code"><pre><code>
|
| 12 |
|
|
|
| 13 |
|
|
|
| 14 |
|
|
ISO C++
|
| 15 |
|
|
|
| 16 |
|
|
|
| 17 |
|
|
library
|
| 18 |
|
|
|
| 19 |
|
|
|
| 20 |
|
|
|
| 21 |
|
|
|
| 22 |
|
|
|
| 23 |
|
|
|
| 24 |
|
|
|
| 25 |
|
|
The biggest deficiency in free operating systems is not in the
|
| 26 |
|
|
software--it is the lack of good free manuals that we can include in
|
| 27 |
|
|
these systems. Many of our most important programs do not come with
|
| 28 |
|
|
full manuals. Documentation is an essential part of any software
|
| 29 |
|
|
package; when an important free software package does not come with a
|
| 30 |
|
|
free manual, that is a major gap. We have many such gaps today.
|
| 31 |
|
|
|
| 32 |
|
|
|
| 33 |
|
|
|
| 34 |
|
|
Once upon a time, many years ago, I thought I would learn Perl. I got
|
| 35 |
|
|
a copy of a free manual, but I found it hard to read. When I asked
|
| 36 |
|
|
Perl users about alternatives, they told me that there were better
|
| 37 |
|
|
introductory manuals--but those were not free.
|
| 38 |
|
|
|
| 39 |
|
|
|
| 40 |
|
|
|
| 41 |
|
|
Why was this? The authors of the good manuals had written them for
|
| 42 |
|
|
O'Reilly Associates, which published them with restrictive terms--no
|
| 43 |
|
|
copying, no modification, source files not available--which exclude
|
| 44 |
|
|
them from the free software community.
|
| 45 |
|
|
|
| 46 |
|
|
|
| 47 |
|
|
|
| 48 |
|
|
That wasn't the first time this sort of thing has happened, and (to
|
| 49 |
|
|
our community's great loss) it was far from the last. Proprietary
|
| 50 |
|
|
manual publishers have enticed a great many authors to restrict their
|
| 51 |
|
|
manuals since then. Many times I have heard a GNU user eagerly tell
|
| 52 |
|
|
me about a manual that he is writing, with which he expects to help
|
| 53 |
|
|
the GNU project--and then had my hopes dashed, as he proceeded to
|
| 54 |
|
|
explain that he had signed a contract with a publisher that would
|
| 55 |
|
|
restrict it so that we cannot use it.
|
| 56 |
|
|
|
| 57 |
|
|
|
| 58 |
|
|
|
| 59 |
|
|
Given that writing good English is a rare skill among programmers, we
|
| 60 |
|
|
can ill afford to lose manuals this way.
|
| 61 |
|
|
|
| 62 |
|
|
|
| 63 |
|
|
|
| 64 |
|
|
Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom,
|
| 65 |
|
|
not price. The problem with these manuals was not that O'Reilly
|
| 66 |
|
|
Associates charged a price for printed copies--that in itself is fine.
|
| 67 |
|
|
(The Free Software Foundation sells printed copies of
|
| 68 |
|
|
free GNU manuals, too.) But GNU manuals are available in source code
|
| 69 |
|
|
form, while these manuals are available only on paper. GNU manuals
|
| 70 |
|
|
come with permission to copy and modify; the Perl manuals do not.
|
| 71 |
|
|
These restrictions are the problems.
|
| 72 |
|
|
|
| 73 |
|
|
|
| 74 |
|
|
|
| 75 |
|
|
The criterion for a free manual is pretty much the same as for free
|
| 76 |
|
|
software: it is a matter of giving all users certain freedoms.
|
| 77 |
|
|
Redistribution (including commercial redistribution) must be
|
| 78 |
|
|
permitted, so that the manual can accompany every copy of the program,
|
| 79 |
|
|
on-line or on paper. Permission for modification is crucial too.
|
| 80 |
|
|
|
| 81 |
|
|
|
| 82 |
|
|
|
| 83 |
|
|
As a general rule, I don't believe that it is essential for people to
|
| 84 |
|
|
have permission to modify all sorts of articles and books. The issues
|
| 85 |
|
|
for writings are not necessarily the same as those for software. For
|
| 86 |
|
|
example, I don't think you or I are obliged to give permission to
|
| 87 |
|
|
modify articles like this one, which describe our actions and our
|
| 88 |
|
|
views.
|
| 89 |
|
|
|
| 90 |
|
|
|
| 91 |
|
|
|
| 92 |
|
|
But there is a particular reason why the freedom to modify is crucial
|
| 93 |
|
|
for documentation for free software. When people exercise their right
|
| 94 |
|
|
to modify the software, and add or change its features, if they are
|
| 95 |
|
|
conscientious they will change the manual too--so they can provide
|
| 96 |
|
|
accurate and usable documentation with the modified program. A manual
|
| 97 |
|
|
which forbids programmers to be conscientious and finish the job, or
|
| 98 |
|
|
more precisely requires them to write a new manual from scratch if
|
| 99 |
|
|
they change the program, does not fill our community's needs.
|
| 100 |
|
|
|
| 101 |
|
|
|
| 102 |
|
|
|
| 103 |
|
|
While a blanket prohibition on modification is unacceptable, some
|
| 104 |
|
|
kinds of limits on the method of modification pose no problem. For
|
| 105 |
|
|
example, requirements to preserve the original author's copyright
|
| 106 |
|
|
notice, the distribution terms, or the list of authors, are ok. It is
|
| 107 |
|
|
also no problem to require modified versions to include notice that
|
| 108 |
|
|
they were modified, even to have entire sections that may not be
|
| 109 |
|
|
deleted or changed, as long as these sections deal with nontechnical
|
| 110 |
|
|
topics. (Some GNU manuals have them.)
|
| 111 |
|
|
|
| 112 |
|
|
|
| 113 |
|
|
|
| 114 |
|
|
These kinds of restrictions are not a problem because, as a practical
|
| 115 |
|
|
matter, they don't stop the conscientious programmer from adapting the
|
| 116 |
|
|
manual to fit the modified program. In other words, they don't block
|
| 117 |
|
|
the free software community from making full use of the manual.
|
| 118 |
|
|
|
| 119 |
|
|
|
| 120 |
|
|
|
| 121 |
|
|
However, it must be possible to modify all the technical
|
| 122 |
|
|
content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
|
| 123 |
|
|
media, through all the usual channels; otherwise, the restrictions do
|
| 124 |
|
|
block the community, the manual is not free, and so we need another
|
| 125 |
|
|
manual.
|
| 126 |
|
|
|
| 127 |
|
|
|
| 128 |
|
|
|
| 129 |
|
|
Unfortunately, it is often hard to find someone to write another
|
| 130 |
|
|
manual when a proprietary manual exists. The obstacle is that many
|
| 131 |
|
|
users think that a proprietary manual is good enough--so they don't
|
| 132 |
|
|
see the need to write a free manual. They do not see that the free
|
| 133 |
|
|
operating system has a gap that needs filling.
|
| 134 |
|
|
|
| 135 |
|
|
|
| 136 |
|
|
|
| 137 |
|
|
Why do users think that proprietary manuals are good enough? Some
|
| 138 |
|
|
have not considered the issue. I hope this article will do something
|
| 139 |
|
|
to change that.
|
| 140 |
|
|
|
| 141 |
|
|
|
| 142 |
|
|
|
| 143 |
|
|
Other users consider proprietary manuals acceptable for the same
|
| 144 |
|
|
reason so many people consider proprietary software acceptable: they
|
| 145 |
|
|
judge in purely practical terms, not using freedom as a criterion.
|
| 146 |
|
|
These people are entitled to their opinions, but since those opinions
|
| 147 |
|
|
spring from values which do not include freedom, they are no guide for
|
| 148 |
|
|
those of us who do value freedom.
|
| 149 |
|
|
|
| 150 |
|
|
|
| 151 |
|
|
|
| 152 |
|
|
Please spread the word about this issue. We continue to lose manuals
|
| 153 |
|
|
to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that proprietary
|
| 154 |
|
|
manuals are not sufficient, perhaps the next person who wants to help
|
| 155 |
|
|
GNU by writing documentation will realize, before it is too late, that
|
| 156 |
|
|
he must above all make it free.
|
| 157 |
|
|
|
| 158 |
|
|
|
| 159 |
|
|
|
| 160 |
|
|
We can also encourage commercial publishers to sell free, copylefted
|
| 161 |
|
|
manuals instead of proprietary ones. One way you can help this is to
|
| 162 |
|
|
check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it, and
|
| 163 |
|
|
prefer copylefted manuals to non-copylefted ones.
|
| 164 |
|
|
|
| 165 |
|
|
|
| 166 |
|
|
[Note: We now maintain a web page
|
| 167 |
|
|
that lists free books available from other publishers].
|
| 168 |
|
|
|
| 169 |
|
|
|
| 170 |
|
|
Copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA
|
| 171 |
|
|
|
| 172 |
|
|
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article are
|
| 173 |
|
|
permitted worldwide, without royalty, in any medium, provided this
|
| 174 |
|
|
notice is preserved.
|
| 175 |
|
|
|
| 176 |
|
|
Report any problems or suggestions to webmaster@fsf.org.
|
| 177 |
|
|
|
| 178 |
|
|
|
