??"Free software"?? is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of ??"free"?? as in ??"free speech"??, not as in ??"free beer"??.

Free software, as defined by the [[FSF|Free Software Foundation]], is software which can be used, copied, studied, modified and redistributed with little or no restriction beyond the requirement that source code must be made available.

h1. Freedoms

* The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).

* The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

* The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).

* The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

h3. Weblinks

"The Free Software Definition":http://www.fsf.org/licensing/essays/free-sw.html