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−-*- mode: outline; fill-column:78 -*-
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−
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−* The Open Source Definition (Annotated)
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−
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−Version 1.9
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−
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−The indented, italicized sections below appear as annotations to the Open Source
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−Definition (OSD) and are not a part of the OSD. A plain version of the OSD without
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−annotations can be found here. Introduction
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−
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−Open source doesn't just mean access to the source code. The distribution terms of
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−open-source software must comply with the following criteria:
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−
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−1. Free Redistribution
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−
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−The license shall not restrict any party from selling or giving away the software as a
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−component of an aggregate software distribution containing programs from several different
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−sources. The license shall not require a royalty or other fee for such sale.
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−
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−Rationale: By constraining the license to require free redistribution, we eliminate the
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−temptation to throw away many long-term gains in order to make a few short-term sales
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−dollars. If we didn't do this, there would be lots of pressure for cooperators to defect.
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−
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−2. Source Code
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−
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−The program must include source code, and must allow distribution in source code as well
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−as compiled form. Where some form of a product is not distributed with source code, there
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−must be a well-publicized means of obtaining the source code for no more than a reasonable
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−reproduction cost preferably, downloading via the Internet without charge. The source code
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−must be the preferred form in which a programmer would modify the program. Deliberately
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−obfuscated source code is not allowed. Intermediate forms such as the output of a
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−preprocessor or translator are not allowed.
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−
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−Rationale: We require access to un-obfuscated source code because you can't evolve
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−programs without modifying them. Since our purpose is to make evolution easy, we require
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−that modification be made easy.
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−
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−3. Derived Works
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−
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−The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow them to be
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−distributed under the same terms as the license of the original software.
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−
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−Rationale: The mere ability to read source isn't enough to support independent peer review
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−and rapid evolutionary selection. For rapid evolution to happen, people need to be able to
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−experiment with and redistribute modifications.
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−
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−4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code
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−
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−The license may restrict source-code from being distributed in modified form only if the
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−license allows the distribution of "patch files" with the source code for the purpose of
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−modifying the program at build time. The license must explicitly permit distribution of
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−software built from modified source code. The license may require derived works to carry a
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−different name or version number from the original software.
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−
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−Rationale: Encouraging lots of improvement is a good thing, but users have a right to know
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−who is responsible for the software they are using. Authors and maintainers have
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−reciprocal right to know what they're being asked to support and protect their
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−reputations.
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−
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−Accordingly, an open-source license must guarantee that source be readily available, but
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−may require that it be distributed as pristine base sources plus patches. In this way,
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−"unofficial" changes can be made available but readily distinguished from the base source.
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−
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−5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
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−
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−The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.
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−
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−Rationale: In order to get the maximum benefit from the process, the maximum diversity of
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−persons and groups should be equally eligible to contribute to open sources. Therefore we
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−forbid any open-source license from locking anybody out of the process.
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−
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−Some countries, including the United States, have export restrictions for certain types of
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−software. An OSD-conformant license may warn licensees of applicable restrictions and
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−remind them that they are obliged to obey the law; however, it may not incorporate such
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−restrictions itself.
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−
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−6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
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−
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−The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a specific field of
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−endeavor. For example, it may not restrict the program from being used in a business, or
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−from being used for genetic research.
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−
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−Rationale: The major intention of this clause is to prohibit license traps that prevent
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−open source from being used commercially. We want commercial users to join our community,
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−not feel excluded from it.
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−
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−7. Distribution of License
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−
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−The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the program is redistributed
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−without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties.
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−
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−Rationale: This clause is intended to forbid closing up software by indirect means such as
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−requiring a non-disclosure agreement.
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−
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−8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product
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−
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−The rights attached to the program must not depend on the program's being part of a
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−particular software distribution. If the program is extracted from that distribution and
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−used or distributed within the terms of the program's license, all parties to whom the
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−program is redistributed should have the same rights as those that are granted in
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−conjunction with the original software distribution.
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−
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−Rationale: This clause forecloses yet another class of license traps.
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−
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−9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software
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−
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−The license must not place restrictions on other software that is distributed along with
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−the licensed software. For example, the license must not insist that all other programs
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−distributed on the same medium must be open-source software.
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−
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−Rationale: Distributors of open-source software have the right to make their own choices
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−about their own software.
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−
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−Yes, the GPL is conformant with this requirement. Software linked with GPLed libraries
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−only inherits the GPL if it forms a single work, not any software with which they are
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−merely distributed.
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−
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−10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral
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−
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−No provision of the license may be predicated on any individual technology or style of
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−interface.
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−
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−Rationale: This provision is aimed specifically at licenses which require an explicit
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−gesture of assent in order to establish a contract between licensor and licensee.
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−Provisions mandating so-called "click-wrap" may conflict with important methods of
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−software distribution such as FTP download, CD-ROM anthologies, and web mirroring; such
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−provisions may also hinder code re-use. Conformant licenses must allow for the possibility
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−that (a) redistribution of the software will take place over non-Web channels that do not
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−support click-wrapping of the download, and that (b) the covered code (or re-used portions
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−of covered code) may run in a non-GUI environment that cannot support popup dialogues.
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−
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−* Social Contract with the Free Software Community
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−
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−Version 1.1
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−
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−1. Debian will remain 100% free
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−
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−We provide the guidelines that we use to determine if a work is free in the document
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−entitled The Debian Free Software Guidelines. We promise that the Debian system and all
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−its components will be free according to these guidelines. We will support people who
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−create or use both free and non-free works on Debian. We will never make the system
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−require the use of a non-free component.
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−
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−2. We will give back to the free software community
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−
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−When we write new components of the Debian system, we will license them in a manner
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−consistent with the Debian Free Software Guidelines. We will make the best system we can,
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−so that free works will be widely distributed and used. We will communicate things such as
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−bug fixes, improvements and user requests to the upstream authors of works included in our
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−system.
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−
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−3. We will not hide problems
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−
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−We will keep our entire bug report database open for public view at all times. Reports
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−that people file online will promptly become visible to others.
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−
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−4. Our priorities are our users and free software
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−
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−We will be guided by the needs of our users and the free software community. We will place
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−their interests first in our priorities. We will support the needs of our users for
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−operation in many different kinds of computing environments. We will not object to
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−non-free works that are intended to be used on Debian systems, or attempt to charge a fee
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−to people who create or use such works. We will allow others to create distributions
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−containing both the Debian system and other works, without any fee from us. In furtherance
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−of these goals, we will provide an integrated system of high-quality materials with no
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−legal restrictions that would prevent such uses of the system.
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−
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−5. Works that do not meet our free software standards
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−
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−We acknowledge that some of our users require the use of works that do not conform to the
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−Debian Free Software Guidelines. We have created contrib and non-free areas in our archive
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−for these works. The packages in these areas are not part of the Debian system, although
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−they have been configured for use with Debian. We encourage CD manufacturers to read the
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−licenses of the packages in these areas and determine if they can distribute the packages
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−on their CDs. Thus, although non-free works are not a part of Debian, we support their use
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−and provide infrastructure for non-free packages (such as our bug tracking system and
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−mailing lists).
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−
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−* The Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG)
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−
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− 1. Free Redistribution
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−
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−The license of a Debian component may not restrict any party from selling or giving away
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−the software as a component of an aggregate software distribution containing programs from
+
−several different sources. The license may not require a royalty or other fee for such
+
−sale.
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− 
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− 2. Source Code
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−
+
−The program must include source code, and must allow distribution in source code as well
+
−as compiled form.
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−
+
−3. Derived Works
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−
+
−The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow them to be
+
−distributed under the same terms as the license of the original software.
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−
+
−4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code
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−
+
−The license may restrict source-code from being distributed in modified form _only_ if the
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−license allows the distribution of patch files with the source code for the purpose of
+
−modifying the program at build time. The license must explicitly permit distribution of
+
−software built from modified source code. The license may require derived works to carry a
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−different name or version number from the original software. (This is a compromise. The
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−Debian group encourages all authors not to restrict any files, source or binary, from
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−being modified.)
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−
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−5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
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−
+
−The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.
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−
+
−6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
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−
+
−The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a specific field of
+
−endeavor. For example, it may not restrict the program from being used in a business, or
+
−from being used for genetic research.
+
−
+
−7. Distribution of License
+
−
+
−The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the program is redistributed
+
−without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties.
+
−
+
−8. License Must Not Be Specific to Debian
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−
+
−The rights attached to the program must not depend on the program's being part of a Debian
+
−system. If the program is extracted from Debian and used or distributed without Debian but
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−otherwise within the terms of the program's license, all parties to whom the program is
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−redistributed should have the same rights as those that are granted in conjunction with
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−the Debian system.
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−
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−9. License Must Not Contaminate Other Software
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−
+
−The license must not place restrictions on other software that is distributed along with
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−the licensed software. For example, the license must not insist that all other programs
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−distributed on the same medium must be free software.
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−
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−10. Example Licenses
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−
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−The GPL, BSD, and Artistic licenses are examples of licenses that we consider free.
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−
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−* The Free Software Definition
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−
+
−Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change
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−and improve the software. More precisely, it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the
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−users of the software:
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−
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− * The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
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− * The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1).
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−   Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
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− * The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
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− * The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so
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−   that the whole community benefits (freedom 3).
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− * Access to the source code is a precondition for this.