{"id":44,"date":"2014-12-04T22:54:51","date_gmt":"2014-12-04T22:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/chapter\/the-debian-free-software-guidelines-dfsg\/"},"modified":"2019-11-06T21:33:19","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T21:33:19","slug":"the-debian-free-software-guidelines-dfsg","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/chapter\/the-debian-free-software-guidelines-dfsg\/","title":{"raw":"Bruce Perens, &#8220;Debian Free Software Guidelines&#8221;","rendered":"Bruce Perens, &#8220;Debian Free Software Guidelines&#8221;"},"content":{"raw":"Read the article at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Debian_Free_Software_Guidelines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Debian_Free_Software_Guidelines<\/a>\n\n<strong>Background<\/strong>\n\nThe Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG)\u00a0are a set of guidelines that the Debian Project uses to determine whether the license used by a piece of software qualifies\u00a0as\u00a0a free software license. This distinction is critical because\u00a0it\u00a0determines whether a piece of software qualifies for inclusion in\u00a0the Debian Project.\n\nThe\u00a0idea\u00a0of stating the project's \"social contract with the free software community\" was suggested by Ean Schuessler. This DFSG\u00a0was drafted by Bruce Perens, refined by the other Debian developers during a month-long e-mail conference in June 1997, and then accepted as the publicly stated policy of the Debian Project.\n\n<strong>Key Points<\/strong>\n\nDebian Social Contract, which includes the DFSG, states:\n<ul>\n\t<li>Debian will remain 100% Free Software \u2013 they will support users who develop and use non-free software on Debian, but won\u2019t make the system need it.<\/li>\n\t<li>The Debian Free Software Guidelines:\n<ul>\n\t<li>Free Redistribution \u2013 no restrictions, no royalties<\/li>\n\t<li>Source code \u2013 must be distributed as well<\/li>\n\t<li>Derived Works - must be allowed<\/li>\n\t<li>Integrity of the Author\u2019s Source Code \u2013 license can restrict source code from being distributed when modified only if patch files are allowed. Derived files can be required to use a different name or number. (This is a grudging compromise).<\/li>\n\t<li>No discriminations against persons or groups<\/li>\n\t<li>No Discrimination against fields of endeavor (e.g. business, genetic research)<\/li>\n\t<li>Distribution of license \u2013 must be able to use same license in distributions<\/li>\n\t<li>License must not be specific to Debian \u2013 license must be free standing<\/li>\n\t<li>License must not contaminate other software \u2013 must not restrict software that comes with it.<\/li>\n\t<li>Example licenses - GPL, BSD, Artistic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\t<li>They will give back to the free software community \u2013 new things will be licensed as free software. They will make the best system they can and improve their products.<\/li>\n\t<li>Won\u2019t hide problems \u2013 keep the whole but report public<\/li>\n\t<li>Priorities are users and free software \u2013 Won\u2019t stop them from using whatever software they want on Debian, but the system will remain high-quality and free.<\/li>\n\t<li>Programs that don\u2019t meet free software standards \u2013 There is a place for non-free software on Debian and they will provide an infrastructure for it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<strong>Discussion Questions<\/strong>\n<ol>\n\t<li>What relationship does Debian have with open?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<strong>Additional Resources<\/strong>\n\nOpen Source Definition. (2014). Open Source Initiative. Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/opensource.org\/docs\/osd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/opensource.org\/docs\/osd<\/a>\n\nDebian Social Contract. (1997). Debian Social Contract, Version 1.0. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.debian.org\/social_contract.1.0#guidelines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.debian.org\/social_contract.1.0#guidelines<\/a>","rendered":"<p>Read the article at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Debian_Free_Software_Guidelines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Debian_Free_Software_Guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Background<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG)\u00a0are a set of guidelines that the Debian Project uses to determine whether the license used by a piece of software qualifies\u00a0as\u00a0a free software license. This distinction is critical because\u00a0it\u00a0determines whether a piece of software qualifies for inclusion in\u00a0the Debian Project.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0idea\u00a0of stating the project&#8217;s &#8220;social contract with the free software community&#8221; was suggested by Ean Schuessler. This DFSG\u00a0was drafted by Bruce Perens, refined by the other Debian developers during a month-long e-mail conference in June 1997, and then accepted as the publicly stated policy of the Debian Project.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Points<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Debian Social Contract, which includes the DFSG, states:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Debian will remain 100% Free Software \u2013 they will support users who develop and use non-free software on Debian, but won\u2019t make the system need it.<\/li>\n<li>The Debian Free Software Guidelines:\n<ul>\n<li>Free Redistribution \u2013 no restrictions, no royalties<\/li>\n<li>Source code \u2013 must be distributed as well<\/li>\n<li>Derived Works &#8211; must be allowed<\/li>\n<li>Integrity of the Author\u2019s Source Code \u2013 license can restrict source code from being distributed when modified only if patch files are allowed. Derived files can be required to use a different name or number. (This is a grudging compromise).<\/li>\n<li>No discriminations against persons or groups<\/li>\n<li>No Discrimination against fields of endeavor (e.g. business, genetic research)<\/li>\n<li>Distribution of license \u2013 must be able to use same license in distributions<\/li>\n<li>License must not be specific to Debian \u2013 license must be free standing<\/li>\n<li>License must not contaminate other software \u2013 must not restrict software that comes with it.<\/li>\n<li>Example licenses &#8211; GPL, BSD, Artistic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>They will give back to the free software community \u2013 new things will be licensed as free software. They will make the best system they can and improve their products.<\/li>\n<li>Won\u2019t hide problems \u2013 keep the whole but report public<\/li>\n<li>Priorities are users and free software \u2013 Won\u2019t stop them from using whatever software they want on Debian, but the system will remain high-quality and free.<\/li>\n<li>Programs that don\u2019t meet free software standards \u2013 There is a place for non-free software on Debian and they will provide an infrastructure for it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Discussion Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What relationship does Debian have with open?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Additional Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Open Source Definition. (2014). Open Source Initiative. Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/opensource.org\/docs\/osd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/opensource.org\/docs\/osd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Debian Social Contract. (1997). Debian Social Contract, Version 1.0. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.debian.org\/social_contract.1.0#guidelines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.debian.org\/social_contract.1.0#guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-44","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":37,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/44","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/44\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45,"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/44\/revisions\/45"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/37"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/44\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=44"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=44"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/integrations.pressbooks.network\/openedreader\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=44"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}