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Groups > alt.comp.freeware > #379889

Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license?

From "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk>
Newsgroups alt.comp.freeware, alt.os.linux.mint, comp.os.linux.misc, alt.comp.os.windows-11, alt.comp.os.windows-10
Subject Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license?
Date 2026-07-01 13:20 +0100
Organization 255 software
Message-ID <11230m8$16vs9$3@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References <111tq6s$btst$1@dont-email.me> <111uauo$h505$1@toylet.eternal-september.org> <111vi0f$3q9aa$1@news.usenet.ovh> <seU0S.4$kfzb.1@fx35.iad> <1122q54$1posb$1@dont-email.me>

Cross-posted to 5 groups.

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On 2026/7/1 11:28:50, Daniel70 wrote:
> On 1/07/2026 4:51 am, Charlie Gibbs wrote:
>> On 2026-06-30, german newsgroups <usualsuspectrider@gmail.com> wrote:
[]
>>> free means if you want, you could get the source, rewrite it
>>> et do a another version of the software !
>>> may be the name will be "caca version" because, a team is
>>> 10000 peoples !
>>
>> Compare "free as in speech" with "free as in beer".
>>
> To me, "free as in speech" is ME being able to say whatever I want .... 
> whereas with "free as in beer" that's someone wanting to get my 
> attention to SELL me something (maybe a brand of beer!!).
> 
> Am I wrong??

In practice, yes.

The two "free"s are usually brought up in the context of software; that
which is "free as in speech", usually applied to open source, means you
are free to do whatever you want with it, including changing all sorts
of settings; it usually doesn't cost anything either, though sometimes
(e. g. some Linux distributions, AIUI) there is a minor charge for the
convenience; the point usually being made when the two "free"s are
brought up is that it's not cost that is the main freedom being
considered. Free as in beer would be software that's free to download
and use, but over which you may have little choice about how it works
(including settings), or even information on how it works - it usually
_isn't_ source-code available, for example. A _good_ (IMO) example of
free-as-in-beer software is IrfanView (for private use - though Irfan
does accept donations); there are plenty of bad examples, such as those
that include malware or at least ad.s and information-grathering (I
think many "app"s, and browser add-ons, are such). I'll leave others to
give examples of good (and bad - there must be some!) free-as-in-speech
softwares.
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Never be led astray onto the path of virtue.

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Thread

What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? "John C." <r9jmg0@yahoo.com> - 2026-06-29 05:59 -0700
  Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? "p-0 0-h the cat (coder)" <super.pooh@fluffyunderbelly.invalid> - 2026-06-29 17:32 +0000
    Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2026-06-29 12:21 -0700
      Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? "p-0 0-h the cat (coder)" <super.pooh@fluffyunderbelly.invalid> - 2026-06-30 09:11 +0000
        Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? "John C." <r9jmg0@yahoo.com> - 2026-06-30 04:40 -0700
          Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? "p-0 0-h the cat (coder)" <super.pooh@fluffyunderbelly.invalid> - 2026-06-30 18:23 +0000
    Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? "John C." <r9jmg0@yahoo.com> - 2026-06-30 04:39 -0700
  Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-06-30 01:44 +0800
    Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? german newsgroups <usualsuspectrider@gmail.com> - 2026-06-30 06:51 +0200
      Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-06-30 16:04 +0800
        Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-06-30 17:13 +0800
          Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? noel <deletethis@invalid.lan> - 2026-07-01 17:49 +1000
            Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-07-01 18:50 +0800
      Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? Daniel70 <daniel47@nomail.afraid.org> - 2026-06-30 20:05 +1000
        Re: What does "libre" ... "caca" <-- laughing? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-06-30 18:19 +0800
          Re: What does "libre" ... "caca" <-- laughing? german newsgroups <usualsuspectrider@gmail.com> - 2026-06-30 12:55 +0200
      Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-06-30 18:51 +0000
        Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? Daniel70 <daniel47@nomail.afraid.org> - 2026-07-01 20:28 +1000
          Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-07-01 13:20 +0100
            Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? Daniel70 <daniel47@nomail.afraid.org> - 2026-07-02 22:11 +1000
              Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-07-02 21:07 +0000
                Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? Daniel70 <daniel47@nomail.afraid.org> - 2026-07-03 20:46 +1000
              Re: What does "libre" refer to in the context of a software license? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-07-03 03:19 +0000

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