The operating system often called "Linux" (which is in fact a kernel that can run alongside with GNU) is actually the GNU system that he started in 1984 so as to bring freedom to the users. The following freedoms are:
0. Freedom of use for whatever you want.
1. Freedom to study the code.
2. Freedom of (re)distribution.
3. And the most important: Freedom for modifying the source code to suit your specific needs or fixing it.
More information about the GNU movement, the Free Software Foundation and Richard Stallman at:
http://www.gnu.org
http://www.fsf.org
http://stallman.org/
Free Software Song
Richard Stallman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll be free, hackers, you'll be free.
Join us now and share the software;
You'll be free, hackers, you'll be free.
Hoarders may get piles of money,
That is true, hackers, that is true.
But they cannot help their neighbors;
When we have enough free software
At our call, hackers, at our call,
We'll throw out those dirty licenses
Ever more, hackers, ever more.
Join us now and share the software;
You'll be free, hackers, you'll be free.
Join us now and share the software;
You'll be free, hackers, you'll be free.
The Free Software Song by Richard Stallman is an anthem for the free software movement, promoting the idea that sharing and collaboration brings more benefit to society than hoarding and proprietary ownership of software. The first and last verse of the song call for hackers to join the movement and share their software, with the promise of being free in both senses - free from the constraints of proprietary software and free to share their own creations with others.
The second verse takes a dig at the hoarders of software, who may accumulate wealth but cannot help their neighbors. This can be interpreted as a criticism of the focus on profit and the individualistic culture of the software industry, which often leaves users and communities behind. The final verse celebrates the idea of having enough free software at our disposal, allowing us to discard the "dirty licenses" of proprietary software forever.
Overall, the Free Software Song is a call to action for hackers to band together and work towards a more open, collaborative, and equitable future for technology.
Line by Line Meaning
Join us now and share the software;
Become a part of the free software community and contribute your software for others to use.
You'll be free, hackers, you'll be free.
By sharing your software, you will be free in the sense that you won't be limited by proprietary software, and you will be contributing to the greater good.
Hoarders may get piles of money,
Those who hold onto their software and keep it proprietary may make a lot of money from it.
That is true, hackers, that is true.
This is a fact that cannot be denied.
But they cannot help their neighbors;
However, by keeping their software proprietary, they are not able to help others who may benefit from it.
That's not good, hackers, that's not good.
This is not a desirable state of affairs for those who believe in the value of sharing and contributing to society.
When we have enough free software
The ultimate goal is to have enough free software that it is readily available and accessible to everyone.
At our call, hackers, at our call,
We will be the ones in control of this software, and we won't be at the mercy of proprietary software companies.
We'll throw out those dirty licenses
The licenses that restrict the use and distribution of software will be discarded.
Ever more, hackers, ever more.
This movement towards free software will continue to grow and gain momentum over time.
Contributed by Caleb K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MutoShack
This isn't music. This is GNUsic
@soapmangoesdown
GNU/Music
@Joih08
@Илья Захаров GENU SLASH MUZIC
@hermannpaschulke1583
I'd like to intetject for a moment. What youare referring to as music is in fact GNU/Music or as I have recently taken to calling it, GNU+Music.
@TigransTips
@HermannPaschulke Hahahahahaha
@QxDEADBEEF
GNMusic, GNMusic is not Music
@DuckmanSM
He's so fucking confident too, it's the best thing ever.
@Anonsage3
I legit had a nightmare once that I woke up and Stallman was hovering over me singing this song.
@sreeenivas00706
you were visited by St. iGNUtius
@user-bp7oo2yz4i
and when you woke up, ...