Training Example: GNU Project / Free Software Foundation (FSF) – Review the Data, Give Your Score & Compare to the Real AI Evaluation

Industry Context — Common BS Fingerprints in Charities, Nonprofits & NGOs
Generic Claims: making a difference, changing lives, creating lasting impact, every donation counts…
Red Flags: no charity registration number, no published financial statements, emotional appeals without program specifics, vague impact claims without numbers…
Semantic Drift Patterns: homepage shows field work but programs page is vague, claims direct impact but finances show high admin ratios, mission targets one population but programs serve another, impact numbers on homepage not supported by program details…
Proof Expectations: published annual financial reports, charity registration number and regulatory body, specific program outcomes with measurable data, administrative-to-program spending ratios…

GNU Project / Free Software Foundation (FSF)

(https://gnu.org) 📸 Data Snapshot: May 30, 2026

Analyze the raw signals below. How would a machine score this business’s credibility?

Here are the exact signals captured from up to six pages of the site — the same raw inputs the evaluation engine analyzed. They are grouped by signal type so you can weigh each the way the machine does.

🏗️ Semantic Structure — heading hierarchy & page identity (Info Density · Commodity Fingerprint)
HOMEPAGE The GNU Operating System and the Free Software Movement (https://gnu.org)
Title

The GNU Operating System and the Free Software Movement

Meta

Since 1983, developing the free Unix style operating system GNU, so that computer users can have the freedom to share and improve the software they use.

H2 What is GNU?
H2 What is the Free Software Movement?
H2 What is Free Software?
H2 More about GNU
H3 Planet GNU
H3 Take Action
H4 Enscript
NAV_HEADING_REPEATED_BODY About the GNU Operating System – GNU project – Free Software Foundation (https://gnu.org/gnu/gnu.html)
Title

About the GNU Operating System – GNU project – Free Software Foundation

H2 About the GNU Operating System
H3 GNU History
H3 GNU Structure
H3 GNU and Linux
H3 Other GNU-related resources
H3 GNU elsewhere
H4 (9965) GNU
HEADING_REPEATED_BODY What is Free Software? – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation (https://gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html)
Title

What is Free Software? – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation

Meta

Since 1983, developing the free Unix style operating system GNU, so that computer users can have the freedom to share and improve the software they use.

H2 What is Free Software?
H3 Table of contents
H3 The Free Software Definition
H3 Clarifying the Boundary Between Free and Nonfree
H3 The Free Software Definition in Practice
H3 Beyond Software
H3 History
H3 Footnote
H4 The four essential freedoms
H4 Free software can be commercial
H4 The freedom to run the program as you wish
H4 The freedom to study the source code and make changes
H4 The freedom to redistribute if you wish: basic requirements
H4 Copyleft
H4 Rules about packaging and distribution details
H4 Export regulations
H4 Legal considerations
H4 Contract-based licenses
H4 How we interpret these criteria
H4 Get help with free licenses
H4 Use the right words when talking about free software
HEADING_REPEATED_BODY List of Free GNU/Linux Distributions – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation (https://gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html)
Title

List of Free GNU/Linux Distributions – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation

H2 Free GNU/Linux distributions
H3 Table of Contents
H3 GNU/Linux distros for PCs and workstations
H3 Small GNU/Linux distros
H3 How to get free GNU/Linux distros
H3 See something we missed?
H3 Historical
📝 The Narrative — clean text per page (Info Density · Semantic Coherence)
HOMEPAGE (https://gnu.org) The GNU Operating System and the Free Software Movement
Skip to main text
JOIN THE FSF
GNU is the only operating system developed
specifically to give its users freedom. What is GNU, and what freedom
is at stake?

Escape to Freedom: A video from the FSF
[H2] What is GNU?
GNU is an operating system that
is free software—that is,
it respects users' freedom. The GNU operating system consists of GNU
packages (programs specifically released by the GNU Project) as well
as free software released by third parties. The development of GNU
made it possible to use a computer without software that would trample
your freedom.
We recommend installable
versions of GNU (more precisely, GNU/Linux distributions) which
are entirely free software. More about GNU
below.
Try GNU/Linux

[IMG:  [Screenshot of Dragora 3.0-beta2 with TDE desktop] ]
Dragora / TDE

[IMG:  [Screenshot of Guix 1.5.0 with Plasma desktop] ]
Guix / Plasma

[IMG:  [Screenshot of Hyperbola with i3 window manager] ]
Hyperbola / i3

[IMG:  [Screenshot of Parabola with LXDE desktop] ]
Parabola / LXDE

[IMG:  [Screenshot of PureOS 10.3 with GNOME 3 desktop] ]
PureOS / GNOME3

[IMG:  [Screenshot of Trisquel 11 with MATE desktop] ]
Trisquel / MATE
... or
Try parts of GNU
[H2] What is the Free Software Movement?
The free software movement campaigns to win for the users of
computing the freedom that comes from free software. Free software
puts its users in control of their own computing. Nonfree software
puts its users under the power of the software's developer. See
the video explanation.
[H2] What is Free Software?
Free software means the users have the freedom to run,
copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.
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.”
More precisely, free software means users of a program have
the four essential
freedoms:
The freedom to run the program as you wish,
for any purpose (freedom 0).
The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it
does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source
code is a precondition for this.
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others
(freedom 2).
The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions
to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole
community a chance to benefit from your changes.
Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
Developments in technology and network use have made these freedoms
even more
important now than they were in 1983.
Nowadays the free software movement goes far beyond developing the
GNU system. See the Free Software
Foundation's web site for more about what we do, and a list
of ways you can help.
[H2] More about GNU
GNU is a Unix-like operating system. That
means it is a collection of many programs: applications, libraries,
developer tools, even games. The development of GNU, started in
January 1984, is known as the GNU Project. Many of the programs in
GNU are released under the auspices of the GNU Project; those we
call GNU packages.
The name “GNU” is a recursive acronym for “GNU's
Not
Unix.” “GNU”
is pronounced g'noo, as one syllable, like saying
“grew” but replacing the r with n.
The program in a Unix-like system that allocates machine resources
and talks to the hardware is called the “kernel.” GNU is
typically used with a kernel called Linux. This combination is
the GNU/Linux operating
system. GNU/Linux is used by millions, though
many call it “Linux” by
mistake.
GNU's own kernel, the GNU Hurd,
was started in 1990 (before Linux was started). Volunteers continue
developing the Hurd because it is an interesting technical
project.
More information
[IMG: Help people bypass censorship. Run Snowflake!]
The GNU Project strongly urges the community to communicate in
ways that are friendly, welcoming and kind. See the
GNU Kind Communications Guidelines.
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be
glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours, and this we
should do freely and generously. —Benjamin
Franklin, Autobiography
[H3] Planet GNU
[IMG: RSS Feed]
GNU Parallel 20260522 ('Hantavirus') released:
GNU Parallel 20260522 ('Hantavirus') has been released. It is available for download at: lbry://@GnuParallel:4 Quote of the mont...
Thinking about life - chat with Protesilaos:
In the recent weeks I've been engaging Prot as a coach to help review
my ...
Forty-six free software meetups on six continents:
BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA (Tuesday, May 19, 2026) The Free Software Foundation (FSF) reports that its global call for free software support...
[H3] Take Action
Support current FSF
campaigns.
Sign the petition
for freedom in the classroom.
Join the
Copilot Watch Group.
More action items
Can you help GNU with any of these projects?
GNU high priority enhancement projects
Free program to subtract
background music
Can you contribute to any of
the long-term
high priority projects?
Can you help maintain a GNU package?
These packages are looking for maintainers:
halifax,
quickthreads,
guile-sdl,
superopt,
wdiff.
Also, these packages are looking for co-maintainers:
aspell,
bison,
gnuae,
gnubatch,
gnubik,
gnuspool,
metaexchange,
powerguru.
See the package web pages for more information.
Recent GNU
releases
Short descriptions for all GNU
packages
Today's random package…
[H4]
Enscript
GNU Enscript is a program to convert ASCII text files to PostScript, HTML
or RTF formats, to be stored in files or sent immediately to a printer.
It also includes the capability to perform syntax highlighting for
several different programming languages.
(doc)

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[IMG:  [FSF logo] ]
“The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a nonprofit with a worldwide
mission to promote computer user freedom. We defend the rights of all
software users.”
JOIN
DONATE
SHOP
The FSF also has sister
organizations in Europe, Latin America and India.
Feel free to join them!
6279 chars
SUB-PAGE (https://gnu.org/gnu/gnu.html) About the GNU Operating System – GNU project – Free Software Foundation
Skip to main text
JOIN THE FSF
[H2] About the GNU Operating System
GNU in a Nutshell
Download distributions
[IMG:  [GNU and Linux] ]
If you're looking for a whole system to
install, see our list of
GNU/Linux distributions which are entirely free software.
[H3] GNU History
*[1996]
Overview of the GNU System
*[1998]
The GNU Project
(by Richard Stallman)
— A more detailed history of GNU.
*[1985]
The GNU Manifesto
*[1984]
First Hackers Conference
*[1983]
Initial Announcement of the GNU Project
[2003]
My Lisp Experiences and the Development of GNU Emacs
(by Richard Stallman)
[1999]
15 Years of Free Software
(by Richard Stallman)
[1999]
BYTE interview with Richard Stallman
[1989]
One Man's Fight for Free Software
(by John Markoff)
— An article about Richard
Stallman and the early GNU development, published at The
New York Times on January 11, 1989. One problem with the
article is that it uses the propaganda term “intellectual
property” as if that referred to something coherent. The
term is such a confusion that talking about it makes no sense. The article
is also somewhat confused in regard to Symbolics. What Stallman
did, while still working at MIT, was to write, independently,
replacement improvements comparable to the improvements that
Symbolics made in its version of the MIT Lisp Machine
System.
[1983]
The Road to GNU
— Richard Stallman describes the experiences that
prepared him to fight for a free software world.
Here are two postings that Stallman wrote for a bulletin board at
Stanford while he was visiting there in May, 1983. They show some of
his thinking on the way towards launching the development of the GNU
system. They don't use the term “free software”;
apparently he had not yet started to put those two words together.
[1983]
Why Programs Should be Shared
[1983]
Yes, Give It Away
[H3] GNU Structure
[2020]
The Structure and Administration of the GNU Project
(by Brandon Invergo and Richard Stallman)
[H3] GNU and Linux
*[2000-2007]
What's in a Name?
(by Richard Stallman)
— Why the “Linux system” should be called GNU/Linux.
[2001-2020]
A GNU/Linux FAQ
(by Richard Stallman)
[1997-2019]
Linux and the GNU System
(by Richard Stallman)
— The relationship between GNU and Linux.
[2018]
Incorrect Quotation
(by Richard Stallman)
[2006]
GNU Users Who Have Never Heard of GNU
(by Richard Stallman)
[H3] Other GNU-related resources
GNU/Linux,
GNU/Hurd, and free software user groups
[H3] GNU elsewhere
[H4] (9965) GNU
Main-belt
asteroid (9965)
GNU, provisionally designated as 1992 EF2, was named
after the GNU project in
the Minor
Planet Circular 41571. The asteroid was discovered at Kitt Peak by
Spacewatch on the 5th March 1992.

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“The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a nonprofit with a worldwide
mission to promote computer user freedom. We defend the rights of all
software users.”
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3357 chars
SUB-PAGE (https://gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html) What is Free Software? – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation
Skip to main text
JOIN THE FSF
[H2] What is Free Software?
“Free software” means software that respects users'
freedom and community. Roughly, it means that the users have the
freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the
software. Thus, “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.” We sometimes call it “libre
software,” borrowing the French or Spanish word for
“free” as in freedom, to show we do not mean the software
is gratis.
You may have paid money to get copies of a free program, or you may
have obtained copies at no charge. But regardless of how you got your
copies, you always have the freedom to copy and change the software,
even to sell copies.
We campaign for these freedoms because everyone deserves them. With
these freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control
the program and what it does for them. When users don't control the
program, we call it a “nonfree” or
“proprietary” program. The nonfree program controls the
users, and the developer controls the program; this makes the
program
an instrument of unjust power.
“Open source” is something different: it has a very
different philosophy based on different values. Its practical
definition is different too, but nearly all open source programs are
in fact free. We explain the
difference in
Why “Open Source” misses the point of Free Software.
[H3] Table of contents
The Free Software Definition
The four essential freedoms
Free software can be commercial

Clarifying the Boundary Between Free and Nonfree
The freedom to run the program as you
wish
The freedom to study the source code and make
changes
The freedom to redistribute if you wish:
basic requirements
Copyleft
Rules about packaging and distribution
details
Export regulations
Legal considerations
Contract-based licenses

The Free Software Definition in Practice
How we interpret these criteria
Get help with free licenses
Use the right words when talking about free
software

Beyond Software
History
Have a question about free software licensing not answered here?
See our other licensing resources,
and if necessary contact the FSF Compliance Lab
at licensing@fsf.org.
[H3] The Free Software Definition
The free software definition presents the criteria for whether a
particular software program qualifies as free software. From time to
time we revise this definition, to clarify it or to resolve questions
about subtle issues. See the History section
below for a list of changes that affect the definition of free
software.
[H4] The four essential freedoms
A program is free software if the program's users have the
four essential freedoms: [1]
The freedom to run the program as you wish,
for any purpose (freedom 0).
The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it
does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source
code is a precondition for this.
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others
(freedom 2).
The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions
to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole
community a chance to benefit from your changes.
Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
A program is free software if it gives users adequately all of these
freedoms. Otherwise, it is nonfree. While we can distinguish various
nonfree distribution schemes in terms of how far they fall short of
being free, we consider them all equally unethical.
In any given scenario, these freedoms must apply to whatever code
we plan to make use of, or lead others to make use of. For instance,
consider a program A which automatically launches a program B to
handle some cases. If we plan to distribute A as it stands, that
implies users will need B, so we need to judge whether both A and B
are free. However, if we plan to modify A so that it doesn't use B,
only A needs to be free; B is not pertinent to that plan.
[H4] Free software can be commercial
“Free software” does not mean “noncommercial.”
On the contrary, a free program must be available for commercial use,
commercial development, and commercial distribution. This policy is
of fundamental importance—without this, free software could not
achieve its aims.
We want to invite everyone to use the GNU system, including businesses
and their workers. That requires allowing commercial use. We hope
that free replacement programs will supplant comparable proprietary
programs, but they can't do that if businesses are forbidden to use
them. We want commercial products that contain software to include
the GNU system, and that would constitute commercial distribution for
a price. Commercial development of free software is no longer
unusual; such free commercial software is very important. Paid,
professional support for free software fills an important need.
Thus, to exclude commercial use, commercial development or commercial
distribution would hobble the free software community and obstruct its
path to success. We must conclude that a program licensed with such
restrictions does not qualify as free software.
A free program must offer the four freedoms to any would-be user that
obtains a copy of the software, who has complied thus far with the
conditions of the free license covering the software in any previous
distribution of it. Putting some of the freedoms off limits to some
users, or requiring that users pay, in money or in kind, to exercise
them, is tantamount to not granting the freedoms in question, and thus
renders the program nonfree.
[H3] Clarifying the Boundary Between Free and Nonfree
In the rest of this article we explain more precisely how far the
various freedoms need to extend, on various issues, in order for a
program to be free.
[H4] The freedom to run the program as you wish
The freedom to run the program means the freedom for any kind of person
or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind of
overall job and purpose, without being required to communicate about it
with the developer or any other specific entity. In this freedom, it is
the user's purpose that matters, not the developer's
purpose; you as a user are free to run the program for your purposes,
and if you distribute it to other people, they are then free to run it for
their purposes, but you are not entitled to impose your purposes on them.
The freedom to run the program as you wish means that you are not
forbidden or stopped from making it run. This has nothing to do with what
functionality the program has, whether it is technically capable of
functioning in any given environment, or whether it is useful for any
particular computing activity.
For example, if the code arbitrarily rejects certain meaningful
inputs—or even fails unconditionally—that may make the
program less useful, perhaps even totally useless, but it does not
deny users the freedom to run the program, so it does not conflict
with freedom 0. If the program is free, the users can overcome the
loss of usefulness, because freedoms 1 and 3 permit users and
communities to make and distribute modified versions without the
arbitrary nuisance code.
“As you wish” includes, optionally, “not at
all” if that is what you wish. So there is no need for a
separate “freedom not to run a program.”
[H4] The freedom to study the source code and make changes
In order for freedoms 1 and 3 (the freedom to make changes and the
freedom to publish the changed versions) to be meaningful, you need to have
access to the source code of the program. Therefore, accessibility of
source code is a necessary condition for free software. Obfuscated
“source code” is not real source code and does not count
as source code.
Source code is defined as the preferred form of the program for making
changes in. Thus, whatever form a developer changes to develop
the program is the source code of that developer's version.
Freedom 1 includes the freedom to use your changed version in place of
the original. If the program is delivered in a product designed to
run someone else's modified versions but refuse to run yours—a
practice known as “tivoization” or “lockdown,”
or (in its practitioners' perverse terminology) as “secure
boot”—freedom 1 becomes an empty pretense rather than a
practical reality. These binaries are not free
software even if the source code they are compiled from is free.
One important way to modify a program is by merging in available free
subroutines and modules. If the program's license says that you
cannot merge in a suitably licensed existing module—for instance, if it
requires you to be the copyright holder of any code you add—then the
license is too restrictive to qualify as free.
Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.
If your right to modify a program is limited, in substance, to changes that
someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
One special case of freedom 1 is to delete the program's code so it
returns after doing nothing, or make it invoke some other program.
Thus, freedom 1 includes the “freedom to delete the program.”
[H4] The freedom to redistribute if you wish: basic
requirements
Freedom to distribute (freedoms 2 and 3) means you are free to
redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either
gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
anyone anywhere. Being free to do these
things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay
for permission to do so.
You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them
privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they
exist. If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to
notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way.
Freedom 3 includes the freedom to release your modified versions
as free software. A free license may also permit other ways of
releasing them; in other words, it does not have to be
a copyleft license. However, a
license that requires modified versions to be nonfree does not qualify
as a free license.
The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable
forms of the program, as well as source code, for both modified and
unmodified versions. (Distributing programs in runnable form is necessary
for conveniently installable free operating systems.) It is OK if there
is no way to produce a binary or executable form for a certain program
(since some languages don't support that feature), but you must have the
freedom to redistribute such forms should you find or develop a way to
make them.
[H4] Copyleft
Certain kinds of rules about the manner of distributing free
software are acceptable, when they don't conflict with the central
freedoms. For example, copyleft
(very simply stated) is the rule that when redistributing the program,
you cannot add restrictions to deny other people the central freedoms.
This rule does not conflict with the central freedoms; rather it
protects them.
In the GNU project, we use copyleft to protect the four freedoms
legally for everyone. We believe there are important reasons why
it is better to use
copyleft. However,
noncopylefted free software is ethical
too. See Categories of Free
Software for a description of how “free software,”
“copylefted software” and other categories of software
relate to each other.
[H4] Rules about packaging and distribution details
Rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable,
if they don't substantively limit your freedom to release modified
versions, or your freedom to make and use modified versions privately.
Thus, it is acceptable for the license to require that you change the
name of the modified version, remove a logo, or identify your
modifications as yours. As long as these requirements are not so
burdensome that they effectively hamper you from releasing your
changes, they are acceptable; you're already making other changes to
the program, so you won't have trouble making a few more.
Rules that “if you make your version available in this way, you
must make it available in that way also” can be acceptable too,
on the same condition. An example of such an acceptable rule is one
saying that if you have distributed a
modified version and a previous developer asks for a copy of it, you
must send one. (Note that such a rule still leaves you the choice of
whether to distribute your version at all.) Rules that require release
of source code to the users for versions that you put into public use
are also acceptable.
A special issue arises when a license requires changing the name by
which the program will be invoked from other programs. That
effectively hampers you from releasing your changed version so that it
can replace the original when invoked by those other programs. This
sort of requirement is acceptable only if there's a suitable aliasing
facility that allows you to specify the original program's name as an
alias for the modified version.
[H4] Export regulations
Sometimes government export control regulations
and trade sanctions can constrain your freedom to distribute copies of
programs internationally. Software developers do not have the power to
eliminate or override these restrictions, but what they can and must do
is refuse to impose them as conditions of use of the program. In this
way, the restrictions will not affect activities and people outside the
jurisdictions of these governments. Thus, free software licenses
must not require obedience to any nontrivial export regulations as a
condition of exercising any of the essential freedoms.
Merely mentioning the existence of export regulations, without making
them a condition of the license itself, is acceptable since it does
not restrict users. If an export regulation is actually trivial for
free software, then requiring it as a condition is not an actual
problem; however, it is a potential problem, since a later change in
export law could make the requirement nontrivial and thus render the
software nonfree.
[H4] Legal considerations
In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and
irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the
software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively add
restrictions to its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give
cause, the software is not free.
A free license may not require compliance with the license of a
nonfree program. Thus, for instance, if a license requires you to
comply with the licenses of “all the programs you use,” in
the case of a user that runs nonfree programs this would require
compliance with the licenses of those nonfree programs; that makes the
license nonfree.
It is acceptable for a free license to specify which jurisdiction's
law applies, or where litigation must be done, or both.
[H4] Contract-based licenses
Most free software licenses are based on copyright, and there are limits
on what kinds of requirements can be imposed through copyright. If a
co
15000 chars
SUB-PAGE (https://gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html) List of Free GNU/Linux Distributions – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation
Skip to main text
JOIN THE FSF
[H2] Free GNU/Linux distributions
This page lists the GNU/Linux
distributions that are
entirely free as in freedom.
Non-GNU-based
free system distributions are listed separately.
The Free Software Foundation recommends and endorses these GNU/Linux
distros, although we do not try to judge or compare them based on any
criterion other than freedom; therefore, we list them in alphabetical
order.
[H3] Table of Contents
Introduction
GNU/Linux distros for PCs and workstations
Small GNU/Linux distros
How to get free GNU/Linux distros
See something we missed?
Historical
These distros are ready-to-use full systems whose developers have made
a commitment to follow the
Free System Distribution Guidelines. This means they will
include, and propose, exclusively free software. They will reject
nonfree applications, nonfree programming platforms, nonfree drivers,
nonfree firmware “blobs,” nonfree games, and any other
nonfree software, as well as nonfree manuals or documentation.
If one of these distros ever does include or propose anything nonfree,
that must have happened by mistake, and the developers are committed to
removing it. If you find nonfree software or documentation in one of
these distributions, you can
report the problem, and earn GNU Bucks,
while we inform the developers so they can fix the problem.
Fixing freedom bugs is an ethical requirement for listing a distro
here; therefore, we list only distros with a development team that has
told us it will remove any nonfree software that might be found in
them. Usually the team consists of volunteers, and they don't make
legally binding commitments to users; but if we find out a distro is
not properly maintained, we will de-list it.
We hope the other existing GNU/Linux distributions will become
entirely free software so that we can list them here. If you wish to
improve the state of free distros, helping to develop an existing free
distro contributes more than starting a new one.
Please note that not all hardware works in the free world; each
distro's site should say which hardware it supports. We suggest that,
after reading the short descriptions below, you consult these sites as
well as other available information, to judge which distro is most
convenient for you.
This page is maintained by the Free Software
Foundation's Licensing and Compliance Lab. You can support our efforts by
making a donation to the FSF.
You can use our publications to understand how GNU licenses work or help
you advocate for free software, but they are not legal advice. The FSF
cannot give legal advice. Legal advice is personalized advice from a
lawyer who has agreed to work for you. Our answers address general
questions and may not apply in your specific legal situation.
Have a
question not answered here? Check out some of our other licensing resources or contact the
Compliance Lab at licensing@fsf.org.
The Free
Software Foundation is not responsible for other websites, or how
up-to-date their information is.
[H3] GNU/Linux distros for PCs and
workstations
The distributions that follow are installable to a computer's hard
drive and/or can be run live.
Distribution
Brief Description

[IMG: Dragora GNU/Linux-Libre]
Dragora GNU/Linux-Libre, an independent GNU/Linux distribution
based on concepts of simplicity.

[IMG: Dyne:bolic]
Dyne:bolic, a GNU/Linux distribution with special emphasis on audio
and video editing. This is a “static” distro, normally
run from a live CD. Since it will not receive security updates, it
should be used offline.

[IMG: Guix]
Guix System, an advanced GNU/Linux distro built
on top of GNU Guix (pronounced “geeks”), a purely
functional package manager for the GNU system.

[IMG: Hyperbola]

Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre, an independent long-term support
simplicity-focused system-distribution.

[IMG: Parabola GNU/Linux-libre]
Parabola GNU/Linux-libre, a distribution based on Arch that
prioritizes simple package and system management.

[IMG: PureOS]
PureOS, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian with a focus on
privacy, security, and convenience.

[IMG: Trisquel]
Trisquel, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that's oriented
toward small enterprises, domestic users and educational centers.
[H3] Small GNU/Linux distros
Below is a list of small system distributions. These
distributions are meant for devices with limited resources, like a
wireless router for example. A free small system distribution is not
self-hosting, but it must be developable and buildable on top of one of
the free complete systems listed above, perhaps with the aid of free
tools distributed alongside the small system distribution itself.
Distribution
Brief Description

[IMG: libreCMC]
libreCMC is an embedded GNU/Linux distro for devices with
very limited resources. While primarily targeting routers, it
offers support for a wide range of devices and use cases. In
2015, LibreWRT merged with libreCMC.

[IMG: ProteanOS]
ProteanOS is a new, small, and fast distribution for embedded
devices. Its platform configuration feature allows binary
packages to be configured at build-time and run-time for
different hardware and use cases.
[H3] How to get free GNU/Linux distros
In addition to their own sites, many of these distributions are
available from mirror.fsf.org.
Feel free to download or mirror the distributions from there,
preferably using rsync. Free distribution maintainers can request a
mirror for their project by mailing the
FSF sysadmins.
Individual GNU
packages (most of which are included in the free distributions here)
are described separately.
We list
companies that sell hardware
preinstalled with a free GNU/Linux distribution separately.
[H3] See something we missed?
Do you know about a distribution that you expected to find on our
list, but didn't? First, check our page
about why we don't endorse some
common distributions. That page explains the reasons why several
well-known distributions don't
meet our
guidelines. If the distribution isn't listed there either, and
you think it qualifies for a listing under our guidelines, then please
let the distribution's maintainers know about this page and encourage
them to get in touch—we'd like to hear from them.
If you maintain a distribution that follows the Free System
Distribution Guidelines and would like to be listed here, please
write to <webmasters@gnu.org> with
an introduction and a link to the project Web site. When you do,
we'll explain more about our evaluation process to you, and get
started on it quickly. We look forward to hearing from you!
[H3] Historical
The distributions that follow were previously listed above, but are no
longer recommended.
Distribution
Brief Description
Retirement Info

[IMG: BLAG Linux and GNU]
BLAG Linux and GNU, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Fedora.
Removed June 2018 at the request of the
maintainers, as they had stopped maintaining it.

[IMG: gNewSense]
gNewSense, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian, with
sponsorship from the FSF.
Removed April 2021.

[IMG: Musix GNU+Linux]
Musix, a GNU+Linux distribution based on Knoppix, with special
emphasis on audio production. This is a “static”
distro, normally run from a live CD. Since it will not receive
security updates, it should be used offline.
Removed March 2019 at the request of the
maintainer, as they had stopped maintaining it.

[IMG: Ututo]
Ututo S, a GNU/Linux 100% free distribution. It was the first
fully free GNU/Linux system recognized by the GNU Project.
Removed February 2026.

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BACK TO TOP ▲
[IMG:  [FSF logo] ]
“The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a nonprofit with a worldwide
mission to promote computer user freedom. We defend the rights of all
software users.”
JOIN
DONATE
SHOP
8179 chars
🛡️ Trust Signals — reviews, proof links, trust-theatre flag (Trust & Proof)
19Review mentions (all pages)
0External proof links (all pages)
PageReviewsProof links
/ (home) 10 0
/gnu/gnu.html 3 0
/philosophy/free-sw.html 5 0
/distros/free-distros.html 1 0
🔗 Identity & Technical Layer — schema JSON-LD: identity chains, entity gaps (Identity & Authority)
Homepage — no schema detected (entity gap)
/gnu/gnu.html — no schema detected (entity gap)
/philosophy/free-sw.html — no schema detected (entity gap)
/distros/free-distros.html — no schema detected (entity gap)

Your Diagnosis

Before revealing the machine’s verdict, predict the BS score for each signal. Higher = more BS (more fluff, less verifiable substance). Drag each slider, then submit to compare your judgment against the engine.

Information Density 0 / 30
Read the Narrative & headings: do hard facts (prices, dates, numbers) outweigh fluff power-words?
Semantic Coherence 0 / 20
Compare the homepage promise against the sub-page reality. Do they hold the same line?
Trust & Proof 0 / 20
Weigh review mentions against actual external proof links. Claims without verification = theatre.
Commodity Fingerprint 0 / 15
Check headings & narrative against the industry clichés in the setup above.
Identity & Authority 0 / 15
Inspect the schema: is there real Organization/Person identity with sameAs links, or gaps?
Your predicted BS score 0 / 100
💡 Stuck? Reveal the heuristic lens — how the deterministic page-auditor reads each signal (no AI, pure pattern rules)

These are the structural rules a local, deterministic auditor applies — the same lens you can use to judge each signal. They describe what to look for, not this company’s result.

Information Density

Classify each sentence as substantive or hollow. Grounding markers — numbers, currencies, dates, technical units, named entities — outweigh marketing adjectives. When fluff sits right next to hard evidence, the fluff is forgiven.

Semantic Alignment

Pull the main entities out of the H1, then check whether they actually recur through the body. A page that announces one thing and then talks about another drifts. Headings with no real sentences underneath read as pseudo-substance.

Trust & Proof

Count trust words (review, testimonial, rating, verified) against real outbound proof links (Google, Trustpilot, Clutch, G2, Yelp). Lots of trust language with zero verification links is trust theatre. Unlinked logo galleries count against it.

Commodity Fingerprint

Look at how much sentence length varies. Natural writing varies its rhythm; templated or mass-produced copy is statistically uniform. Very low variation reads as commodity content — unless unique named entities break the pattern.

Identity & Authority

Inspect the JSON-LD. Is there an Organization or Person schema, and does it carry sameAs links to real external profiles (LinkedIn, socials)? Missing schema or no identity declaration signals an anonymous entity.

Want to apply this lens yourself? The free BS Indicator Chrome extension runs these heuristic checks live on any page. Bear in mind it is a single-page, deterministic tool — it relies only on pattern rules for the page in front of it and does not perform the cross-page semantic correlation this audit uses, so its readout is a starting lens, not the full verdict.

B
BS Level
Charities, Nonprofits & NGOs
32.6 Avg BS

Based on 208 businesses audited.

BS Detector

Charities, Nonprofits & NGOs BS: GNU Project / Free Software Foundation (FSF) (gnu.org)

https://gnu.org 📍 Industry: Charities, Nonprofits & NGOs
21 BS / 100

This site is a masterclass in substance over signal, proving its claims through rigorous technical definitions rather than emotional appeals. It scores points only for lacking modern technical trust metadata (schema) and standard nonprofit transparency markers, not for deceptive or hollow content.

Info Density Power-words vs. Substance ratio.
3
10% BS
Semantic Coherence Homepage promise vs. Sub-page reality.
0
0% BS
Trust & Proof Verifiable evidence vs. Trust Theatre.
10
50% BS
Commodity Fingerprint Detection of industry clichés/templates.
1
7% BS
Identity & Authority Expert verifiability & Schema depth.
7
47% BS

1. Deploy Organization and Person schema to formally link the FSF and its prominent members to their global authority records. 2. Explicitly list a charity registration number and link to the most recent annual financial report in the footer to meet NGO transparency expectations. 3. Add external citations for usage claims, such as links to independent OS usage surveys. 4. Convert internal ‘reviews’ into verifiable testimonials by linking them to public mailing list archives or third-party review platforms.

The content perfectly aligns with the Charities, Nonprofits & NGOs category, specifically focusing on advocacy and software development as a public service. The presence of ‘Join,’ ‘Donate,’ and ‘Shop’ calls to action, combined with a clear mission statement regarding ‘computer user freedom,’ confirms the classification.

“The score is driven primarily by the lack of structured data (Identity & Authority) and the absence of external verification for charity status and reviews (Trust & Proof). The Information Density and Semantic Coherence pillars are nearly flawless, reflecting a site that prioritizes technical substance over marketing fluff.”

Verified Analysis Date: May 30, 2026 © 1EuroSEO Independent Evaluator — Non-Sponsored Result