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GNU Project / Free Software Foundation (FSF)
(https://gnu.org) 📸 Data Snapshot: May 30, 2026Analyze the raw signals below. How would a machine score this business’s credibility?
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🏗️ Semantic Structure — heading hierarchy & page identity (Info Density · Commodity Fingerprint)
HOMEPAGE The GNU Operating System and the Free Software Movement (https://gnu.org)
The GNU Operating System and the Free Software Movement
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.
NAV_HEADING_REPEATED_BODY About the GNU Operating System – GNU project – Free Software Foundation (https://gnu.org/gnu/gnu.html)
About the GNU Operating System – GNU project – Free Software Foundation
HEADING_REPEATED_BODY What is Free Software? – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation (https://gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html)
What is Free Software? – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation
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.
HEADING_REPEATED_BODY List of Free GNU/Linux Distributions – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation (https://gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html)
List of Free GNU/Linux Distributions – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation
📝 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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mission to promote computer user freedom. We defend the rights of all
software users.”
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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. ▲ BACK TO TOP Set language Available for this page: [en] English [ar] العربية [bg] български [ca] català [de] Deutsch [el] ελληνικά [es] español [fr] français [hr] hrvatski [it] italiano [ja] 日本語 [ko] 한국어 [ml] മലയാളം [nl] Nederlands [pl] polski [pt-br] português [ru] русский [sq] Shqip [sr] српски [tr] Türkçe [uk] українська [zh-cn] 简体中文 [zh-tw] 繁體中文 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
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
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. ▲ BACK TO TOP Set language Available for this page: [en] English [ar] العربية [ca] català [es] español [fr] français [hr] hrvatski [it] italiano [ja] 日本語 [nl] Nederlands [pl] polski [pt-br] português [ro] română [ru] русский [sk] slovenčina [sq] Shqip [tr] Türkçe [uk] українська [zh-cn] 简体中文 [zh-tw] 繁體中文 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
🛡️ Trust Signals — reviews, proof links, trust-theatre flag (Trust & Proof)
| Page | Reviews | Proof 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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Based on 208 businesses audited.
Charities, Nonprofits & NGOs BS: GNU Project / Free Software Foundation (FSF) (gnu.org)
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.
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.”
This training module utilizes a snapshot of public data from GNU Project / Free Software Foundation (FSF), captured on May 30, 2026, to demonstrate how machine logic evaluates different types of business narratives.
Purpose: This data is presented under “Fair Use” / “Educational Exception” for the purpose of forensic semantic analysis, allowing users to compare human intuition against machine-generated evaluations.
Notice to GNU Project / Free Software Foundation (FSF): This analysis is part of a non-adversarial audit conducted by 1 Euro SEO. The results provided by 1EuroSEO are intended as professional feedback to help improve any website’s machine-readability and authority signals. The 1EuroSEO BS Detection Tool is a free tool, and anyone can test any company to see how their content is interpreted by AI models.
Any company can use the insights for free and improve its voice by comparing it to industry clichés or competitors. When a company has updated its content, it can always submit a new audit request, which will be reflected in a new current score.
To all users: You are encouraged to visit the live site at https://gnu.org to view the most current version of its content and learn from the source what this company is about and what it offers.