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Free as in Freedom [Paperback]

Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software

By Sam Williams

Publisher: O'Reilly Media

Release Date: February 2012

Pages: 240

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Free as in Freedom interweaves biographical snapshots of GNU project founder Richard Stallman with the political, social and economic history of the free software movement. It examines Stallman's unique personality and how that personality has been at turns a driving force and a drawback in terms of the movement's overall success. Free as in Freedom examines one man's 20-year attempt to codify and communicate the ethics of 1970s era "hacking" culture in such a way that later generations might easily share and build upon the knowledge of their computing forebears. The book documents Stallman's personal evolution from teenage misfit to prescient adult hacker to political leader and examines how that evolution has shaped the free software movement. Like Alan Greenspan in the financial sector, Richard Stallman has assumed the role of tribal elder within the hacking community, a community that bills itself as anarchic and averse to central leadership or authority. How did this paradox come about? Free as in Freedom provides an answer. It also looks at how the latest twists and turns in the software marketplace have diminished Stallman's leadership role in some areas while augmenting it in others. Finally, Free as in Freedom examines both Stallman and the free software movement from historical viewpoint. Will future generations see Stallman as a genius or crackpot? The answer to that question depends partly on which side of the free software debate the reader currently stands and partly upon the reader's own outlook for the future. 100 years from now, when terms such as "computer," "operating system" and perhaps even "software" itself seem hopelessly quaint, will Richard Stallman's particular vision of freedom still resonate, or will it have taken its place alongside other utopian concepts on the 'ash-heap of history?'

Chapter 1 For Want of a Printer
1. Endnote
Chapter 2 2001: A Hacker’s Odyssey
1. Endnotes
Chapter 3 A Portrait of the Hacker as a Young Man
1. Endnotes
Chapter 4 Impeach God
1. Endnotes
Chapter 5 Small Puddle of Freedom
1. Endnotes
Chapter 6 The Emacs Commune
1. Endnotes
Chapter 7 A Stark Moral Choice
1. Endnotes
Chapter 8 St. Ignucius
1. Endnotes
Chapter 9 The GNU General Public License
1. Endnotes
Chapter 10 GNU/Linux
1. Endnotes
Chapter 11 Open Source
1. Endnotes
Chapter 12 A Brief Journey Through Hacker Hell
1. Endnote
Chapter 13 Continuing the Fight
1. Endnote

Appendix Epilogue: Crushing Loneliness
1. Endnotes
Appendix Terminology
Appendix Hack, Hackers, and Hacking
Appendix GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL)
1. 0. Preamble
2. 1. Applicability and Definitions
3. 2. Verbatim Copying
4. 3. Copying in Quantity
5. 4. Modifications
6. 5. Combining Documents
7. 6. Collections of Documents
8. 7. Aggregation with Independent Works
9. 8. Translation
10. 9. Termination
11. 10. Future Revisions of This License
12. ADDENDUM: How to Use This License for Your Documents
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Books & Videos

Free as in Freedom [Paperback]

Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software

Read on Safari with a 10-day trial

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 For Want of a Printer

Endnote

Chapter 2 2001: A Hacker’s Odyssey

Endnotes

Chapter 3 A Portrait of the Hacker as a Young Man

Endnotes

Chapter 4 Impeach God

Endnotes

Chapter 5 Small Puddle of Freedom

Endnotes

Chapter 6 The Emacs Commune

Endnotes

Chapter 7 A Stark Moral Choice

Endnotes

Chapter 8 St. Ignucius

Endnotes

Chapter 9 The GNU General Public License

Endnotes

Chapter 10 GNU/Linux

Endnotes

Chapter 11 Open Source

Endnotes

Chapter 12 A Brief Journey Through Hacker Hell

Endnote

Chapter 13 Continuing the Fight

Endnote

Appendix Epilogue: Crushing Loneliness

Endnotes

Appendix Terminology

Appendix Hack, Hackers, and Hacking

Appendix GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL)

0. Preamble

1. Applicability and Definitions

2. Verbatim Copying

3. Copying in Quantity

4. Modifications

5. Combining Documents

6. Collections of Documents

7. Aggregation with Independent Works

8. Translation

9. Termination

10. Future Revisions of This License

ADDENDUM: How to Use This License for Your Documents

Colophon