Software

Introduction

To look for free software packages, both GNU and non-GNU, please see the Free Software Directory: a categorized, searchable database of free software. The Directory is actively maintained by the Free Software Foundation and includes links to program home pages when they are available. It includes a list of all GNU packages.

We also maintain a list of high-priority free software projects. Please help with these projects if you can. For other ways to contribute to GNU, see the GNU help-wanted page.

If you want to buy a new computer, you might want to consider one of these companies who sell computers with wholly free systems preinstalled.

For information on the licenses used on GNU software, and on other free software licenses, please see our Licenses page.

If you are developing a GNU package, or you are thinking of starting, you may be interested in GNU Software Developer Resources.

If you'd like to make your software an official GNU package, please see the evaluation information and submission form.

A few GNU packages have been decommissioned, generally because they've been superseded by or integrated into other packages. Their home pages still exist for the sake of people searching:-

• checker
• dld
• gtkeditor

Finally, here is a short list of Free Software for Microsoft Windows, for the Windows user who is curious about Free Software but isn't ready to use a Free operating system (yet ;).

How To Get GNU Software

GNU software is available by several different methods:

• Buy copies on CD-ROM from the FSF. This helps provide the funds for the GNU Project.
  Our three CD-ROM sets include source code for all GNU software, GNU compiler tools executables for ten common platforms, and a larger selection of executables for Intel-Microsoft platforms.
• Get it by FTP. By FTP we provide source code for all GNU software, free of charge.
  (Please also make a donation to the FSF, if you can, to help us write more free software.)
• Get a copy from a friend.
  (Please also make a donation to the FSF, if you can, to help us promote free software.)
• Buy a computer with a wholly free GNU/Linux system preinstalled from one of the companies that can offer this.
• Get the development sources for a package and build them. That way you can try all the latest features. Many GNU packages keep their development sources in the GNU CVS repository, savannah.gnu.org. Some packages use other CVS repositories; the package's pages should say where the repository is.