GNU Social Contract 1.0

These are the core commitments of the GNU Project, which creates and distributes a software system that respects users' freedoms.

The GNU Project respects users' freedoms

The GNU Project provides software that guarantees to all users the Four Essential Freedoms, without compromise:

1. The freedom to run the program as they wish, for any purpose.
2. The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does their computing as they wish.
3. The freedom to redistribute copies so they can help others.
4. The freedom to distribute copies of their modified versions to others.

The GNU Project adopts policies that encourage and enable developers to actively defend user freedom. These policies include using copyleft licenses, designed to ensure that users’ freedoms cannot be stripped off, when appropriate.

Besides upholding the Four Essential Freedoms, the GNU Project pays attention to new threats to users' freedom, and responds to them as they arise.

The GNU Project provides a consistent system

The GNU Project develops an operating system, the GNU System, as well as a set of applications. Each software component developed by the GNU Project is referred to as a GNU package. GNU package developers work together to ensure consistency across packages.

The GNU Project collaborates with the broader free software community

The GNU Project works together with other free software projects to advance its goals, and aims to extend the reach of the project beyond the GNU System.

The GNU Project welcomes contributions from all and everyone

The GNU Project commits to providing a harassment-free experience for all contributors. It wants to give everyone the opportunity of contributing to its efforts on any of the many tasks that require work. It welcomes all contributors, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, level of experience, or any other personal characteristics.