Arch Linux General Questions
Hello dear Arch Linux team! I would like to ask you a series of questions: 1. Is Arch Linux completely free? If I use Arch linux, create various programs on it, do anything in general, both commercial and non-commercial, do I have to pay anyone? 2. What does it mean that Arch Linux has proprietary software? Does this mean I have to pay someone something? 3. How do I know if I'm using a free program or a proprietary one? 4. Do I have to contribute to Arch Linux or is it optional? P.S. I really liked the idea of Arch Linux. So I would like to get to know her better :)
Hello!
1. Is Arch Linux completely free? If I use Arch linux, create various programs on it, do anything in general, both commercial and non-commercial, do I have to pay anyone?
No you do not have to pay anyone, archlinux is completely free of charge. Just the use of the archlinux trademark itself comes with some rules[0].
2. What does it mean that Arch Linux has proprietary software? Does this mean I have to pay someone something?
This means that the archlinux repositories also contain software for which the source code is not publicly availiable. i.e. see the following excerpt[1] from the FAQ: "You may not want to use Arch, if you take a strong stance on using a distribution which only provides free software as defined by GNU."
3. How do I know if I'm using a free program or a proprietary one?
Check the upstream documentation of the program, from the arch side there is not much difference. You can ofc always look at the way archlinux packages the application and see whether it builds from source or not (although this is not a strong indicator).
4. Do I have to contribute to Arch Linux or is it optional?
Contributing back to arch is optional but always welcome[2][3] as archlinux is a linux distribution run by volunteers. cheers, gromit [0] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/DeveloperWiki:TrademarkPolicy [1] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Frequently_asked_questions#Why_would_I_not_... [2] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Getting_involved [3] https://whatcanidofor.archlinux.org/
Le 10/07/2023 à 13:19, Source Code a écrit :
Hello dear Arch Linux team! I would like to ask you a series of questions: Hello! 1. Is Arch Linux completely free? If I use Arch linux, create various programs on it, do anything in general, both commercial and non-commercial, do I have to pay anyone? Arch Linux is completely free to use. If you use Arch Linux to do anything, you won't ever have to pay anyone regarding the Arch Linux Project itself.
2. What does it mean that Arch Linux has proprietary software? Does this mean I have to pay someone something? As stated in the Arch principles [1], Arch is a pragmatic distribution rather than an ideological one. Regarding software present in the arch repositories, it means that there are free and open source software for those who prefer it, as well as proprietary software packages for those who embrace functionality over ideology.
3. How do I know if I'm using a free program or a proprietary one? Each packages available on the Arch repositories have the license(s) of
4. Do I have to contribute to Arch Linux or is it optional? Every contributions are highly appreciated but it never was an obligation! However, if you ever interested in contributing, here are some useful
P.S. I really liked the idea of Arch Linux. So I would like to get to know her better :) Cool! :) If you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask. Just so you know there are also Arch IRC channels if you want to join
Using proprietary software on Arch Linux doesn't mean you have to pay anyone regarding the Arch Linux Project itself. However, note that some proprietary software can require a paid license to be used or to access certain functionalities but this has nothing to do with Arch Linux itself. the related software filled in the package information. You can see the license(s) of a particular package by searching and reviewing it via the "package search" page on archlinux.org [2]. This is also an information you can easily get by searching on the internet usually. From there, you can determine if the package is free (as in "freedom") and open source or proprietary (which doesn't necessarily means it is not free as in "free cookies!". See previous answer). links [3][4]. them [5]. [1] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_Linux#Pragmatism [2] https://archlinux.org/packages/ [3] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Getting_involved [4] https://whatcanidofor.archlinux.org/ [5] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_IRC_channels -- Regards, Robin Candau / Antiz
On 7/10/23 06:19, Source Code wrote:
Hello dear Arch Linux team! I would like to ask you a series of questions: 1. Is Arch Linux completely free? If I use Arch linux, create various programs on it, do anything in general, both commercial and non-commercial, do I have to pay anyone?
Arch is Free, and no you don't need to pay anyone, and yes, Arch is every bit as good as you have heard. When you install Arch, make use of the install-guide (on the home page), make use of the wiki (https://wiki.archlinux.org/) -- best on the planet -- and if you get stuck, use the forum for questions (https://bbs.archlinux.org/). -- David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.
participants (4)
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Christian Heusel
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David C. Rankin
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Robin Candau
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Source Code