User's Manual

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Whenwespeakoffreesoftware,wearereferringtofreedom,notprice.
OurGeneralPublicLicensesaredesignedtomakesurethatyouhave
thefreedomtodistributecopiesoffreesoftware(andchargeforthis
serviceifyouwish),thatyoureceivesourcecodeorcangetitifyou
wantit,thatyoucanchangethesoftwareorusepiecesofitinnew
freeprograms;andthatyouknowyoucandothesethings.
Toprotectyourrights,weneedtomakerestrictionsthatforbidanyone
todenyyoutheserightsortoaskyoutosurrendertherights.These
restrictionstranslatetocertainresponsibilitiesforyouifyoudistribute
copiesofthesoftware,orifyoumodifyit.
Forexample,ifyoudistributecopiesofsuchaprogram,whethergratis
orforafee,youmustgivetherecipientsalltherightsthatyouhave.
Youmustmakesurethatthey,too,receiveorcangetthesourcecode.
Andyoumustshowthemthesetermssotheyknowtheirrights.
Weprotectyourrightswithtwosteps:(1)copyrightthesoftware,and
(2)oeryouthislicensewhichgivesyoulegalpermissiontocopy,
distributeand/ormodifythesoftware.
Also,foreachauthor’sprotectionandours,wewanttomakecertain
thateveryoneunderstandsthat thereisnowarrantyforthis free
software.Ifthesoftwareismodiedbysomeoneelseandpassedon,
wewantitsrecipientstoknowthatwhattheyhaveisnottheoriginal,
sothatanyproblemsintroducedbyothers willnotreectonthe
originalauthors’reputations.
Finally,anyfreeprogramisthreatenedconstantlybysoftwarepatents.
Wewish toavoidthedanger thatredistributorsofa freeprogram
willindividuallyobtainpatentlicenses,ineectmakingtheprogram
proprietary.Topreventthis,wehavemadeitclearthatanypatentmust
belicensedforeveryone’sfreeuseornotlicensedatall.