Less retarded software (LRS) is a specific kind of [software](software.md) aiming to be a truly good technology maximally benefiting and respecting its users, following the philosophy of extreme [minimalism](minimalism.md) ([Unix philosophy](unix_philosophy.md), [suckless](suckless.md), [KISS](kiss.md)) and [freedom](free_software.md). The term was invented by [drummyfish](drummyfish.md).
The definition here is not strict but rather fuzzy, it is in a form of ideas, style and common practices that together help us subjectively identify software as less retarded.
[Software](software.md) is less retarded if it adheres, to a high-degree (not necessarily fully), to the following principles:
- Being made with a [**truly selfless**](selfless.md) goal of maximally helping all living beings who may use the software without any intent of taking advantage of them in any way.
- Being [minimalist](minimalism.md) ([single compilation unit](single_compilation_unit.md), [header-only](header_only.md) libraries, no build systems, no [OOP](oop.md) languages, ...), countercomplex, [KISS](kiss.md).
- Being [free software](free_software.md) legally but ALSO practically (well commented, not bloated and obscured etc., so as to truly and practically enable the freedoms to study, modify etc.).
- Being [free culture](free_culture.md), i.e. LRS programs are free as a whole, including art assets, data etc.
- Minimizing [dependencies](dependency.md), even those such as standard library or relying on OS concepts such as files or threads, even indirect ones such as build systems and even non-software ones (e.g. avoiding [floating point](float.md), GPU, 64bit etc.).
- Very portable, non-discriminating, i.e. being written in a portable language (C etc.), using as little resources as possible (RAM, CPU, ...) and so on.
- Simple permissive licensing (being suckless legally) with great preference of [public domain](public_domain.md), e.g. with [CC0](cc0.md) + patent [waivers](waiver.md).
The politics behind LRS is [anarcho pacifist](anpac.md) [communism](communism.md), but NOT [pseudoleftism](pseudoleftism.md) (i.e. we do not support political correctness, [COC](coc.md)s, [cancel culture](cancel_culture.md), Marxism-Leninism etc.). We aim for true social (not necessarily physical) equality of everyone, our technology helps everyone equally. We reject anti-equality means such as violence, bullying, censorship, [governments](government.md) and [capitalism](capitalism.md).
- [SAF](saf.md): Tiny library for small portable games.
- [small3dlib](small3dlib.md): Simple software rasterizer for 3D rendering.
- [smallchesslib](smallchesslib.md): Simple [chess](chess.md) library and engine ([AI](ai.md)).
Apart from this software a lot of other software developed by other people and groups can be considered LRS, at least to a high degree (there is usually some minor inferiority e.g. in licensing). Especially [suckless](suckless.md) software mostly fits the LRS criteria. The following programs and libraries can be considered LRS at least to some degree:
