GNU is Not Unix
We talk a lot about Linux and open source software but have forgotten GNU initiative which was started decades ago for laying the foundation for free software. This is mainly due to the popularity Linux achieved during the past decade and I assume it was not intentional. Anyways there are few distributions that promote Linux as GNU/Linux and these distributions are mainly focusing on fully GPL (General Public License) compatible software distribution. One good example is Debian GNU/Linux distribution.
Let’s look at the inception of GNU and the motives behind the initiative. GNU is an operating system composed fully with free software and it was publicly announced on September 27, 1983. This news was published in two newsgroups – net.unix-wizards and net.usoft by Richard Stallman. The primary motivation behind GNU was to wholly free computer operating system into existence. UNIX was popular but costly so Richard wanted a Unix-like operating system to be developed for the general public. In this exercise, software source code should be supplied with the operating system or the software and anyone who is interested in it should be able to freely modify the source code and distribute their own modified version to the general public without any legal implication. Later, in 1985, GNU published its manifesto including its philosophy of free software and now it’s covered under GPL.
The name GNU is a recursive acronym for GNU is Not UNIX. The initial plan was to develop GNU to be fully compatible with UNIX but for years, GNU didn’t have a proper kernel in place. What they had was remote procedure call kernel called TRIX developed by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Then GNU had a plan to adopt BSD 4.4-Lite kernel but this was not successful due to the loose corporation by BSD programmers. Anyway, after several kernel adaptations, GNU/Hurd has become the finalist, which is GNU’s own kernel. After the popularity of Linux kernel, Linux has become the most stable and popular system for hosting GNU software. But do not misunderstand: Linux kernel is not a part of GNU!
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Interesting piece,
I also found it interesting the first time I realized that the Free Software Foundation wasn’t GNU either. I used the free source build software from them for so long, and so much of it is GNU, that I used the terminology interchangably for years.
Best wishes,
Mike
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