gnu

Related: knew, new, nu, non-usur

GNU's Not Usury: Personal Sovereignty Foundation

==Other definitions:
GNU's Not Unix : Free Software Foundation Operating System

GNUBand.org >>Paolo blog: Ramblings on Trust, Social Software, Recommender Systems, Free Software, ICT4D and much more

GNUnet.org >>GNU's decentralized anonymous and censorship-resistant P2P framework.

"'The GNU Operating System

Free as in Freedom

Welcome to the GNU Project web server. The GNU Project was launched in 1984 to develop a complete UNIX like operating system which is free software: the GNU system, (GNU is a recursive acronym for "GNU's Not UNIX"; it is pronounced 'guh-noo, like canoe).  Variants of the GNU operating system, which use the kernel Linux, are now widely used; though these systems are often referred to as "Linux", they are more accurately called GNU/Linux systems.

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is the principal organizational sponsor of the GNU Project.  FSF receives very little funding from corporations or grant-making foundations, but rely on support from individuals like you.  Please consider helping the FSF in one of the ways described under Help FSF! (in the navigation bar).'" -- GNU.org

"'Gnu \Gnu\, n. [Hottentot gnu, or nju: cf. F. gnou.] (Zo["o]l.)
   One of two species of large South African antelopes of the
   genus {Catoblephas}, having a mane and bushy tail, and curved
   horns in both sexes. [Written also {gnoo}.]

   Note: The common gnu or wildebeest ({Catoblephas gnu}) is
         plain brown; the brindled gnu or blue wildebeest ({C.
         gorgon}) is larger, with transverse stripes of black on
         the neck and shoulders.'" -- dictweb1913

"'This is the original announcement of the GNU Project, written by Richard Stallman in 1983.

The history of the GNU Project is in many ways different from this initial plan. For example, the beginning was delayed until January, 1984 and several of the details about free software had not yet been clarified.

From CSvax:pur-ee:inuxc!ixn5c!ihnp4!houxm!mhuxi!eagle!mit-vax!mit-eddie!RMS@MIT-OZ
From: RMS%MIT-OZ@mit-eddie
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards,net.usoft
Subject: new UNIX implementation
Date: Tue, 27-Sep-83 12:35:59 EST
Organization: MIT AI Lab, Cambridge, MA

Free Unix!

Starting this Thanksgiving I am going to write a complete Unix-compatible software system called GNU (for Gnu's Not Unix), and give it away free(1) to everyone who can use it.  Contributions of time, money, programs and equipment are greatly needed.

To begin with, GNU will be a kernel plus all the utilities needed to write and run C programs: editor, shell, C compiler, linker, assembler, and a few other things.  After this we will add a text formatter, a YACC, an Empire game, a spreadsheet, and hundreds of other things.  We hope to supply, eventually, everything useful that normally comes with a Unix system, and anything else useful, including on-line and hardcopy documentation.

GNU will be able to run Unix programs, but will not be identical to Unix.  We will make all improvements that are convenient, based on our experience with other operating systems.  In particular, we plan to have longer filenames, file version numbers, a crashproof file system, filename completion perhaps, terminal-independent display support, and eventually a Lisp-based window system through which several Lisp programs and ordinary Unix programs can share a screen.  Both C and Lisp will be available as system programming languages.  We will have net work software based on MIT's chaosnet protocol, far superior to UUCP.  We may also have something compatible with UUCP.

Who Am I?

I am Richard Stallman, inventor of the original much-imitated EMACS editor, now at the Artificial Intelligence Lab at MIT.  I have worked extensively on compilers, editors, debuggers, command interpreters, the Incompatible Timesharing System and the Lisp Machine operating system.  I pioneered terminal-independent display support in ITS.  In addition I have implemented one crashproof file system and two window systems for Lisp machines.

Why I Must Write GNU

I consider that the golden rule requires that if I like a program I must share it with other people who like it.  I cannot in good conscience sign a nondisclosure agreement or a software license agreement.

So that I can continue to use computers without violating my principles, I have decided to put together a sufficient body of free software so that I will be able to get along without any software that is not free.

How You Can Contribute

I am asking computer manufacturers for donations of machines and money.  I'm asking individuals for donations of programs and work.

One computer manufacturer has already offered to provide a machine.  But we could use more.  One consequence you can expect if you donate machines is that GNU will run on them at an early date.  The machine had better be able to operate in a residential area, and not require sophisticated cooling or power.

Individual programmers can contribute by writing a compatible duplicate of some Unix utility and giving it to me.  For most projects, such part-time distributed work would be very hard to coordinate; the independently-written parts would not work together.  But for the particular task of replacing Unix, this problem is absent.  Most interface specifications are fixed by Unix compatibility.  If each contribution works with the rest of Unix, it will probably work with the rest of GNU.

If I get donations of money, I may be able to hire a few people full or part time.  The salary won't be high, but I'm looking for people for whom knowing they are helping humanity is as important as money.  I view this as a way of enabling dedicated people to devote their full energies to working on GNU by sparing them the need to make a living in another way.

For more information, contact me.
Arpanet mail:
RMS@MIT-MC.ARPA

Use net:
...!mit-eddie!RMS@OZ
...!mit-vax!RMS@OZ

US Snail:
Richard Stallman
166 Prospect St
Cambridge, MA 02139

(1) This remark shows that Richard had not yet clarified the distinction between "free speech" and "free beer".

Copyright (C) 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111, USA
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.

'" -- GNU.org/gnu/initial-announcement.html