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GNU - What is GNU?
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Self-referentially, short for GNU's not UNIX, a UNIX-compatible software system developed by the Free Software Foundation (FSF).
The philosophy behind GNU is to produce software that is non-proprietary.
Anyone can download, modify and redistribute GNU software. The only restriction is that they cannot limit further redistribution.
The GNU project was started in 1983 by Richard Stallman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Linux systems rely heavily on GNU software and in the past, GNU systems used the Linux kernel.
This close connection has led some people to mistakenly equate GNU with Linux. They are actually quite separate.
In fact, the FSF is developing a new kernel called HURD to replace the Linux kernel in GNU systems.
The GNU Project was launched in 1984 to develop a complete Unix-like operating system which is free software: the GNU system. Variants of the GNU operating system, which use the kernel called Linux, are now widely used; though these systems are often referred to as “Linux”, they are more accurately called GNU/Linux systems.
For more information: The GNU Operating System
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