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| Newer page: | version 11 | Last edited on Sunday, June 25, 2006 9:15:57 am | by AristotlePagaltzis | |
| Older page: | version 10 | Last edited on Sunday, June 25, 2006 8:46:43 am | by AristotlePagaltzis | Revert |
@@ -1,28 +1,21 @@
[Recursive | RecursiveAcronym] [Acronym] for [GNU]'s Not [Unix], a project working on the [GNU] OperatingSystem.
-They are making
a [Kernel] called
TheHurd and
a set
of UserSpace utilities
.
+The [GNU] Project was founded by RichardStallman in 1984 to create
a complete, completely [Free] OperatingSystem, [GNU], based on the [UNIX] design but not strictly following it – its developers strive to improve on the original Unix designs. Development on the [GNU] system started with UserSpace software because you needed a free toolchain (compilers, linkers, assemblers etc.) to create an OperatingSystem. A benefit of this approach is being able to develop, test and run the programs on existing Unix systems. This helped to ensure all of the software could be used as a drop in replacement for existing Unix software, where neccessary. By about 1990, most of the OperatingSystem was developed, short of a decent
[Kernel]. (They had small, crude kernels they used for development but nothing stable.) The [GNU] project developers were waiting for [Mach] to be released as FreeSoftware before they started working on [
TheHurd], which was supposed to be
a collection
of servers that ran over the [Mach] microkernel to provide a Unix-like [Kernel]
.
-Because
the [Kernel] and UserSpace utilities are individually exchangable
, [RMS] want
[Linux] distributions referred
to as
[GNU]/
[Linux
], reasoning that they use mostly [GNU] UserSpace utilities
. While they use the
[Linux] [Kernel], a similar OperatingSystem could just as well use a different one and still be composed mostly
of [GNU] UserSpace utilities
, such as
[GNU]/
[Hurd
]. However, strangely, while the glibc, sysvinit, and
a number
of other crucial system components were made by the [GNU] project
, the question of whether
the majority of UserSpace is under a
[GNU] license (
[GPL
]/[LGPL]) or [some other license | Category:License] doesn't appear to enter into this dicussion
.
+Further delays with Mach and technical problems debugging Hurd set development back severely. In
the meantime
, LinusTorvalds started developing a small Unix-like kernel called
[Linux] with the intention of making an OperatingSystem. (Linus took the opposite approach
to the
[GNU] project by starting on the
[Kernel
])
. The Linux community began making
[Linux] versions
of [GNU] packages
, but it took a while before any real cooperation took place in combining
[GNU] and
[Linux
] (possibly due to poor communication, etc)
. With
a little bit
of glue
, the LinuxKernel filled the gap in
the [GNU] system and allowed people to run a complete
[Free
] OperatingSystem
.
--- This description is pretty poor and inaccurate
; especially for a crucial part of
the GNU/Linux operating system
.
+The GNU Project requests that the OperatingSystem be called [GNU]/[Linux] as opposed to just [Linux] (or just [GNU])
; to quote
the [
GNU/Linux FAQ | http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq
.html]:
-The GNU Project was founded by [RichardStallman] (RMS) in 1984 to create a [Free]
operating system called GNU (which stands for GNU's Not Unix). GNU is
based on the UNIX design, however it does not strictly follow it; its developers often improve on the original Unix designs
. The
GNU Project's
goal is
to create
a complete, Free
operating system, not just a simple kernel capable
of running applications
.
+> Most
operating system distributions
based on Linux as kernel are basically modified versions of
the GNU operating system
. We began developing
GNU in 1984, years before Linus Torvalds started to write his kernel. Our
goal was
to develop
a complete free
operating system. Of course
, we did
not develop all the parts ourselves--but we led the way. We developed most
of the central components, forming the largest single contribution to the whole system. The basic vision was ours too.
+>
+> In fairness, we ought to get at least equal mention
.
-Development on
the GNU system started in userspace software; in order to have free operating system; you needed a free toolchain (compilers
, linkers
, assemblers etc.)
and development began on those parts
of the
system. This approach had
the benefit of being able to develop
, test and run
the programs on existing Unix systems; which helped to ensure all
of the software could be used as a drop in replacement for existing Unix software (where neccessary)
.
+Note that while
the glibc
, sysvinit
, and a number
of other crucial
system components were made by
the [GNU] project
, that doesn't necessarily mean that
the majority
of UserSpace is made by
the [GNU] project or is even under [GPL]/[LGPL]
.
-By about 1990; most of the operating system was developed, short of a decent kernel (they had small, crude kernels they used for development but nothing stable). The GNU project developers were waiting for Mach to be released as free software before they started working on the GNU kernel [TheHurd] which was a collection of servers that ran over the Mach microkernel to provide a Unix like kernel.
-
-Further delays with Mach and technical problems debugging Hurd set development back severely. In the meantime, Linus Torvalds started developing a small Unix-like kernel called "Linux" with the intention of making an operating system. (Linus took an opposite approach to the GNU project by starting on the kernel). The Linux community began making Linux versions of GNU packages, and it took a while before any real cooperation took place in combining GNU and Linux (possibly due to poor communication etc.) With a little bit of glue; Linux (the kernel) filled the gap in the GNU system and allowed people to run a complete free operating system.
-
-The GNU Project requests the operating system is called GNU/Linux as opposed to Linux (or just GNU); to quote the [GNU/Linux FAQ | http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html]:
-
-> "Most operating system distributions based on Linux as kernel are basically modified versions of the GNU operating system. We began developing GNU in 1984, years before Linus Torvalds started to write his kernel. Our goal was to develop a complete free operating system. Of course, we did not develop all the parts ourselves--but we led the way. We developed most of the central components, forming the largest single contribution to the whole system. The basic vision was ours too.
->
-> In fairness, we ought to get at least equal mention"
+!! See also
-See also:
* [The GNU Project homepage | http://www.gnu.org/]
* FreeSoftwareFoundation
-----
CategoryPolitics
