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Linux and the GNU system
The GNU project started 12 years ago with the goal of developing a
complete free Unix-like operating system. "Free" refers to freedom,
not price; it means you are free to run, copy, distribute, study,
change, and improve the software.
The GNU project started in 1984 with the goal of developing a complete
free Unix-like operating system: GNU. "Free" refers to freedom, not
price; it means you are free to run, copy, distribute, study, change,
and improve the software.
A Unix-like system consists of many different programs. We found some
components already available as free software--for example, X Windows
and TeX. We obtained other components by helping to convince their
developers to make them free--for example, the Berkeley network
utilities. Other components we wrote specifically for GNU--for
example, GNU Emacs, the GNU C compiler, the GNU C library, Bash, and
Ghostscript. The components in this last category are "GNU software".
The GNU system consists of all three categories together.
utilities. This left many missing components that we had to write in
order to produce GNU--for example, GNU Emacs, the GNU C compiler, the
GNU C library, Bash, and Ghostscript. The GNU system consists of all
these components together.
The GNU project is not just about developing and distributing some
useful free software. The heart of the GNU project is an idea: that
software should be free, and that the users' freedom is worth
defending. For if people have freedom but do not consciously
appreciate it, they will not keep it for long. If we want to make
freedom last, we need to call people's attention to the freedoms they
have in free software.
software should be free, that software users should have freedom to
participate in a community. To run your computer, you need an
operating system; if it is not free, your freedom has been denied. To
have freedom, you need a free operating system. We therefore set out
to write one.
In the long run, though, we cannot expect to keep the free operating
system free unless the users are aware of the freedom it gives them,
and value that freedom. People who do not appreciate their freedom
will not keep it long. If we want to make freedom last, we need to
spread awareness of the freedoms they have in free software.
The GNU project's method is that free software and the idea of users'
freedom support each other. We develop GNU software, and as people
@ -31,84 +37,111 @@ and then they are more likely to write additional free software.
Thus, the software embodies the idea, spreads the idea, and grows from
the idea.
By 1992, we had found or written all of the essential major components
Early on in the development of GNU, various parts of it became popular
even though users needed proprietary systems to run them on. Porting
the system to many systems and maintaining them required a lot of
work. After that work, most GNU software is easily configured for a
variety of different platforms.
By 1991, we had found or written all of the essential major components
of the system except the kernel, which we were writing. (This kernel
consists of the Mach microkernel plus the GNU HURD. Currently it is
running but not ready for users. The first test release was made in
1996.)
consists of the Mach microkernel plus the GNU HURD. The first test
release was made in 1996. Now, in 2002, it is running well, and
Hurd-based GNU systems are starting to be used.)
Then the Linux kernel became available. Linux is a free
Unix-compatible kernel initially written by Linus Torvalds. It was
not written for the GNU project, but Linux and the almost-complete GNU
system made a useful combination. This combination provided all the
major essential components of a Unix-compatible operating system, and
with some work, people made it into a usable system. It was a variant
GNU system, based on the Linux kernel.
That was the situation when Linux came into being. Linux is a kernel,
like the kernel of Unix; it was written by Linus Torvalds, who
released it under the GNU General Public License. He did not write
this kernel for GNU, but it fit into the gap in GNU. The combination
of GNU and Linux included all the major essential components of a
Unix-compatible operating system. Other people, with some work made
the combination into a usable system. The principal use of Linux, the
kernel, is as part of this combination.
Ironically, the popularity of these systems undermines our method of
communicating the GNU idea to people who use GNU. These systems are
mostly the same as the GNU system--the main difference being the
choice of kernel. But people usually call them "Linux systems". At
first impression, a "Linux system" sounds like something completely
distinct from the "GNU system," and that is what most users think it
is.
The popularity of the GNU/Linux combination is success, in the sense
of popularity, for GNU. Ironically, the popularity of GNU/Linux
undermines our method of communicating the ideas of GNU to people who
use GNU.
Most introductions to the "Linux system" acknowledge the role played
by the GNU software components. But they don't say that the system as
a whole is a modified version of the GNU system that the GNU project
has been developing and compiling since 1984. They don't say that the
goal of a free Unix-like system like this one came from the GNU
project. So most users don't know these things.
Since human beings tend to correct their first impressions less than
subsequent information calls for, those users who later learn about
the relationship between these systems and the GNU project still often
underestimate it.
When GNU programs were only usable individually on top of another
operating system, installing and using them meant knowing and
appreciating these programs, and thus being aware of GNU, which led
people to think about the philosophical base of GNU. Now users can
install a unified operating system which is basically GNU, but they
usually thing these are "Linux systems". At first impression, a
"Linux system" sounds like something completely distinct from the "GNU
system," and that is what most users think.
This leads many users to identify themselves as a separate community
of "Linux users", distinct from the GNU user community. They use all
of the GNU software; in fact, they use almost all of the GNU system;
but they don't think of themselves as GNU users, and often they don't
think that the GNU idea relates to them.
of "Linux users", distinct from the GNU user community. They use more
than just some GNU programs, they use almost all of the GNU system,
but they don't think of themselves as GNU users. Often they never
hear about the GNU idea; if they do, they may not think it relates to
them.
It leads to other problems as well--even hampering cooperation on
software maintenance. Normally when users change a GNU program to
make it work better on a particular system, they send the change to
the maintainer of that program; then they work with the maintainer,
explaining the change, arguing for it, and sometimes rewriting it for
the sake of the overall coherence and maintainability of the package,
to get the patch installed.
Most introductions to the "Linux system" acknowledge that GNU software
components play a role in it, but they don't say that the system as a
whole is a modified version of the GNU system that the GNU project has
been developing and compiling since Linus Torvalds was in junior high
school. They don't say that the main reason this free operating
exists is that the GNU Project worked persistently to achieve its goal
of freedom.
But people who think of themselves as "Linux users" are more likely to
release a forked "Linux-only" version of the GNU program, and consider
the job done. We want each and every GNU program to work "out of the
box" on Linux-based systems; but if the users do not help, that goal
becomes much harder to achieve.
As a result, most users don't know these things. They believe that
the "Linux system" was developed by Linus Torvalds "just for fun", and
that their freedom is a matter of good fortune rather than the
dedicated pursuit of freedom. This creates a danger that they will
leave the survival of free software to fortune as well.
How should the GNU project deal with this problem? What should we do
now to spread the idea that freedom for computer users is important?
Since human beings tend to correct their first impressions less than
called for by additional information they learn later, these users
will tend to continue to underestimate their connection to GNU even if
they do learn the facts.
We should continue to talk about the freedom to share and change
When we began trying to support the GNU/Linux system, we found this
widespread misinformation led to a practical problem--it hampered
cooperation on software maintenance. Normally when users change a GNU
program to make it work better on a particular system, they send the
change to the maintainer of that program; then they work with the
maintainer, explaining the change, arguing for it, and sometimes
rewriting it for the sake of the overall coherence and maintainability
of the package, to get the patch installed. But people who thought of
themselves as "Linux users" showed a tendency to release a forked
"Linux-only" version of the GNU program and consider the job done. In
some cases we had to redo their work in order to make GNU programs run
as released in GNU/Linux systems.
How should the GNU project encourage its users to cooperate? How
should we spread the idea that freedom for computer users is
important?
We must continue to talk about the freedom to share and change
software--and to teach other users to value these freedoms. If we
enjoy having a free operating system, it makes sense for us to think
about preserving those freedoms for the long term. If we enjoy having
a variety of free software, it makes sense for to think about
encouraging others to write additional free software, instead of
additional proprietary software.
value having a free operating system, it makes sense to think about
preserving those freedoms for the long term. If we value having a
variety of free software, it makes sense to think about encouraging
others to write free software, instead of proprietary software.
We should not accept the idea of two separate communities for GNU and
Linux. Instead we should spread understanding that "Linux systems"
are variants of the GNU system, and that the users of these systems
are GNU users as well as Linux users (users of the Linux kernel).
Users who know this will naturally tend to take a look at the GNU
philosophy which brought these systems into existence.
However, it is not enough just to talk about freedom; we must also
make sure people know the reasons it is worth listening to what we
say.
I've written this article as one way of doing that. Another way is to
use the terms "Linux-based GNU system" or "GNU/Linux system", instead
of "Linux system," when you write about or mention such a system.
Long explanations such as our philosophical articles are one way of
informing the public, but you may not want to spend so much time on
the matter. The most effective way you can help with a small amount
of work is simply by using the terms "Linux-based GNU system" or
"GNU/Linux system", instead of "Linux system," when you write about or
mention such a system. Seeing these terms will show many people the
reason to pay attention to our philosophical articles.
The system as a whole is more GNU than Linux; the name "GNU/Linux" is
fair. When you are choosing the name of a distribution or a user
group, a name with "GNU/Linux" will reflect both roots of the combined
system, and will bring users into connection with both--including the
spirit of freedom and community that is the basis and purpose of GNU.
Copyright 1996 Richard Stallman
Copyright 1996, 2002 Richard Stallman
Verbatim copying and redistribution is permitted
without royalty as long as this notice is preserved.