IntroToLinux

The GNU Project

What is GNU?

GNU stands for “GNU’s Not Unix” - it’s a recursive acronym. The GNU Project was launched in 1983 by Richard Stallman with the goal of creating a completely free Unix-like operating system.

Key GNU Components:

• GCC (GNU Compiler Collection)
• GNU Coreutils (basic file, shell and text manipulation utilities)
• GNU Bash (Bourne Again SHell)
• GNU Make (build automation tool)
• GNU Debugger (GDB)

The Four Freedoms of Free Software:

1. Freedom 0: The freedom to run the program for any purpose
2. Freedom 1: The freedom to study how the program works and change it
3. Freedom 2: The freedom to redistribute copies

4. Freedom 3: The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions

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