GNU / Linux (Linux). One of the terms used to refer to the free Unix- counterpart operating system that usually uses GNU System tools. Its development is one of the most prominent examples of Free Software; all source code can be freely used, modified and redistributed by anyone under the terms of the GPL (or GNU General Public License according to abbreviationfinder) and other free licenses.
Although Linux is the Operating System, it should be noted that because it is usually handled with the GNU tools, a significant part of the community, as well as many general and specialized media, prefer to use the term Linux to refer to the union of both projects.
Variants of this union of programs and technologies are called distributions. Its objective is to offer editions that meet the needs of a certain group of users. Some of them are especially known for their use in servers and supercomputers. However, it is possible to install it on a wide variety of Hardware such as desktop and laptop computers.
In pocket computers, mobile phones, embedded devices, game consoles, and others, it may be the case that parts of GNU are replaced by more suitable alternatives.
Etymology
The name GNU, GNU’s Not Unix (GNU is not Unix), comes from the basic operating system tools created by the GNU project, started by Richard Stallman in 1983 and maintained by the FSF (Free Software Foundation). The name Linux comes from the Linux kernel, initially created by Linus Torvalds in 1991.
The contribution of GNU is the reason why there is controversy when it comes to using Linux or GNU / Linux to refer to the free operating system made up of the GNU tools and the Linux kernel as a whole.
History
Linus torvalds
The GNU project, started in 1983 by Richard Stallman, aims to develop a complete Unix operating system made up entirely of Free Software. The history of the Linux kernel is strongly linked to that of the GNU project. In 1991 Linus Torvalds began work on a non-commercial replacement for MINIX, which would later become Linux.
When the first version of Linux was released, the GNU project had already produced several of the fundamental tools for operating the operating system, including a command interpreter, a C library, and a compiler, but since the project had an infrastructure to create their own operating system, the so-called Hurd, and this was not yet mature enough to be used, they began to use Linux to continue developing the GNU project, following the traditional philosophy of maintaining cooperation between developers. The day Hurd is deemed mature and stable enough, he will be called upon to replace Linux.
So the kernel created by Linus Torvalds, who was studying at the University of Helsinki at the time, filled the final “gap” in the GNU operating system.
The letter
Hello everybody out there using minix –
I’m doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like gnu) for 386 (486) AT clones. This has been brewing since April, and is starting to get ready. I’d like any feedback on things people like / dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons) among other things).
I’ve currently ported bash (1.08) and gcc (1.40), and things seem to work. This implies that I’ll get something practical within a few months, and I’d like to know what features most people would want. Any suggestions are welcome, but I won’t promise I’ll implement them:-)
Linus Benedict Torvalds
. Yes – it’s free of any minix code, and it has a multi-threaded fs. It is NOT portable (uses 386 task switching etc), and it probably never will support anything other than AT-harddisks, as that’s all I have:-(.
Linus torvalds
Translation:
Hello everyone who uses Minix –
I’m making a (free) operating system (just a hobby, it won’t be big or professional like GNU) for 386 (486) AT clones. This one has been brewing since April, and it’s starting to get ready. I would like to receive any feedback on the things you like / dislike in minix, as my OS (Operating System) looks a bit like it (the same physical layout of the filesystem, due to practical reasons, among other things).
I have currently ported bash (1.08) and gcc (1.40), and things seem to work. This implies that I will get something practical in a few months, and I would like to know what features most people want. Any suggestions are welcome, but I won’t promise to put them into practice 🙂
Linus Benedict Torvalds
P.S. Yes – it is free of any minix code, and it has a multi-threaded filesystem. It is NOT portable (uses 386 task switching, etc.), and will probably never be supported by anything other than AT hard drives, because that’s all I have:-(.
Linus torvalds
