Editing GNU (section)

{{Short description|Free software collection}}
{{About|the free software collection|the animal|Wildebeest|other uses}}
{{Distinguish|XNU}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = GNU
| logo = Heckert GNU white.svg
| logo size = 100px
| logo alt = The GNU head
| screenshot = Gnu hurd debian 1.png
| caption = [[Debian GNU/Hurd]] with [[Xfce4]] and web browser [[Midori (web browser)|Midori]]
| family = [[Unix-like]]
| developer = Community
| source model = [[Free software]]
| marketing target = Personal computers, mobile devices, embedded devices, servers, mainframes, supercomputers
| language = <!--Exactly which?-->
| userland = GNU
| kernel_type = [[Microkernel]] ([[GNU Hurd]]) or [[Monolithic kernel]] (GNU [[Linux-libre]], fork of [[Linux kernel|Linux]])
| license = [[GNU General Public License|GNU GPL]], [[GNU Lesser General Public License|GNU LGPL]], [[GNU Affero General Public License|GNU AGPL]], [[GNU Free Documentation License|GNU FDL]], [[GNU Project#GNU Free System Distribution Guidelines|GNU FSDG]]<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gnu.org/licenses/ |title = GNU Licenses}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html |title = GNU FSDG}}</ref>
| website = {{URL|https://www.gnu.org/home.en.html|gnu.org}}
| programmed in = Various languages (notably [[C (programming language)|C]] and [[assembly language]])
| working_state = Current
| supported_platforms = [[IA-32]] (with [[Hurd]] kernel only) and [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]], [[Synopsys ARC|ARC]], [[ARM architecture family|ARM]], [[AVR32]], [[Blackfin]], [[C6x]], [[ETRAX CRIS]], [[FR-V]], [[H8/300]], [[Qualcomm Hexagon|Hexagon]], [[Itanium]], [[M32R]], [[m68k]], [[Imagination META|META]], [[MicroBlaze]], [[MIPS architecture|MIPS]], [[MN103]], [[OpenRISC]], [[PA-RISC]], [[PowerPC]], [[IB ESA/390|s390]], [[S+core]], [[SuperH]], [[SPARC]], [[TILE64]], [[Unicore32]], [[x86]], [[Xtensa]], [[RISC-V]] <!-- Do not include 64 bit extensions of 32 bit ISAs, e.g. sparc64, ppc64, x86-64 &c. --> (with [[Linux-libre]] kernel only)
}}

'''GNU''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-gnu.ogg|ɡ|n|uː}} {{respell|GNOO}})<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gnu.org/ |title = What is GNU? |work = The GNU Operating System | date = September 4, 2009 | publisher = [[Free Software Foundation]] |access-date=October 9, 2009 | quote =The name ‘GNU’ is a [[recursive acronym]] for ‘GNU's Not Unix‘; it is pronounced ''g-noo'', as one syllable with no vowel sound between the ''g'' and the ''n''.}}</ref><ref name="rms-zagreb-talk" /> is an extensive collection of [[free software]] (394 packages {{As of|2024|June|lc=y}}),<ref>{{cite web
	| url = https://www.gnu.org/software/software.html
	| title = Software – GNU Project
	| last = Stallman
	| first = Richard
	| website = GNU Project
	| access-date = 2022-01-09
	| publisher=Free Software Foundation, Inc
}}</ref> which can be used as an [[operating system]] or can be used in parts with other operating systems.<ref name="handbookonopensource" /><ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.html | title = GNU Manifesto |publisher = FSF | work = GNU project |access-date= 2011-07-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url= https://archive.org/details/cathedralbaz00raym | url-access= registration | title = The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary | publisher= "O'Reilly Media, Inc." | pages = [https://archive.org/details/cathedralbaz00raym/page/10 10]–12 | isbn= 978-0-59600108-7 | last = Raymond | first =Eric | date = 2001-02-01}}</ref> The use of the completed GNU tools led to the family of operating systems popularly known as [[Linux]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=1.2. What is GNU/Linux?|url=https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/ch01s02.en.html|access-date=2024-06-07|website=www.debian.org}}</ref> Most of GNU is licensed under the [[GNU Project]]'s own General Public License ([[GNU General Public License|GPL]]).

[[File:Richard Stallman - Fête de l'Humanité 2014 - 010.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Richard Stallman]], founder of the GNU project]]

GNU is also the project within which the [[free software]] concept originated. [[Richard Stallman]], the founder of the project, views GNU as a "technical means to a social end".<ref>{{Citation | contribution = KTH | publisher = FSF | title = Philosophy | series = GNU | contribution-url = https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/stallman-kth.html | first = Richard | last = Stallman | type = speech | place = Stockholm, Sweden | year = 1986}}.</ref> Relatedly, [[Lawrence Lessig]] states in his introduction to the second edition of Stallman's book ''[[Free Software, Free Society]]'' that in it Stallman has written about "the social aspects of software and how Free Software can create community and social justice".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.openisbn.com/isbn/9781441436856/|title=Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays Of Richard M. Stallman|isbn=9781441436856|access-date=2016-03-24|last1=Stallman|first1=Richard M.|last2=Gay|first2=Joshua|date=December 2009|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform }}</ref>