Editing GNU Project (section)

{{short description|Free software project}}
{{distinguish|text=the operating system developed by the GNU Project, [[GNU]]}}
{{primary sources | date=January 2013}}

[[File:Heckert GNU white.svg|thumb | 180px | GNU mascot, by Aurelio A. Heckert<ref>{{cite web
 | url = https://www.gnu.org/graphics/heckert_gnu.html
 | title = A Bold GNU Head
 | access-date = November 30, 2014
 | quote = We thank Aurelio A. Heckert...for donating this graphic to us.
 | archive-date = December 5, 2014
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141205022143/https://www.gnu.org/graphics/heckert_gnu.html
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> (derived from a more detailed version by Etienne Suvasa)<ref>{{cite web
 | url = https://www.gnu.org/graphics/agnuhead.html
 | title = A GNU Head
 | access-date = November 30, 2014
 | quote = This graphic was drawn by Etienne Suvasa
 | archive-date = July 28, 2011
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110728023934/http://www.gnu.org/graphics/agnuhead.html
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>]]

The '''GNU Project''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-gnu.ogg|ɡ|n|uː}} {{respell|GNOO}})<ref>{{cite web
 | url = https://gnu.org/
 | title = What is GNU?
 | work = The GNU Operating System
 | date = September 4, 2009
 | publisher = [[Free Software Foundation]]
 | access-date = 2009-10-09
 | 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''.
 | archive-date = 2004-04-02
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040402153847/http://www.gnu.org/home.hu.html
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> is a [[free software]], [[mass collaboration]] project announced by [[Richard Stallman]] on September 27, 1983. Its goal is to give computer users freedom and control in their use of their computers and [[Computer hardware|computing devices]] by collaboratively developing and publishing software that gives everyone the rights to freely run the software, copy and distribute it, study it, and modify it. GNU software grants these rights in [[GNU General Public License|its license]].

In order to ensure that the ''entire'' software of a computer grants its users all freedom rights (use, share, study, modify), even the most fundamental and important part, the [[operating system]] (including all its numerous utility programs) needed to be free software. Stallman decided to call this operating system ''[[GNU]]'' (a [[recursive acronym]] meaning "''GNU's not Unix!''"), basing its design on that of [[Unix]], a proprietary operating system.<ref name="manifesto">{{cite web
 | url = https://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.html
 | title = The GNU Manifesto
 | date = July 21, 2007
 | publisher = [[Free Software Foundation]]
 | access-date = 2015-10-08
 | archive-date = 2018-07-14
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180714090017/https://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.html
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> According to its manifesto, the founding goal of the project was to build a free operating system, and if possible, "everything useful that normally comes with a Unix system so that one could get along without any software that is not free." Development was initiated in January 1984. In 1991, the [[Linux kernel]] appeared, developed outside the GNU Project by [[Linus Torvalds]],<ref name="groups.google.com">{{cite web
 | url = https://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.minix/msg/b813d52cbc5a044b
 | title = comp.os.minix
 | access-date = 2009-09-06
 | last = Torvalds
 | first = Linus Benedict
 | date = August 1991
 | archive-date = 2013-05-09
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130509134305/http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.minix/msg/b813d52cbc5a044b
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> and in December 1992, it was made available under version 2 of the [[GNU General Public License]].<ref name="gpl_version">{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/Historic/v0.99/linux-0.99.tar.Z |title=z-archive of Linux version 0.99 |website=The Linux Kernel Archives |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170130050958/ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/Historic/v0.99/linux-0.99.tar.Z |archive-date=2017-01-30 |url-status=dead |date=December 1992 }}</ref> Combined with the operating system utilities already developed by the GNU Project, it allowed for the first operating system that was free software, commonly known as [[Linux]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Balsa |first=Andrew D. |title=The linux-kernel mailing list FAQ |url=http://vger.kernel.org/lkml/#s1-1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001231709/http://vger.kernel.org/lkml/#s1-1 |archive-date=2012-10-01 |access-date=2013-06-13 |work=The Linux Kernel Archives |publisher=Kernel.org |quote=...we have tried to use the word "Linux" or the expression "Linux kernel" to designate the kernel, and GNU/Linux to designate the entire body of GNU/GPL'ed OS software,... ...many people forget that the linux kernel mailing list is a forum for discussion of kernel-related matters, not GNU/Linux in general...}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 | title = Losing graciously
 | url = http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/1316
 | access-date = 27 April 2014
 | author = Mark Shuttleworth
 | author-link = Mark Shuttleworth
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140322130122/http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/1316
 | archive-date = 22 March 2014
 | date=14 February 2014
 | quote = today our focus is on the cloud and on mobile, and we are quite clearly leading GNU/Linux on both fronts}}</ref>

The project's current work includes software development, awareness building, political campaigning, and sharing of new material.