Editing GNU Manifesto

{{Short description|1985 call to action to create a free computer operating system}}{{italic title}}
[[Image:Heckert GNU white.svg|235px|thumb|GNU logo]] __NOTOC__
The '''''GNU Manifesto''''' is a [[direct action|call-to-action]] by [[Richard Stallman]] encouraging participation and support of the [[GNU Project]]'s goal in developing the [[GNU]] [[free software|free]] computer [[operating system]].  The GNU Manifesto was published in March 1985 in ''[[Dr. Dobb's Journal|Dr. Dobb's Journal of Software Tools]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Stallman |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Stallman |date=March 1985 |title=The GNU Manifesto |url=http://www.math.utah.edu/ftp/pub/tex/bib/toc/dr-dobbs-1980.html#10(3):March:1985 |journal=Dr. Dobb's Journal |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=30 |access-date=2011-10-18}}</ref> It is held in high regard within the [[free software movement]] as a fundamental philosophical source.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-gnu-manifesto-turns-thirty|title=The GNU Manifesto Turns Thirty|last=Bustillos|first=Maria|date=2015-03-17|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=2019-10-07|language=en|issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/460211/trisquel_gnu_linux_flies_flag_software_freedom/|title=Trisquel GNU/Linux flies the flag for software freedom|website=Computerworld|access-date=2019-10-07|archive-date=2019-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007143507/https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/460211/trisquel_gnu_linux_flies_flag_software_freedom/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lwn.net/2002/features/rms.php3|title=LWN: Interview with Richard M. Stallman|website=lwn.net|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452826/developer_interview_dos_long_dead_long_live_freedos/|title=Developer interview: DOS is (long) dead, long live FreeDOS|website=Computerworld|access-date=2019-10-07|archive-date=2019-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007150522/https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452826/developer_interview_dos_long_dead_long_live_freedos/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9906/16/apple.idg/|title=CNN - Apple warms up to open source community - June 16, 1999|website=www.cnn.com|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.computerweekly.com/blog/Open-Source-Insider/Red-Hat-open-source-genesis-to-mainstreaming-revelations|title=Red Hat: open source genesis, to mainstreaming revelations - Open Source Insider|website=www.computerweekly.com|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref>

The full text is included with GNU software such as [[GNU Emacs|Emacs]], and is publicly available.<ref name="GNU Manifesto">{{cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.html|title=The GNU Manifesto|last=Stallman|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Stallman|date=March 1985|publisher=[[GNU Project]]|access-date=2019-02-09}}</ref>

== Background ==
Some parts of the ''GNU Manifesto'' began as an announcement of the GNU Project posted by Richard Stallman on September 27, 1983, in form of an email on [[Usenet newsgroup]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/gnu/initial-announcement.en.html|title=Initial announcement of the GNU Project|last=Stallman|first=Richard|website=www.gnu.org|language=en|access-date=2019-02-07}}</ref> The project's aim was to give computer users freedom and control over their computers by collaboratively developing and providing software that is based on Stallman's idea of [[The Free Software Definition|software freedom]] (although the written definition had not existed until February 1986).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/bulletins/bull1.txt|title=GNU's Bulletin, Volume 1 Number 1|last=Stallman|first=Richard M.|date=February 1986|website=Gnu.org|page=8|access-date=2019-02-08}}</ref> The manifesto was written as a way to familiarize more people with these concepts, and to find more support in form of work, money, programs and hardware.

The ''GNU Manifesto'' possessed its name and full written form in 1985 but was updated in minor ways in 1987.<ref name="GNU Manifesto" />

==Summary==
The ''GNU Manifesto'' opens with an explanation of what the GNU Project is, and what is the current, at the time, progress in creation of the [[GNU|GNU operating system]]. The system, although based on, and compatible with Unix, is meant by the author to have many improvements over it, which are listed in detail in the manifesto.

One of the major driving points behind the GNU project, according to Stallman, was the rapid (at the time) trend toward Unix and its various components becoming proprietary (i.e. closed-source and non-libre) software.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.i-programmer.info/news/82-heritage/8403-gnu-manifesto-published-thirty-years-ago.html|title=GNU Manifesto Published Thirty Years Ago|last=Armstrong|first=Alex|date=2015-03-25|work=I Programmer|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref>

The manifesto lays a philosophical basis for launching the project, and importance of bringing it to fruition — [[proprietary software]] is a way to divide users, who are no longer able to help each other. Stallman refuses to write proprietary software as a sign of solidarity with them.

The author provides many reasons for why the project and software freedom is beneficial to users, although he agrees that its wide adoption will make the work of programmers less profitable.

A large part of the ''GNU Manifesto'' is focused on rebutting possible objections to GNU Project's goals. They include the programmer's need to make a living, the issue of advertising and distributing free software, and the perceived need of a profit incentive.

==Inspired by GNU Manifesto==
Throughout history, the ''GNU Manifesto'' has inspired various other UNIX-related manifestos. Based on it, 10 years later, a popular magazine Linux Focus released its manifesto.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.linuxfocus.org/English/LF-manifesto.html|title=Linux focus manifesto |website=linuxfocus.org|access-date=2023-04-12|date=April 2023}}</ref> 20 years later, a popular illustrations publisher has published their Linux developer manifesto.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.devshirt.club/manifesto/linux/|title=Linux developer manifesto |website=devshirt.club|access-date=2023-04-12|date=April 2023}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=April 2023|reason=The current sources do not state that those manifestos where inspired by GNU Manifesto.}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
*[[History of free and open-source software]]
* [[Open Letter to Hobbyists]]

==References==
{{Reflist|35em}}

==External links==
*[https://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.html GNU Manifesto]

{{GNU}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gnu Manifesto}}
[[Category:GNU Project]]
[[Category:Free software culture and documents]]
[[Category:Free Software Foundation]]
[[Category:Copyleft media]]
[[Category:Internet culture]]
[[Category:Political manifestos]]
[[Category:1985 documents]]
[[Category:Works about intellectual property law]]