{"id":40699,"date":"2023-10-02T09:42:21","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T13:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=40699"},"modified":"2023-10-09T09:12:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T13:12:50","slug":"forty-years-of-gnu-and-the-free-software-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/02\/forty-years-of-gnu-and-the-free-software-movement\/","title":{"rendered":"Forty Years of GNU and the Free Software Movement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Free Software Foundation<\/a> (via Hacker News<\/a>):<\/p>\n

On September 27, 1983, a computer scientist named Richard Stallman announced the plan to develop a free software Unix-like operating system called GNU, for “GNU’s not Unix.” GNU is the only operating system developed specifically for the sake of users’ freedom, and has remained true to its founding ideals for forty years. Since 1983, the GNU Project has provided a full, ethical replacement for proprietary operating systems. This is thanks to the forty years of tireless work from volunteer GNU developers around the world.<\/p>

[…]<\/p>

Usually combined with the kernel Linux, GNU forms the backbone of the Internet and powers millions of servers, desktops, and embedded computing devices. Aside from its technical advancements, GNU pioneered the concept of “copyleft,” the approach to software licensing that requires the same rights to be preserved in derivative works, and is best exemplified by the GNU General Public License (GPL).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As they note, “While software has become deeply ingrained into everyday life, the vast majority of users do not have full control over it.” Open-source software is more widely used than ever, yet as a user it seems like things are more locked down than ever.<\/p>\n

Alas, Stallman recently announced that he has cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n