Jan 26, 2025 · GNU is an operating system that is free software—that is, it respects users' freedom. The GNU operating system consists of GNU packages (programs specifically released by the GNU Project) as well as free software released by third parties.

The FSF maintains that an operating system built using the Linux kernel and GNU tools and utilities should be considered a variant of GNU, and promotes the term GNU/Linux for such systems (leading to the GNU/Linux naming controversy). This view is not exclusive to the FSF.

Sep 17, 2021 · What Is GNU/Linux? Open-source GNU/Linux operating systems, for all their complications and confusing nomenclature, span a universe of alternatives to Windows and macOS worth exploring.

Nov 2, 2021 · Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called “Linux” distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.

Sep 18, 2022 · This article explains what Linux is, all you need to know about GNU, where Linux can be found and what a desktop environment is.

Jan 13, 2025 · Developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991, the Linux operating system is a powerful and flexible open-source software platform. It acts as the basis for a variety of devices, such embedded systems, cell phones, servers, and personal computers.

GNU/Linux is an alternative to Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is easy to use and gives more freedom to users. Anyone can install it: GNU/Linux is free as in freedom, and often available free of charge. What is GNU/Linux? Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License.

Apr 25, 2024 · These distros are ready-to-use full systems whose developers have made a commitment to follow the Free System Distribution Guidelines. This means they will include, and propose, exclusively free software.

Sep 29, 2023 · The combined efforts of GNU and Linux developers created a robust, scalable, and free operating system that has since become a viable alternative to proprietary operating systems, running on millions of servers, desktops, and embedded systems worldwide.

The term GNU/Linux is promoted by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) and its founder Richard Stallman. Their reasoning is that the operating system is seen as a modified version of the GNU operating system. Linux as a kernel is just a part of an operating system, whereas the whole operating system is basically the GNU system.