Mercurial > emacs

--- a/etc/LINUX-GNU	Thu Aug 29 14:43:49 2002 +0000
+++ b/etc/LINUX-GNU	Thu Aug 29 14:47:14 2002 +0000
@@ -1,26 +1,32 @@
 		     Linux and the GNU system

-The GNU project started 12 years ago with the goal of developing a
-complete free Unix-like operating system.  "Free" refers to freedom,
-not price; it means you are free to run, copy, distribute, study,
-change, and improve the software.
+The GNU project started in 1984 with the goal of developing a complete
+free Unix-like operating system: GNU.  "Free" refers to freedom, not
+price; it means you are free to run, copy, distribute, study, change,
+and improve the software.

 A Unix-like system consists of many different programs.  We found some
 components already available as free software--for example, X Windows
 and TeX.  We obtained other components by helping to convince their
 developers to make them free--for example, the Berkeley network
-utilities.  Other components we wrote specifically for GNU--for
-example, GNU Emacs, the GNU C compiler, the GNU C library, Bash, and
-Ghostscript.  The components in this last category are "GNU software".
-The GNU system consists of all three categories together.
+utilities.  This left many missing components that we had to write in
+order to produce GNU--for example, GNU Emacs, the GNU C compiler, the
+GNU C library, Bash, and Ghostscript.  The GNU system consists of all
+these components together.

 The GNU project is not just about developing and distributing some
 useful free software.  The heart of the GNU project is an idea: that
-software should be free, and that the users' freedom is worth
-defending.  For if people have freedom but do not consciously
-appreciate it, they will not keep it for long.  If we want to make
-freedom last, we need to call people's attention to the freedoms they
-have in free software.
+software should be free, that software users should have freedom to
+participate in a community.  To run your computer, you need an
+operating system; if it is not free, your freedom has been denied.  To
+have freedom, you need a free operating system.  We therefore set out
+to write one.
+
+In the long run, though, we cannot expect to keep the free operating
+system free unless the users are aware of the freedom it gives them,
+and value that freedom.  People who do not appreciate their freedom
+will not keep it long.  If we want to make freedom last, we need to
+spread awareness of the freedoms they have in free software.

 The GNU project's method is that free software and the idea of users'
 freedom support each other.  We develop GNU software, and as people
@@ -31,84 +37,111 @@
 Thus, the software embodies the idea, spreads the idea, and grows from
 the idea.

-By 1992, we had found or written all of the essential major components
-of the system except the kernel, which we were writing.  (This kernel
-consists of the Mach microkernel plus the GNU HURD.  Currently it is
-running but not ready for users.  The first test release was made in
-1996.)
+Early on in the development of GNU, various parts of it became popular
+even though users needed proprietary systems to run them on.  Porting
+the system to many systems and maintaining them required a lot of
+work.  After that work, most GNU software is easily configured for a
+variety of different platforms.

-Then the Linux kernel became available.  Linux is a free
-Unix-compatible kernel initially written by Linus Torvalds.  It was
-not written for the GNU project, but Linux and the almost-complete GNU
-system made a useful combination.  This combination provided all the
-major essential components of a Unix-compatible operating system, and
-with some work, people made it into a usable system.  It was a variant
-GNU system, based on the Linux kernel.
+By 1991, we had found or written all of the essential major components
+of the system except the kernel, which we were writing.  (This kernel
+consists of the Mach microkernel plus the GNU HURD.  The first test
+release was made in 1996.  Now, in 2002, it is running well, and
+Hurd-based GNU systems are starting to be used.)

-Ironically, the popularity of these systems undermines our method of
-communicating the GNU idea to people who use GNU.  These systems are
-mostly the same as the GNU system--the main difference being the
-choice of kernel.  But people usually call them "Linux systems".  At
-first impression, a "Linux system" sounds like something completely
-distinct from the "GNU system," and that is what most users think it
-is.
+That was the situation when Linux came into being.  Linux is a kernel,
+like the kernel of Unix; it was written by Linus Torvalds, who
+released it under the GNU General Public License.  He did not write
+this kernel for GNU, but it fit into the gap in GNU.  The combination
+of GNU and Linux included all the major essential components of a
+Unix-compatible operating system.  Other people, with some work made
+the combination into a usable system.  The principal use of Linux, the
+kernel, is as part of this combination.

-Most introductions to the "Linux system" acknowledge the role played
-by the GNU software components.  But they don't say that the system as
-a whole is a modified version of the GNU system that the GNU project
-has been developing and compiling since 1984.  They don't say that the
-goal of a free Unix-like system like this one came from the GNU
-project.  So most users don't know these things.
+The popularity of the GNU/Linux combination is success, in the sense
+of popularity, for GNU.  Ironically, the popularity of GNU/Linux
+undermines our method of communicating the ideas of GNU to people who
+use GNU.

-Since human beings tend to correct their first impressions less than
-subsequent information calls for, those users who later learn about
-the relationship between these systems and the GNU project still often
-underestimate it.
+When GNU programs were only usable individually on top of another
+operating system, installing and using them meant knowing and
+appreciating these programs, and thus being aware of GNU, which led
+people to think about the philosophical base of GNU.  Now users can
+install a unified operating system which is basically GNU, but they
+usually thing these are "Linux systems".  At first impression, a
+"Linux system" sounds like something completely distinct from the "GNU
+system," and that is what most users think.

 This leads many users to identify themselves as a separate community
-of "Linux users", distinct from the GNU user community.  They use all
-of the GNU software; in fact, they use almost all of the GNU system;
-but they don't think of themselves as GNU users, and often they don't
-think that the GNU idea relates to them.
+of "Linux users", distinct from the GNU user community.  They use more
+than just some GNU programs, they use almost all of the GNU system,
+but they don't think of themselves as GNU users.  Often they never
+hear about the GNU idea; if they do, they may not think it relates to
+them.

-It leads to other problems as well--even hampering cooperation on
-software maintenance.  Normally when users change a GNU program to
-make it work better on a particular system, they send the change to
-the maintainer of that program; then they work with the maintainer,
-explaining the change, arguing for it, and sometimes rewriting it for
-the sake of the overall coherence and maintainability of the package,
-to get the patch installed.
+Most introductions to the "Linux system" acknowledge that GNU software
+components play a role in it, but they don't say that the system as a
+whole is a modified version of the GNU system that the GNU project has
+been developing and compiling since Linus Torvalds was in junior high
+school.  They don't say that the main reason this free operating
+exists is that the GNU Project worked persistently to achieve its goal
+of freedom.

-But people who think of themselves as "Linux users" are more likely to
-release a forked "Linux-only" version of the GNU program, and consider
-the job done.  We want each and every GNU program to work "out of the
-box" on Linux-based systems; but if the users do not help, that goal
-becomes much harder to achieve.
+As a result, most users don't know these things.  They believe that
+the "Linux system" was developed by Linus Torvalds "just for fun", and
+that their freedom is a matter of good fortune rather than the
+dedicated pursuit of freedom.  This creates a danger that they will
+leave the survival of free software to fortune as well.
+
+Since human beings tend to correct their first impressions less than
+called for by additional information they learn later, these users
+will tend to continue to underestimate their connection to GNU even if
+they do learn the facts.

-How should the GNU project deal with this problem?  What should we do
-now to spread the idea that freedom for computer users is important?
+When we began trying to support the GNU/Linux system, we found this
+widespread misinformation led to a practical problem--it hampered
+cooperation on software maintenance.  Normally when users change a GNU
+program to make it work better on a particular system, they send the
+change to the maintainer of that program; then they work with the
+maintainer, explaining the change, arguing for it, and sometimes
+rewriting it for the sake of the overall coherence and maintainability
+of the package, to get the patch installed.  But people who thought of
+themselves as "Linux users" showed a tendency to release a forked
+"Linux-only" version of the GNU program and consider the job done.  In
+some cases we had to redo their work in order to make GNU programs run
+as released in GNU/Linux systems.

-We should continue to talk about the freedom to share and change
-software--and to teach other users to value these freedoms.  If we
-enjoy having a free operating system, it makes sense for us to think
-about preserving those freedoms for the long term.  If we enjoy having
-a variety of free software, it makes sense for to think about
-encouraging others to write additional free software, instead of
-additional proprietary software.
+How should the GNU project encourage its users to cooperate?  How
+should we spread the idea that freedom for computer users is
+important?

-We should not accept the idea of two separate communities for GNU and
-Linux.  Instead we should spread understanding that "Linux systems"
-are variants of the GNU system, and that the users of these systems
-are GNU users as well as Linux users (users of the Linux kernel).
-Users who know this will naturally tend to take a look at the GNU
-philosophy which brought these systems into existence.
+We must continue to talk about the freedom to share and change
+software--and to teach other users to value these freedoms.  If we
+value having a free operating system, it makes sense to think about
+preserving those freedoms for the long term.  If we value having a
+variety of free software, it makes sense to think about encouraging
+others to write free software, instead of proprietary software.
+
+However, it is not enough just to talk about freedom; we must also
+make sure people know the reasons it is worth listening to what we
+say.

-I've written this article as one way of doing that.  Another way is to
-use the terms "Linux-based GNU system" or "GNU/Linux system", instead
-of "Linux system," when you write about or mention such a system.
+Long explanations such as our philosophical articles are one way of
+informing the public, but you may not want to spend so much time on
+the matter.  The most effective way you can help with a small amount
+of work is simply by using the terms "Linux-based GNU system" or
+"GNU/Linux system", instead of "Linux system," when you write about or
+mention such a system.  Seeing these terms will show many people the
+reason to pay attention to our philosophical articles.
+
+The system as a whole is more GNU than Linux; the name "GNU/Linux" is
+fair.  When you are choosing the name of a distribution or a user
+group, a name with "GNU/Linux" will reflect both roots of the combined
+system, and will bring users into connection with both--including the
+spirit of freedom and community that is the basis and purpose of GNU.


-Copyright 1996 Richard Stallman
+Copyright 1996, 2002 Richard Stallman
 Verbatim copying and redistribution is permitted
 without royalty as long as this notice is preserved.