GNU's Not Unix!

(jpeg 7k) (jpeg 21k) no gifs due to patent problems (other GNU art (500k))

Welcome to the GNU Project web server, www.gnu.org.

GNUs Flashes

On March 3, Richard Stallman will be at the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo to speak about the GNU project between 2:30pm and 3:45pm.

On March 6, Richard Stallman will speak at the Singapore Linux Conference. The conference will be located at the Suntec City Convention Center, Singapore. Richard will continue to the National University of Singapore Campus where he will hold a speach about the GNU project on March 8.

Comments on the Wassenaar agreement.

We have given out the first Free Software Award.

We have released the GNU Software for MS-Windows and MS-DOS book with CD-ROM.

For GNU project news, see What's new. For info about this web server, see GNU Web server.

About the GNU Project

The GNU Project started in 1984 to develop a complete free Unix-like operating system. Variants of the GNU system, using Linux as the kernel, are now widely used; though often called ``Linux'', they are more accurately called GNU/Linux systems. The first test release of ``the'' GNU system, using the GNU Hurd as the kernel, was made in August 1996.

The Free Software Foundation is a tax-exempt charity that raises funds for work on the GNU Project.

Support GNU!

The GNU Project depends on support from its users. One way to help is by volunteering to write software or documentation. Another way is by ordering a deluxe distribution or GNU CD-ROMs, manuals, and T-shirts from the Free Software Foundation.

Donations of money are also very helpful. If you use GNU software at work to do your job, perhaps you would consider it appropriate for your company to make a donation--or subscribe to the source code CD if that is administratively easier than donating.

You can also become a Patron of the FSF.

Software

There is a list of GNU software packages. Here are some software projects we are currently working on:

The GNU Hurd
Guile - the GNU extensibility library

We also have a list of tasks you can work on.

Free software developers generally do not provide support gratis, but there are various ways you can Get Help with GNU Software.

Read what some business users have to say about GNU and other free software.

Philosophical Issues

Free software is an area of technical work--but, above all, it is a matter of ethical philosophy. Here are various philosophical issues and items that pertain to the GNU Project:

What is Free Software?.
What is Copyleft?
The GNU General Public License (also known as the GNU GPL) and its unofficial translations).
The GNU Library General Public License (also known as the GNU LGPL) is used for some GNU libraries.
Confusing Words which You Might Want to Avoid.
Various other philosophical issues.

Freedoms and Rights

The FSF supports the freedoms of speech, press, and association on the Internet, the right to use encryption software for private communication, and the right to write software unimpeded by private monopolies.

Contact Information

Please send inquiries about GNU and the FSF to

Free Software Foundation           Voice:  +1-617-542-5942
59 Temple Place - Suite 330        Fax:    +1-617-542-2652
Boston, MA  02111-1307,  USA       gnu@gnu.org

The GNU Webmasters
webmasters@www.gnu.org

Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.

Updated: 8 Jan 1998 rms