25 years of GNU
estebandido | 28 September 2008
Few people had access to computers when Richard Matthew Stallman realized the then-nascent software industry was adopting a business model based on denying users the four essential freedoms, and that he could do something about it. Today, millions of individuals, companies and governments use the
result of efforts to preserve and defend their freedoms started 25 years ago, but few even know about the GNU project. Celebrate the achievements and spread the word!
The September 27, 1983, RMS announced to the world his goal of writing an operating system compatible with UNIX and free, ie not require users to give up their freedom to use, study, modify and distribute any software, modified or not. He invited programmers to join this task of developing a sufficiently large body of software to enable people to use computers in freedom, according to the moral foundations of sharing, solidarity and reciprocity.
After the initial focus on development tools including a compiler, a debugger, an integrated development environment and system libraries (GCC, GDB, Emacs, and glibc, respectively), hundreds of other applications, utilities and libraries were contributed by a growing number volunteers.
Most of these programs were released under the GNU GPL, a license that not only respects the freedoms of users, granting enough permissions to counter antisocial default provisions of the copyright, but also defends the freedoms, introducing the copyleft ("Left of author") as a means to use the remaining power of copyright ("copyright") to keep the software Free for all users.
Nearly 8 ½ years after the initial announcement, a kernel designed to work with the GNU operating system was released as Free Software under the GNU GPL, providing the missing piece to form a completely free operating system.
Other major accomplishments followed, as the GIMP image processing, the GUI toolkit GTK, GNOME desktop environment, the educational suite GCompris, the browser GNUZilla IceCat, interpreters and Java libraries, GNU Classpath, and GCJ, the GNU compiler Java, the Flash player Gnash, the GNUstep development environment, the project DotGNU, the accounting program GNU Cash, the GRUB boot loader and the software forge Savannah, among many others to mention.
Since the combination of operating system GNU with the Linux kernel became usable, people and companies started publishing distributions that can be installed on bare hardware. Such distributions now run in servers, workstations, desktops, laptops, mainframes, ATMs, phones, media players and recorders, routers, cars, airplanes and all kinds of computers.
There is still a long way to achieve freedom for all software users. However, rather than develop more free software, the current priorities are spreading awareness of software freedom issues, and encourage users to value their freedoms and demand respect for them. It is in this spirit that FSFLA launched the "Be Free!"
Celebrate a quarter century of the GNU project and work for freedom, and help more people realize why the software was developed using, and why is it so important to seek freedom for their own good and the whole community
May every day be a day of freedom in software. Be Free!
== About the Free Software Foundation Latin America
The FSFLA joined in 2005 the FSF network, previously formed by Free Software Foundations in the United States, Europe and India. These sister organizations work in their corresponding geographies towards promoting the same Free Software ideals and defending the same freedoms for users and
software developers, working locally but cooperating globally. For more information about FSFLA and to contribute to our work, visit our website at http://www.fsfla.org or write to info@fsfla.org .
Copyright 2008 FSFLA
It allows Verbatim copying and distribution of this article in its entirety by any means, without royalty, provided that retains the copyright notice, the document's official URL, and this permission notice.
It also allows Verbatim copying and distribution of individual sections of this article by any means, without royalty, provided that you retain the copyright notice and the permission notice above and the official URL is preserved or document substitute for the official URL of the individual section.
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Hi Stephen: I stop at this post, especially because it
Dennis Mariella | 14 October 2008Hi Stephen: I stop at this post, especially since a few months ago I'm using GNU / Linux and the truth, I was interested in the history of how the idea of free software and good, but I'm still not completely soaked with the theme , I expanded my knowledge step by step on this etorno work and good philosophy is really interesting.
Right now I'm trying not to give up with Linux, but as I have much to learn about download applications, download music with amule, etc. I do not want to give up and go around looking for information to help me learn.
Finally, through this article that has been my interest, I send a big hello and hope you continue participating in the implementation of "I have a Blog, Want to comment on my post?,
Interesting blog yours ... seriously!
A big shout out
Dennis Mariella.
Mariella @ Dennis: Thanks for your message, if you have any problems with
estebandido | 14 October 2008@ Dennis Mariella:
Thanks for your message, if you have a problem with GNU / Linux and need help, then let me know and we will gladly help you
Regards
Estebandido
Hi Stephen: Well I have ubuntu on my laptop, although
Dennis Mariella | 16 October 2008Hi Stephen: Well I have ubuntu on my laptop, although there are several applications that are already within it, as there are still operations that can not do, for example, I have the amule to download music (among others) and the truth yet to discover where the music will supposedly have downloaded. In addition, other software, eg for video images, which I downloaded in softonic paragraph for linux, because I do not know what to do, also happens to me when I download something and I have to decompress ... well, these little things are what is making me questioning whether to go with Linux or back window, but I know it is due to ignorance, otherwise I'm quite happy with Linux, I had no virus or unexpected outages, which I happened very often brother used window xp or window vista basic.
Best regards, and thanks for your concern.
Dennis Mariella.
@ Dennis Mariella: The amule you record the music in a
estebandido | 16 October 2008@ Dennis Mariella:
The amule you record the music in a folder hidden in your home, you press CTRL + h are hidden folders, find the folder there called. AMule and downloaded files are there, but better than doing the change of address program and in preferences you can choose the directory option to save the files you get off, there looking for the place you want to save and voila, case solved.
To make video a good choice is Kino, Cinelerra or Avidemux, any of these can serve you well, I think Cinelerra is the most complete, to install the programs you can do it through Synaptic.
Look if you want some free time that we both do a chat, or by Ekiga or Skype talk and help you as anything else can let me know
Regards
Estebandido
Thanks Stephen, thank you for your interest ... any day now programmed
Dennis Mariella | 17 October 2008Thanks Stephen, thank you for your interest ... any day now schedule a conversation right? I have a skype, but I have broken headphones, and you notice when you reset. Give me your skype address it? And again I thank you for the interest, at least the issue of amule think it cleared. Already story. Dennis Mariella.