THE HISTORY OF GNU/LINUX
Lets start with the Multics, which will lead to GNU/LINUX.
Lets start with the Multics, which will lead to GNU/LINUX.
What is Multics?
Multics (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service) was a mainframe time-sharing operating system that began at MIT as a research project in 1965. It made a big effect on the development of an operating system. This was a joint project of Bell Labs and General Electric(GE). They developed that OS for GE-645 mainframe. Bell Labs end their contributions to this project in 1969.
What is Unics/Unix?
After dropped out of the Multics project by Bell Labs, The workgroup who contributed to the Multics project wanted to continue the system programming. As a result of that Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson and the team implemented a new OS called “Unics”(Previously called as Unix). They developed that OS for PDP-7. Initially, the Unix was written in assembler and “B”.(“B” is a programming language). Dennis Ritchie improved the language “B” and named the new language as “C”. With the help of Dennis, Ken rewrote the whole Unix in C.It was help to use the this Unix on different computers.
After dropped out of the Multics project by Bell Labs, The workgroup who contributed to the Multics project wanted to continue the system programming. As a result of that Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson and the team implemented a new OS called “Unics”(Previously called as Unix). They developed that OS for PDP-7. Initially, the Unix was written in assembler and “B”.(“B” is a programming language). Dennis Ritchie improved the language “B” and named the new language as “C”. With the help of Dennis, Ken rewrote the whole Unix in C.It was help to use the this Unix on different computers.
What is BSD?
In ’70s Bell Lab was under a court order not to sell software. So in 1974, the OS was licensed to universities for educational purposes. As a result of this incident, Kernighan took Unix to his University at Berkeley. Then Berkeley released there first BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) version of Unix in 1977. The last release was 4.4-Lite2 in 1995.
In ’70s Bell Lab was under a court order not to sell software. So in 1974, the OS was licensed to universities for educational purposes. As a result of this incident, Kernighan took Unix to his University at Berkeley. Then Berkeley released there first BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) version of Unix in 1977. The last release was 4.4-Lite2 in 1995.
What is System V?
In 1984, again Bell Labs was allowed to sell software. As a result of this, Bell Lab released few versions and after releasing System V Release 4(SVR4) they released a commercial version which was System 3.
Since BSD contains the Unix code that Bell Lab owned, Bell Lab filed a lawsuit in the early 1990s. This strongly limited the development and adoption of BSD. This is why BSD stopped their releases in 1995. Therefore UNIX became COMMERCIAL and source code restricted.
In 1984, again Bell Labs was allowed to sell software. As a result of this, Bell Lab released few versions and after releasing System V Release 4(SVR4) they released a commercial version which was System 3.
Since BSD contains the Unix code that Bell Lab owned, Bell Lab filed a lawsuit in the early 1990s. This strongly limited the development and adoption of BSD. This is why BSD stopped their releases in 1995. Therefore UNIX became COMMERCIAL and source code restricted.
Free Software Foundation and GNU project
By the 1980s, almost all software was proprietary even operating systems. Each and every computer user needs to have an operating system to use computers, So the first item on the free software agenda was a free operating system. Since the above problem Richard M Stallman left MIT AI Labs to found the GNU Project under Free Software Foundation. The Free Software Foundation was founded in October 1985.
GNU: GNU is Not Unix.
They wanted to make a new operating system which is named as GNU.GNU is not Unix. But the developers wanted to make an OS which is compatible with Unix because it is easy for the user to switch from Unix to GNU. They developed all the major components except the kernel.
GNU: GNU is Not Unix.
They wanted to make a new operating system which is named as GNU.GNU is not Unix. But the developers wanted to make an OS which is compatible with Unix because it is easy for the user to switch from Unix to GNU. They developed all the major components except the kernel.
What is Minix?
Professor Andrew Tanenbaum developed Minix. It was a simplified version of Unix. Minix only for class testing, not for commercial purposes. The source code of the Minix os was available, But modifications and redistribution were prohibited. MINIX was first released in 1987. Since modification and redistribution were restricted Free Software Foundation team was unable to use Minix as their kernel.
Professor Andrew Tanenbaum developed Minix. It was a simplified version of Unix. Minix only for class testing, not for commercial purposes. The source code of the Minix os was available, But modifications and redistribution were prohibited. MINIX was first released in 1987. Since modification and redistribution were restricted Free Software Foundation team was unable to use Minix as their kernel.
Linux
In Sept 1991, Linus Torvalds, a second-year student of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki, developed the preliminary kernel of Linux, known as Linux version 0.0.1. He used Minix as a model. He wanted to write a better Minix than a Minix.
In Sept 1991, Linus Torvalds, a second-year student of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki, developed the preliminary kernel of Linux, known as Linux version 0.0.1. He used Minix as a model. He wanted to write a better Minix than a Minix.
GNU/Linux
In 1992, Linus Torvalds made Linux kernel as free. They implemented complete os by combining components which were already made by under GNU project and Linux kernel. This is why we use the word GNU/Linux.
In 1992, Linus Torvalds made Linux kernel as free. They implemented complete os by combining components which were already made by under GNU project and Linux kernel. This is why we use the word GNU/Linux.
Source: https://medium.com/@ishikagodage/https-medium-com-ishikagodage-the-history-of-gnu-linux-21562a44f85d
History of GNU Project:
The GNU project is a mass collaborative initiative for the development of free software. Richard Stallman founded the project in 1978 at MIT.
The original purpose of the GNU project was the creation of a free operating system. Free, in a software context, does not necessarily mean free of cost. The freedom referred to is the ability of anyone who wishes to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. The GNU General Public License, often shortened to GNU GPL (or simply GPL), lists terms and conditions for copying, modifying and distributing free software.
Richard Stallman announced the GNU Linux project in 1983 and cofounded the Free Software Foundation in 1985. The GNU Linux project was started to create a Unix-like operating system created with source code that could be copied, modified, and redistributed. Those stipulations are an implementation of Stallman’s copyleft concept, a derivative of copyright law that serves "the opposite of its usual purpose: instead of a means of privatizing software, it becomes a means of keeping software free." Hence the slogan, “Copyleft: All rights reversed.”
According to the GNU Linux project, the Linux operating system's kernel is Linux but all other elements of the system are GNU. According to the project, neither OS exists independently and, as such Linux would more appropriately be called GNU Linux.
GNU stands for GNU's not Unix.
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