Thirty years ago today Richard Stallman announced his plans to build GNU in a post to the net.unix-wizards mailing list. What followed was the birth of the free software movement, the founding of the Free Software Foundation and the GNU public license (GPL) — now used by the Linux operating system. His words continue to inspire software developers to this day:
“I consider that the golden rule requires that if I like a program I must share it with other people who like it. I cannot in good conscience sign a nondisclosure agreement or a software license agreement,” Stallman wrote in his original email from Sept. 27, 1983 (see the full text at LWN.net).
To celebrate this important milestone for the GNU project and free software, we asked the Linux community on Twitter to tell us what GNU means to them. Here are some of their answers. For more information on GNU and the many celebratory activities going on around the world this weekend visit www.gnu.org.
@linuxfoundation#GNU30 GNU tools is the most powerful toolbox for freedom.
— Matías Gutiérrez Ret (@retux) September 26, 2013
@linuxfoundation GNU means demanding freedom without compromises. #Gnu30
— Sudhakar M K (@MaskHidAura) September 26, 2013
@linuxfoundation GNU is the reason why I share my code openly so others can improve it!
— James Loyd (@jamestloyd) September 25, 2013
@linuxfoundation#GNU prevents monopolies and helps to improve computing for all.
— Morgan Cox (@morgancox_uk) September 25, 2013
@linuxfoundation GNU means freedom in all its forms. It also means never having to take “no” as an answer from a machine. #GNU30
— Paul Lenton (@KentGeek) September 25, 2013