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        <h1 id="logo"><a href="/">The GNU Operating System</a></h1>



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<p class="netscape4">Richard Stallman announced in September 1983 the plan to develop a free software Unix-like operating system called GNU. GNU is the only operating system developed specifically for the sake of users' freedom.</p>

<div class="yui-g home">
    <div class="yui-u first">

      <h2>What is GNU?</h2>

<p>GNU is a Unix-like operating system that
is <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a>&mdash;it
respects your freedom.  You can install
<a href="/distros/free-distros.html">
versions of GNU</a> (more precisely, GNU/Linux systems) which are
entirely free software. <a href="/provide.html">What we provide</a>.</p>

<p class="c" style="margin: 0em"><a href="/distros/screenshot.html"><img
   src="/graphics/t-desktop-4-small.jpg" alt="Screenshot of GNU"
   /></a></p>

<p>The <a href="/gnu/gnu.html">GNU Project</a> was launched in 1984 to
develop the GNU system.  The name &ldquo;GNU&rdquo; is a recursive
acronym for &ldquo;GNU's Not
Unix!&rdquo;.  <a href="/pronunciation/pronunciation.html">&ldquo;GNU&rdquo; is
pronounced <em>g'noo</em></a>, as one syllable, like saying "grew" but
replacing the <em>r</em> with <em>n</em>.</p>

<p>A Unix-like operating system is a <a href="/software/">software
collection</a> of applications, libraries, and developer tools, plus a
program to allocate resources and talk to the hardware, known as a
kernel.</p>

<p><a href="/software/hurd/hurd.html">The Hurd, GNU's own kernel</a>,
is some way from being ready for daily use.  Thus, GNU is typically
used today with a kernel called Linux.  This combination is
the <a href="/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html"><strong>GNU/Linux operating
system</strong></a>.  GNU/Linux is used by millions, though
many <a href="/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html">call it &ldquo;Linux&rdquo; by
mistake</a>.</p>


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      <p class="button c large"><a
      href="/distros/free-distros.html">Download GNU now</a></p>

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<h4 id="Flashes"><a href="http://planet.gnu.org/">Planet GNU</a> <a href="http://planet.gnu.org/rss20.xml"><img src="/feed-icon-10x10.png" alt="RSS Feed" /></a></h4>

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<p><a href='http://nickclifton.livejournal.com/15809.html'>
March 2014 GNU Toolchain update</a>:
Hi Guys, It has been a fairly quite month in GNU toolchain land this month. The GCC mainline is getting very close to being ready to branch for the 4.9 release...
<a href='http://nickclifton.livejournal.com/15809.html'>more</a></p>
<p><a href='http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/news/2014-03-16-gsoc.html'>
2014-03-16-gsoc</a>:
The Google Summer of Code 2014 is on! If you're a student, consider
applying for a GNU Hurd project -- details to be found on our
GSoC and project ideas pages.</p>
<p><a href='http://savannah.gnu.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=7907'>
Release 1.1.4 is imminent - Please test</a>:
Spillover Appending over-length notes spill into next bar. Works for rests too. Optional – set a preference for old behavior. Shortcuts Cheat Sheet Cur...
<a href='http://savannah.gnu.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=7907'>more</a></p>


<p>For more news, see <a href="http://planet.gnu.org/">Planet GNU</a>
and the list of <a href="/software/recent-releases.html">recent GNU
releases</a>.</p>

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 autoconf gettext myserver teseq vera uucp garpd
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<h4 id="spell">
  <a href="/software/spell/">Spell</a></h4><p>
Spell is a command-line spell-checking program.  It reads through
a text input and prints each misspelled word on a line of its own.
It is implemented as a wrapper for GNU aspell or ispell.
<small>(<a href="/manual/manual.html#spell">doc</a>)</small></p>


















































































<!-- End file generated by womb/gnumaint/gm Wed Mar 19 12:53:24 PDT 2014 -->


<p><small><a href="/manual/blurbs.html">Short descriptions for all GNU
packages.</a></small></p>

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<h2>What is Free Software?</h2>

<p>&ldquo;<a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">Free software</a>&rdquo;
is a matter of liberty, not price.  To understand the concept, you
should think of &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in &ldquo;free speech&rdquo;,
not as in &ldquo;free beer&rdquo;.</p>

<p><strong>Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run,
copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.</strong>  More
precisely, it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the
software:</p>

<ul>
<li>The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).</li>
<li>The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs
    (freedom 1).   Access to the source code is a precondition for this.</li>
<li>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
    (freedom 2).</li>
<li>The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements
   to the public, so that the whole community benefits
    (freedom 3).   Access to the source code is a precondition for this.</li>
</ul>

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privacy</a>, and support <a
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global copyright reform</a> with <a
href="http://www.laquadrature.net/en/">LQDN</a>.</li>

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<a href="http://www.savetheinternet.com" title="Net
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and <a href="http://www.neutrality.ca" title="Net neutrality in
Canada">in Canada</a>.</li>

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<a href="/server/takeaction.html#swpat">and Europe</a>.</li>

<li><strong>Watch and share this movie:</strong> <a
href="http://patentabsurdity.com">Patent Absurdity</a>&mdash;made
possible by <a href="http://www.fsf.org/associate/">FSF associate
members</a> like <a href="http://fsf.org/jfb">you</a>.</li>

<li><strong><a href="/server/takeaction.html#wipochange">Call
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these <a href="http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/priority-projects/">High
Priority Projects</a>?</strong> Gnash, coreboot, free distributions of
GNU/Linux, GNU Octave, drivers for network routers, reversible
debugging in GDB, automatic transcription, PowerVR drivers, and also
free software replacements for Skype, OpenDWG libraries, and Oracle
Forms.</p>

<p id="unmaint"><strong>Can you take over an <a
href="/server/takeaction.html#unmaint">unmaintained GNU
package</a>?</strong>
<span class="gnun-split"></span>
  <a href="/software/gleem/">gleem</a>,
  <a href="/software/gnatsweb/">gnatsweb</a>,
  <a href="/software/gnukart/">gnukart</a>,
  <a href="/software/groff/">groff</a>,
  <a href="/software/halifax/">halifax</a>,
  <a href="/software/indent/">indent</a>,
  <a href="/software/jwhois/">jwhois</a>,
  <a href="/software/metahtml/">metahtml</a>,
  <a href="/software/orgadoc/">orgadoc</a>,
  <a href="/software/polyxmass/">polyxmass</a>,
  <a href="/software/superopt/">superopt</a>,
  <a href="/software/teximpatient/">teximpatient</a><span class="gnun-split"></span>,
are all <a href="/server/takeaction.html#unmaint">looking for
maintainers</a>.  Also, these packages are looking for co-maintainers:
<span class="gnun-split"></span>
  <a href="/software/aspell/">aspell</a>,
  <a href="/software/gnuae/">gnuae</a>,
  <a href="/software/metaexchange/">metaexchange</a>,
  <a href="/software/powerguru/">powerguru</a><span class="gnun-split"></span>.
See the package web pages for more information.</p>

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<p><small>The <a href="http://www.fsf.org">Free Software
Foundation</a> is the principal organizational sponsor of the <a
href="http://www.gnu.org/">GNU Operating System</a>. <strong>Our
mission is to preserve, protect and promote the freedom to use, study,
copy, modify, and redistribute computer software, and to defend the
rights of Free Software users.</strong> Support GNU and the FSF by <a
href="http://shop.fsf.org/">buying manuals and gear</a>, <a
href="http://www.fsf.org/join">joining the FSF as an associate
member</a> or by making a
donation, either <a href="http://donate.fsf.org/">directly to the FSF</a> 
or <a href="http://flattr.com/thing/313733/gnuproject-on-Flattr">via Flattr</a>.</small></p>

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<p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
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<p></p><p class="unprintable">Updated:
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