4.2. History of Linux (Free Software!)

• In September 1983 Richard Stallman started the GNU project to build a complete free operating system.

• As it was a voluntary project, he chose Unix as a model so coordination of contributers would be easier.

• Stallman wrote Emacs, GCC and GDB as a foundation.

• Many volunteers contributed GPLd rewrites of Unix utilities (make, vi, sed, awk, etc.)

• Most of the GNU project was done in 1992 - last part missing: a kernel!

• The FSF started work on The HURD, a micro-kernel architecture based on Mach kernel.