The GNU Manifesto

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The GNU Manifesto
Richard Stallman
The GNU Manifesto
The GNU Manifesto (which appears below) was written by Richard Stallman at the
beginning of the GNU Project, to ask for participation and support. For the first few years,
it was updated in minor ways to account for developments, but now it seems best to leave
it unchanged as most people have seen it. Since that time, we have learned about certain
common misunderstandings that different wording could help avoid. Footnotes added in
1993 help clarify these points. For up-to-date information about the available GNU
software, please see the information available on our web server, in particular our list of
software. For how to contribute, see http://www.gnu.org/help.)
What's GNU? Gnu's Not Unix!
GNU, which stands for Gnu's Not Unix, is the name for the complete Unix-compatible
software system which I am writing so that I can give it away free to everyone who can
use it. (1) Several other volunteers are helping me. Contributions of time, money,
programs and equipment are greatly needed.
So far we have an Emacs text editor with Lisp for writing editor commands, a source
level debugger, a yacc-compatible parser generator, a linker, and around 35 utilities. A
shell (command interpreter) is nearly completed. A new portable optimizing C compiler
has compiled itself and may be released this year. An initial kernel exists but many more
features are needed to emulate Unix. When the kernel and compiler are finished, it will
be possible to distribute a GNU system suitable for program development. We will use
TeX as our text formatter, but an nroff is being worked on. We will use the free, portable
X window system as well. After this we will add a portable Common Lisp, an Empire
game, a spreadsheet, and hundreds of other things, plus on-line documentation. We hope
to supply, eventually, everything useful that normally comes with a Unix system, and
more.
GNU will be able to run Unix programs, but will not be identical to Unix. We will make
all improvements that are convenient, based on our experience with other operating
systems. In particular, we plan to have longer file names, file version numbers, a
crashproof file system, file name completion perhaps, terminal-independent display
support, and perhaps eventually a Lisp-based window system through which several Lisp
programs and ordinary Unix programs can share a screen. Both C and Lisp will be
available as system programming languages. We will try to support UUCP, MIT
Chaosnet, and Internet protocols for communication.

GNU is aimed initially at machines in the 68000/16000 class with virtual memory,
because they are the easiest machines to make it run on. The extra effort to make it run on
smaller machines will be left to someone who wants to use it on them.
To avoid horrible confusion, please pronounce the `G' in the word `GNU' when it is the
name of this project.
Why I Must Write GNU
I consider that the golden rule requires that if I like a program I must share it with other
people who like it. Software sellers want to divide the users and conquer them, making
each user agree not to share with others. I refuse to break solidarity with other users in
this way. I cannot in good conscience sign a nondisclosure agreement or a software
license agreement. For years I worked within the Artificial Intelligence Lab to resist such
tendencies and other inhospitalities, but eventually they had gone too far: I could not
remain in an institution where such things are done for me against my will.
So that I can continue to use computers without dishonor, I have decided to put together a
sufficient body of free software so that I will be able to get along without any software
that is not free. I have resigned from the AI lab to deny MIT any legal excuse to prevent
me from giving GNU away.
Why GNU Will Be Compatible with Unix
Unix is not my ideal system, but it is not too bad. The essential features of Unix seem to
be good ones, and I think I can fill in what Unix lacks without spoiling them. And a
system compatible with Unix would be convenient for many other people to adopt.
How GNU Will Be Available
GNU is not in the public domain. Everyone will be permitted to modify and redistribute
GNU, but no distributor will be allowed to restrict its further redistribution. That is to say,
proprietary modifications will not be allowed. I want to make sure that all versions of
GNU remain free.
Why Many Other Programmers Want to Help
I have found many other programmers who are excited about GNU and want to help.
Many programmers are