GNU/Linux introduction

GNU ⁱ/ɡnuː/^[3][4] is an operating system project^[5][6][7] and an extensive collection of computer software. GNU is composed wholly of free software.^[8][9][10]

GNU is a recursive acronym for "GNU's Not Unix!",^[8][11] chosen because GNU's design is Unix-like, but differs from Unix by being free software and containing no Unix code.^[8][12][13] The GNU project includes an operating system kernel, GNU HURD, which was the original focus of the Free Software Foundation (FSF).^{[8][14][15][16]} However, non-GNU kernels, most famously the Linux kernel, can also be used with GNU software; and since the kernel is the least mature part of GNU, this is how it is usually used.^[17][18] The combination of GNU software and the Linux kernel is commonly known as Linux(or less frequently GNU/Linux; see GNU/Linux naming controversy).

GNU is still missing some components to make it a full operating system that a person can readily install and use on a computer, specifically a fully functioning kernel. In practice, most usable GNU-based operating systems are Linux distributions. They contain the Linux kernel, GNU components and software from many other free software projects.

Components

The system's basic components include the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), the GNU C library (glibc), and GNU Core Utilities (coreutils),^[8] but also the GNU Debugger (GDB), GNU Binary Utilities (binutils),^[31] the GNU Bash shell^[26][32] and the GNOME desktop environment.^[33] GNU developers have contributed to Linux ports of GNU applications and utilities, which are now also widely used on other operating systems such as BSD variants,Solaris and OS X.^[34]

Linux Distributions

Linux distributions include the Linux kernel, supporting utilities and libraries, and usually a large amount of application software to fulfill the distribution's intended use.

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