msgid "GNU/Linux FAQ - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><h2> msgid "GNU/Linux FAQ" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><address> msgid "by Richard Stallman" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "When people see that we use and recommend the name GNU/Linux for a system " "that many others call just “Linux,” they ask many questions. " "Here are common questions, and our answers." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><h3> msgid "Table of Contents" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#why\">Why do you call the system we use GNU/Linux and not " "Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "<a href=\"#whycare\">Why is the name important?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "<a href=\"#what\">What is the real relationship between GNU and Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#howerror\">How did it come about that most people call the system " "“Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#always\">Should we always say “GNU/Linux” instead of " "“Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#linuxalone\">Would Linux have achieved the same success if there " "had been no GNU?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#divide\">Wouldn't it be better for the community if you did not " "divide people with this request?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#freespeech\">Doesn't the GNU project support an individual's free " "speech rights to call the system by any name that individual chooses?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#everyoneknows\">Since everyone knows the role of GNU in " "developing the system, doesn't the “GNU/” in the name go without " "saying?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#everyoneknows2\">Since I know the role of GNU in this system, why " "does it matter what name I use?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#windows\">Isn't shortening “GNU/Linux” to " "“Linux” just like shortening “Microsoft Windows” to " "“Windows”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#tools\">Isn't GNU a collection of programming tools that were " "included in Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#osvskernel\">What is the difference between an operating system " "and a kernel?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#house\">The kernel of a system is like the foundation of a " "house. How can a house be almost complete when it doesn't have a " "foundation?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "<a href=\"#brain\">Isn't the kernel the brain of the system?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#kernelmost\">Isn't writing the kernel most of the work in an " "operating system?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#nokernel\">An operating system requires a kernel. Since the GNU " "Project didn't develop a kernel, how can the system be GNU?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#notinstallable\">How can GNU be an operating system, if I can't " "get something called “GNU” and install it?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#afterkernel\">We're calling the whole system after the kernel, " "Linux. Isn't it normal to name an operating system after a kernel?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#feel\">Can another system have “the feel of " "Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#long\">The problem with “GNU/Linux” is that it is too " "long. How about recommending a shorter name?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#long1\">How about calling the system “GliNUx” " "(instead of “GNU/Linux”)?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#long2\">The problem with “GNU/Linux” is that it is " "too long. Why should I go to the trouble of saying “GNU/”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#long3\">Unfortunately, “GNU/Linux” is five " "syllables. People won't use such a long term. Shouldn't you find a shorter " "one?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#long4\">Stallman doesn't ask us to call him “Richard " "Matthew Stallman” every the time. So why ask us to say " "“GNU/Linux” every time?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#justgnu\">Since Linux is a secondary contribution, would it be " "false to the facts to call the system simply “GNU”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#trademarkfee\">I would have to pay a fee if I use " "“Linux” in the name of a product, and that would also apply if I " "say “GNU/Linux.” Is it wrong if I use “GNU” without " "“Linux,” to save the fee?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#many\">Many other projects contributed to the system as it is " "today; it includes TeX, X11, Apache, Perl, and many more programs. Don't " "your arguments imply we have to give them credit too? (But that would lead " "to a name so long it is absurd.)</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#systemd\">systemd plays an important role in the GNU/Linux system " "as it is today; are we obligated to call it GNU/systemd/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#others\">Many other projects contributed to the system as it is " "today, but they don't insist on calling it XYZ/Linux. Why should we treat " "GNU specially?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#allsmall\">GNU is a small fraction of the system nowadays, so why " "should we mention it?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#manycompanies\">Many companies contributed to the system as it is " "today; doesn't that mean we ought to call it " "GNU/Red Hat/Novell/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#whyslash\">Why do you write “GNU/Linux” instead of " "“GNU Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#linuxlibre\">Does GNU have its own version of Linux, the " "kernel?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#pronounce\">How is the name “GNU/Linux” " "pronounced?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#whynoslash\">Why do you write “GNU Emacs” rather than " "“GNU/Emacs”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#whyorder\">Why “GNU/Linux” rather than " "“Linux/GNU”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#distronames0\">My distro's developers call it “Foobar " "Linux,” but that doesn't say anything about what the system consists " "of. Why shouldn't they call it whatever they like?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#distronames\">My distro is called “Foobar Linux”; " "doesn't that show it's really Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#distronames1\">My distro's official name is “Foobar " "Linux”; isn't it wrong to call the distro anything but “Foobar " "Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#companies\">Wouldn't it be more effective to ask companies such " "as Mandrake, Red Hat and IBM to call their distributions " "“GNU/Linux” rather than asking individuals?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#reserve\">Wouldn't it be better to reserve the name " "“GNU/Linux” for distributions that are purely free software? " "After all, that is the ideal of GNU.</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#gnudist\">Why not make a GNU distribution of Linux (sic) and call " "that GNU/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#linuxgnu\">Why not just say “Linux is the GNU kernel” " "and release some existing version of GNU/Linux under the name " "“GNU”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#condemn\">Did the GNU Project condemn and oppose use of Linux in " "the early days?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#wait\">Why did you wait so long before asking people to use the " "name GNU/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#allgpled\">Should the GNU/<i>name</i> convention be applied to " "all programs that are GPL'ed?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#unix\">Since much of GNU comes from Unix, shouldn't GNU give " "credit to Unix by using “Unix” in its name?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "<a href=\"#bsd\">Should we say “GNU/BSD” too?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#othersys\">If I install the GNU tools on Windows, does that mean " "I am running a GNU/Windows system?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "<a href=\"#justlinux\">Can't Linux be used without GNU?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#howmuch\">How much of the GNU system is needed for the system to " "be GNU/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#linuxsyswithoutgnu\">Are there complete Linux systems [sic] " "without GNU?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#usegnulinuxandandroid\">Is it correct to say “using " "Linux” if it refers to using GNU/Linux and using Android?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#helplinus\">Why not call the system “Linux” anyway, " "and strengthen Linus Torvalds' role as posterboy for our community?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#claimlinux\">Isn't it wrong for us to label Linus Torvalds' work " "as GNU?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#linusagreed\">Does Linus Torvalds agree that Linux is just the " "kernel?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#finishhurd\">Why not finish the GNU Hurd kernel, release the GNU " "system as a whole, and forget the question of what to call GNU/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#lost\">The battle is already lost—society has made its " "decision and we can't change it, so why even think about it?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#whatgood\">Society has made its decision and we can't change it, " "so what good does it do if I say “GNU/Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#explain\">Wouldn't it be better to call the system " "“Linux” and teach people its real origin with a ten-minute " "explanation?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#treatment\">Some people laugh at you when you ask them to call " "the system GNU/Linux. Why do you subject yourself to this treatment?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#alienate\">Some people condemn you when you ask them to call the " "system GNU/Linux. Don't you lose by alienating them?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#rename\">Whatever you contributed, is it legitimate to rename the " "operating system?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#force\">Isn't it wrong to force people to call the system " "“GNU/Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#whynotsue\">Why not sue people who call the whole system " "“Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#BSDlicense\">Since you objected to the original BSD license's " "advertising requirement to give credit to the University of California, " "isn't it hypocritical to demand credit for the GNU project?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#require\">Shouldn't you put something in the GNU GPL to require " "people to call the system “GNU”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#deserve\">Since you failed to put something in the GNU GPL to " "require people to call the system “GNU,” you deserve what " "happened; why are you complaining now?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#contradict\">Wouldn't you be better off not contradicting what so " "many people believe?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#somanyright\">Since many people call it “Linux,” " "doesn't that make it right?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#knownname\">Isn't it better to call the system by the name most " "users already know?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#winning\">Many people care about what's convenient or who's " "winning, not about arguments of right or wrong. Couldn't you get more of " "their support by a different road?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "To learn more about this issue, you can also read our page on <a " "href=\"/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html\">Linux and the GNU System</a>, our page on " "<a href=\"/gnu/why-gnu-linux.html\">Why GNU/Linux?</a> and our page on <a " "href=\"/gnu/gnu-users-never-heard-of-gnu.html\">GNU Users Who Have Never " "Heard of GNU</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why do you call the system we use GNU/Linux and not Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#why\">#why</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Most operating system distributions based on Linux as kernel are basically " "modified versions of the GNU operating system. We began developing GNU in " "1984, years before Linus Torvalds started to write his kernel. Our goal was " "to develop a complete free operating system. Of course, we did not develop " "all the parts ourselves—but we led the way. We developed most of the " "central components, forming the largest single contribution to the whole " "system. The basic vision was ours too." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "In fairness, we ought to get at least equal mention." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "See <a href=\"/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html\">Linux and the GNU System</a> and <a " "href=\"/gnu/gnu-users-never-heard-of-gnu.html\">GNU Users Who Have Never " "Heard of GNU</a> for more explanation, and <a " "href=\"/gnu/the-gnu-project.html\">The GNU Project</a> for the history." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why is the name important? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#whycare\">#whycare</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Although the developers of Linux, the kernel, are contributing to the free " "software community, many of them do not care about freedom. People who " "think the whole system is Linux tend to get confused and assign to those " "developers a role in the history of our community which they did not " "actually play. Then they give inordinate weight to those developers' views." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Calling the system GNU/Linux recognizes the role that our idealism played in " "building our community, and <a href=\"/gnu/why-gnu-linux.html\">helps the " "public recognize the practical importance of these ideals</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "What is the real relationship between GNU and Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#what\">#what</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The GNU operating system and the kernel named Linux are separate software " "projects that do complementary jobs. Typically they are packaged in a <a " "href=\"/distros/distros.html\">GNU/Linux distribution</a>, and used " "together." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "How did it come about that most people call the system “Linux”? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#howerror\">#howerror</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Calling the system “Linux” is a confusion that has spread faster " "than the corrective information." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The people who combined Linux with the GNU system were not aware that that's " "what their activity amounted to. They focused their attention on the piece " "that was Linux and did not realize that more of the combination was GNU. " "They started calling it “Linux” even though that name did not " "fit what they had. It took a few years for us to realize what a problem " "this was and ask people to correct the practice. By that time, the " "confusion had a big head start." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Most of the people who call the system “Linux” have never heard " "why that's not the right thing. They saw others using that name and assume " "it must be right. The name “Linux” also spreads a false picture " "of the system's origin, because people tend to suppose that the system's " "history was such as to fit that name. For instance, they often believe its " "development was started by Linus Torvalds in 1991. This false picture tends " "to reinforce the idea that the system should be called “Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Many of the questions in this file represent people's attempts to justify " "the name they are accustomed to using." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Should we always say “GNU/Linux” instead of “Linux”? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#always\">#always</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Not always—only when you're talking about the whole system. When " "you're referring specifically to the kernel, you should call it " "“Linux,” the name its developer chose." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "When people call the whole system “Linux,” as a consequence they " "call the whole system by the same name as the kernel. This causes many " "kinds of confusion, because only experts can tell whether a statement is " "about the kernel or the whole system. By calling the whole system " "“GNU/Linux,” and calling the kernel “Linux,” you " "avoid the ambiguity." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Would Linux have achieved the same success if there had been no GNU? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#linuxalone\">#linuxalone</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "In that alternative world, there would be nothing today like the GNU/Linux " "system, and probably no free operating system at all. No one attempted to " "develop a free operating system in the 1980s except the GNU Project and " "(later) Berkeley CSRG, which had been specifically asked by the GNU Project " "to start freeing its code." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linus Torvalds was partly influenced by a speech about GNU in Finland in " "1990. It's possible that even without this influence he might have written " "a Unix-like kernel, but it probably would not have been free software. " "Linux became free in 1992 when Linus rereleased it under the GNU GPL. (See " "the release notes for version 0.12.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Even if Torvalds had released Linux under some other free software license, " "a free kernel alone would not have made much difference to the world. The " "significance of Linux came from fitting into a larger framework, a complete " "free operating system: GNU/Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Wouldn't it be better for the community if you did not divide people with " "this request? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#divide\">#divide</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "When we ask people to say “GNU/Linux,” we are not dividing " "people. We are asking them to give the GNU Project credit for the GNU " "operating system. This does not criticize anyone or push anyone away." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "However, there are people who do not like our saying this. Sometimes those " "people push us away in response. On occasion they are so rude that one " "wonders if they are intentionally trying to intimidate us into silence. It " "doesn't silence us, but it does tend to divide the community, so we hope you " "can convince them to stop." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "However, this is only a secondary cause of division in our community. The " "largest division in the community is between people who appreciate free " "software as a social and ethical issue and consider proprietary software a " "social problem (supporters of the free software movement), and those who " "cite only practical benefits and present free software only as an efficient " "development model (the open source movement)." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "This disagreement is not just a matter of names—it is a matter of " "differing basic values. It is essential for the community to see and think " "about this disagreement. The names “free software” and " "“open source” are the banners of the two positions. See <a " "href=\"/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html\">Why Open Source " "misses the point of Free Software</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The disagreement over values partially aligns with the amount of attention " "people pay to the GNU Project's role in our community. People who value " "freedom are more likely to call the system “GNU/Linux,” and " "people who learn that the system is “GNU/Linux” are more likely " "to pay attention to our philosophical arguments for freedom and community " "(which is why the choice of name for the system makes a real difference for " "society). However, the disagreement would probably exist even if everyone " "knew the system's real origin and its proper name, because the issue is a " "real one. It can only go away if we who value freedom either persuade " "everyone (which won't be easy) or are defeated entirely (let's hope not)." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Doesn't the GNU project support an individual's free speech rights to call " "the system by any name that individual chooses? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#freespeech\">#freespeech</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Yes, indeed, we believe you have a free speech right to call the operating " "system by any name you wish. We ask that people call it GNU/Linux as a " "matter of doing justice to the GNU project, to promote the values of freedom " "that GNU stands for, and to inform others that those values of freedom " "brought the system into existence." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since everyone knows the role of GNU in developing the system, doesn't the " "“GNU/” in the name go without saying? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#everyoneknows\">#everyoneknows</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Experience shows that the system's users, and the computer-using public in " "general, often know nothing about the GNU system. Most articles about the " "system do not mention the name “GNU,” or the ideals that GNU " "stands for. <a href=\"/gnu/gnu-users-never-heard-of-gnu.html\">GNU Users " "Who Have Never Heard of GNU</a> explains further." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The people who say this are probably geeks thinking of the geeks they know. " "Geeks often do know about GNU, but many have a completely wrong idea of what " "GNU is. For instance, many think it is a collection of “<a " "href=\"#tools\">tools</a>,” or a project to develop tools." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The wording of this question, which is typical, illustrates another common " "misconception. To speak of “GNU's role” in developing something " "assumes that GNU is a group of people. GNU is an operating system. It " "would make sense to talk about the GNU Project's role in this or some other " "activity, but not that of GNU." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since I know the role of GNU in this system, why does it matter what name I " "use? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#everyoneknows2\">#everyoneknows2</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If your words don't reflect your knowledge, you don't teach others. Most " "people who have heard of the GNU/Linux system think it is " "“Linux,” that it was started by Linus Torvalds, and that it was " "intended to be “open source.” If you don't tell them, who will?" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't shortening “GNU/Linux” to “Linux” just like " "shortening “Microsoft Windows” to “Windows”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#windows\">#windows</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "It's useful to shorten a frequently-used name, but not if the abbreviation " "is misleading." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Almost everyone in developed countries really does know that the " "“Windows” system is made by Microsoft, so shortening " "“Microsoft Windows” to “Windows” does not mislead " "anyone as to that system's nature and origin. Shortening " "“GNU/Linux” to “Linux” does give the wrong idea of " "where the system comes from." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The question is itself misleading because GNU and Microsoft are not the same " "kind of thing. Microsoft is a company; GNU is an operating system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't GNU a collection of programming tools that were included in Linux? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#tools\">#tools</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "People who think that Linux is an entire operating system, if they hear " "about GNU at all, often get a wrong idea of what GNU is. They may think " "that GNU is the name of a collection of programs—often they say " "“programming tools,” since some of our programming tools became " "popular on their own. The idea that “GNU” is the name of an " "operating system is hard to fit into a conceptual framework in which that " "operating system is labeled “Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The GNU Project was named after the GNU operating system—it's the " "project to develop the GNU system. (See <a " "href=\"/gnu/initial-announcement.html\">the 1983 initial announcement</a>.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We developed programs such as GCC, GNU Emacs, GAS, GLIBC, BASH, etc., " "because we needed them for the GNU operating system. GCC, the GNU Compiler " "Collection is the compiler that we wrote for the GNU operating system. We, " "the many people working on the GNU Project, developed Ghostscript, GNUCash, " "GNU Chess and GNOME for the GNU system too." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "What is the difference between an operating system and a kernel? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#osvskernel\">#osvskernel</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "An operating system, as we use the term, means a collection of programs that " "are sufficient to use the computer to do a wide variety of jobs. A general " "purpose operating system, to be complete, ought to handle all the jobs that " "many users may want to do." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The kernel is one of the programs in an operating system—the program " "that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that are " "running. The kernel also takes care of starting and stopping other " "programs." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "To confuse matters, some people use the term “operating system” " "to mean “kernel.” Both uses of the term go back many years. The " "use of “operating system” to mean “kernel” is found " "in a number of textbooks on system design, going back to the 80s. At the " "same time, in the 80s, the “Unix operating system” was " "understood to include all the system programs, and Berkeley's version of " "Unix included even games. Since we intended GNU to be a Unix-like operating " "system, we use the term “operating system” in the same way." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Most of the time when people speak of the “Linux operating " "system” they are using “operating system” in the same " "sense we use: they mean the whole collection of programs. If that's what " "you are referring to, please call it “GNU/Linux.” If you mean " "just the kernel, then “Linux” is the right name for it, but " "please say “kernel” also to avoid ambiguity about which body of " "software you mean." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If you prefer to use some other term such as “system " "distribution” for the entire collection of programs, instead of " "“operating system,” that's fine. Then you would talk about " "GNU/Linux system distributions." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "The kernel of a system is like the foundation of a house. How can a house " "be almost complete when it doesn't have a foundation? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#house\">#house</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "A kernel is not much like the foundation of a house because building an " "operating system is not much like building a house." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "A house is built from lots of little general parts that are cut and put " "together in situ. They have to be put together from the bottom up. Thus, " "when the foundation has not been built, no substantial part has been built; " "all you have is a hole in the ground." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "By contrast, an operating system consists of complex components that can be " "developed in any order. When you have developed most of the components, " "most of the work is done. This is much more like the International Space " "Station than like a house. If most of the Space Station modules were in " "orbit but awaiting one other essential module, that would be like the GNU " "system in 1992." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't the kernel the brain of the system? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#brain\">#brain</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "A computer system is not much like a human body, and no part of it plays a " "role comparable to that of the brain in a human." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't writing the kernel most of the work in an operating system? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#kernelmost\">#kernelmost</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "No, many components take a lot of work." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "An operating system requires a kernel. Since the GNU Project didn't develop " "a kernel, how can the system be GNU?<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#nokernel\">#nokernel</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "The people who argue that way for calling the system “Linux” are " "using a double standard. An operating system requires compilers, editors, " "window systems, libraries, and much more—hundreds of programs, even to " "match what BSD systems included in 1983. Since Torvalds didn't develop any " "of those, how can the system be “Linux”?" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "That standard is too strict, not the right way to judge the contributions of " "any contributor." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linus Torvalds made an important contribution to the operating system we " "use; the GNU Project started earlier and contributed much more. The name " "“GNU/Linux” gives credit to each." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "How can GNU be an operating system, if I can't get something called " "“GNU” and install it? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#notinstallable\">#notinstallable</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Many <a href=\"/distros/distros.html\"> packaged and installable versions of " "GNU</a> are available. None of them is called simply “GNU,” but " "GNU is what they basically are." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We expected to release the GNU system packaged for installation, but this " "plan was overtaken by events: in 1992 others were already packaging GNU " "variants containing Linux. Starting in 1993 we sponsored an effort to make " "a better and freer GNU/Linux distribution, called <a " "href=\"/distros/common-distros.html#Debian\">Debian GNU/Linux</a>. The " "founder of Debian had already chosen that name. We did not ask him to call " "it just “GNU” because that was to be the name of a system " "version with the GNU Hurd kernel—which wasn't ready yet." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The GNU Hurd kernel never became sufficiently ready; we only recommend it to " "those interested in working on it. So we never packaged GNU with the GNU " "Hurd kernel. However, Debian packaged this combination as Debian GNU/Hurd." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We are now developing an advanced Scheme-based package manager called Guix " "and a complete system distribution based on it called the <a " "href=\"/software/guix\">Guix System Distribution</a> or GuixSD. This " "includes repackaging a substantial part of the GNU system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We never took the last step of packaging GNU under the name " "“GNU,” but that doesn't alter what kind of thing GNU is. GNU is " "an operating system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "We're calling the whole system after the kernel, Linux. Isn't it normal to " "name an operating system after a kernel? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#afterkernel\">#afterkernel</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "That practice seems to be very rare—we can't find any examples other " "than the misuse of the name “Linux.” Normally an operating " "system is developed as a single unified project, and the developers choose a " "name for the system as a whole. The kernel usually does not have a name of " "its own—instead, people say “the kernel of such-and-such” " "or “the such-and-such kernel.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Because those two constructions are used synonymously, the expression " "“the Linux kernel” can easily be misunderstood as meaning " "“the kernel of Linux” and implying that Linux must be more than " "a kernel. You can avoid the possibility of this misunderstanding by saying " "or writing “the kernel, Linux” or “Linux, the " "kernel.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Can another system have “the feel of Linux”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#feel\">#feel</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "There is no such thing as the “feel of Linux” because Linux has " "no user interfaces. Like any modern kernel, Linux is a base for running " "programs; user interfaces belong elsewhere in the system. Human interaction " "with GNU/Linux always goes through other programs, and the " "“feel” comes from them." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "The problem with “GNU/Linux” is that it is too long. How about " "recommending a shorter name? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#long\">#long</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "For a while we tried the name “LiGNUx,” which combines the words " "“GNU” and “Linux.” The reaction was very bad. " "People accept “GNU/Linux” much better." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The shortest legitimate name for this system is “GNU,” but we " "call it “GNU/Linux” <a href=\"#justgnu\"> for the reasons given " "below</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "How about calling the system “GliNUx” (instead of " "“GNU/Linux”)? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#long1\">#long1</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The name “GNU” does not visibly appear in “Glinux,” " "so most people would not notice it is there. Even if it is capitalized as " "“GliNUx,” most people would not realize that it contains a " "reference to GNU." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It would be comparable to writing “GNU/Linux,” but putting " "“GNU/” in print so small that most people could not read it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "The problem with “GNU/Linux” is that it is too long. Why should " "I go to the trouble of saying “GNU/”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#long2\">#long2</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It only takes a second to say or type “GNU/.” If you appreciate " "the system that we developed, can't you take one second to recognize our " "work?" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Unfortunately, “GNU/Linux” is five syllables. People won't use " "such a long term. Shouldn't you find a shorter one? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#long3\">#long3</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Actually, “GNU/Linux” is only four syllables. " "“Unfortunately” is five syllables, yet people show no sign of " "reluctance to use that word." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Stallman doesn't ask us to call him “Richard Matthew Stallman” " "every the time. So why ask us to say “GNU/Linux” every time? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#long4\">#long4</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Omitting “Matthew” does not misrepresent anything important " "about Stallman's nature, origin, ideas or purpose. Omitting " "“GNU” does misrepresent those things about the GNU/Linux system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "This is an example of a frequent way of hiding a fallacy: to bury it inside " "a misleading analogy. A better analogy would be, “Why shouldn't we " "call Stallman ‘Torvalds’?”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since Linux is a secondary contribution, would it be false to the facts to " "call the system simply “GNU”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#justgnu\">#justgnu</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "It would not be false to the facts, but it is not the best thing to do. " "Here are the reasons we call that system version “GNU/Linux” " "rather than just “GNU”:" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><ul><li> msgid "" "It's not exactly GNU—it has a different kernel (that is, Linux). " "Distinguishing GNU/Linux from GNU is useful." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><ul><li> msgid "" "It would be ungentlemanly to ask people to <em>stop</em> giving any credit " "to Linus Torvalds. He did write an important component of the system. We " "want to get credit for launching and sustaining the system's development, " "but this doesn't mean we should treat Linus the same way those who call the " "system “Linux” treat us. We strongly disagree with his " "political views, but we deal with that disagreement honorably and openly, " "rather than by trying to cut him out of the credit for his contribution to " "the system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><ul><li> msgid "" "Since many people know of the system as “Linux,” if we say " "“GNU” they may simply not recognize we're talking about the same " "system. If we say “GNU/Linux,” they can make a connection to " "what they have heard about." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "I would have to pay a fee if I use “Linux” in the name of a " "product, and that would also apply if I say “GNU/Linux.” Is it " "wrong if I use “GNU” without “Linux,” to save the " "fee? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#trademarkfee\">#trademarkfee</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "There's nothing wrong in calling the system “GNU”; basically, " "that's what it is. It is nice to give Linus Torvalds a share of the credit " "as well, but you have no obligation to pay for the privilege of doing so." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "So if you want to refer to the system simply as “GNU,” to avoid " "paying the fee for calling it “Linux,” we won't criticize you." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Many other projects contributed to the system as it is today; it includes " "TeX, X11, Apache, Perl, and many more programs. Don't your arguments imply " "we have to give them credit too? (But that would lead to a name so long it " "is absurd.) <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#many\">#many</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "What we say is that you ought to give the system's principal developer a " "share of the credit. The principal developer is the GNU Project, and the " "system is basically GNU." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If you feel even more strongly about giving credit where it is due, you " "might feel that some secondary contributors also deserve credit in the " "system's name. If so, far be it from us to argue against it. If you feel " "that X11 deserves credit in the system's name, and you want to call the " "system GNU/X11/Linux, please do. If you feel that Perl simply cries out for " "mention, and you want to write GNU/Linux/Perl, go ahead." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Since a long name such as GNU/X11/Apache/Linux/TeX/Perl/Python/FreeCiv " "becomes absurd, at some point you will have to set a threshold and omit the " "names of the many other secondary contributions. There is no one obvious " "right place to set the threshold, so wherever you set it, we won't argue " "against it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Different threshold levels would lead to different choices of name for the " "system. But one name that cannot result from concerns of fairness and " "giving credit, not for any possible threshold level, is “Linux.” " "It can't be fair to give all the credit to one secondary contribution " "(Linux) while omitting the principal contribution (GNU)." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "systemd plays an important role in the GNU/Linux system as it is today; are " "we obligated to call it GNU/systemd/Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#systemd\">#systemd</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "systemd is a fairly important component, but not as important as the kernel " "(Linux), nor as important as the basis of the system as a whole (GNU). " "However, if you want to emphasize the presence of systemd by calling the " "system “GNU/systemd/Linux,” there is nothing wrong with doing " "so." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Many other projects contributed to the system as it is today, but they don't " "insist on calling it XYZ/Linux. Why should we treat GNU specially? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#others\">#others</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Thousands of projects have developed programs commonly included in today's " "GNU/Linux systems. They all deserve credit for their contributions, but " "they aren't the principal developers of the system as a whole, so they don't " "ask to be credited as such." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "GNU is different because it is more than just a contributed program, more " "than just a collection of contributed programs. GNU is the framework on " "which the system was made." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "GNU is a small fraction of the system nowadays, so why should we mention it? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#allsmall\">#allsmall</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "In 2008, we found that GNU packages made up 15% of the “main” " "repository of the gNewSense GNU/Linux distribution. Linux made up 1.5%. So " "the same argument would apply even more strongly to calling it " "“Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "GNU is a small fraction of the system nowadays, and Linux is an even smaller " "fraction. But they are the system's core; the system was made by combining " "them. Thus, the name “GNU/Linux” remains appropriate." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Many companies contributed to the system as it is today; doesn't that mean " "we ought to call it GNU/Red Hat/Novell/Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#manycompanies\">#manycompanies</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "GNU is not comparable to Red Hat or Novell; it is not a company, or an " "organization, or even an activity. GNU is an operating system. (When we " "speak of the GNU Project, that refers to the project to develop the GNU " "system.) The GNU/Linux system is based on GNU, and that's why GNU ought to " "appear in its name." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Much of those companies' contribution to the GNU/Linux system lies in the " "code they have contributed to various GNU packages including GCC and GNOME. " "Saying GNU/Linux gives credit to those companies along with all the rest of " "the GNU developers." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why do you write “GNU/Linux” instead of “GNU Linux”? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#whyslash\">#whyslash</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Following the rules of English, in the construction “GNU Linux” " "the word “GNU” modifies “Linux.” This can mean " "either “GNU's version of Linux” or “Linux, which is a GNU " "package.” Neither of those meanings fits the situation at hand." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linux is not a GNU package; that is, it wasn't developed under the GNU " "Project's aegis or contributed specifically to the GNU Project. Linus " "Torvalds wrote Linux independently, as his own project. So the " "“Linux, which is a GNU package” meaning is not right." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We're not talking about a distinct GNU version of Linux, the kernel. The " "free GNU/Linux distros do have a <a " "href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Linux-libre\">separate version of " "Linux</a>, since the “standard” version contains nonfree " "firmware “blobs.” If this were part of the GNU Project, it could " "be considered “GNU Linux”; but we would not want to call it " "that, because it would be too confusing." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We're talking about a version of GNU, the operating system, distinguished by " "having Linux as the kernel. A slash fits the situation because it means " "“combination.” (Think of “Input/Output.”) It's the " "GNU system, with the kernel Linux underneath; hence, " "“GNU/Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "There are other ways to express “combination.” If you think that " "a plus-sign is clearer, please use that. In French, a hyphen is clear: " "“GNU-Linux.” In Spanish, we sometimes say “GNU con " "Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Does GNU have its own version of Linux, the kernel? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#linuxlibre\">#linuxlibre</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Yes and no. The free GNU/Linux distros use slightly modified versions of " "Linux, modified to remove the nonfree firmware “blobs” contained " "in the “standard” release of Linux. Some of them use <a " "href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Linux-libre\">GNU Linux-Libre</a>, " "which is the GNU Project's freed version of Linux. But this is not a fork; " "rather, it is a version of Linux—we take the source of each standard " "Linux release and de-blob it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Other free distros make their own arrangements to remove the blobs from " "Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "How is the name “GNU/Linux” pronounced? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#pronounce\">#pronounce</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Please pronounce it as “GNU slash Linux.” If you don't pronounce " "the slash, people will think you are saying “GNU Linux,” which " "is <a href=\"#whyslash\">not a suitable name for the combination</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why do you write “GNU Emacs” rather than " "“GNU/Emacs”? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#whynoslash\">#whynoslash</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Following the rules of English, in the construction “GNU Emacs” " "the word “GNU” modifies “Emacs.” That is the right " "way to describe a program called Emacs which is a GNU package." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "“GNU/Emacs” would mean the combination of GNU, the operating " "system, and the program Emacs. That doesn't fit this program, so " "“GNU/Emacs” is the wrong way to refer to it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why “GNU/Linux” rather than “Linux/GNU”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#whyorder\">#whyorder</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It is right and proper to mention the principal contribution first. The GNU " "contribution to the system is not only bigger than Linux and prior to Linux, " "we actually started the whole activity." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "In addition, “GNU/Linux” fits the fact that Linux is the lowest " "level of the system and GNU fills technically higher levels." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "However, if you prefer to call the system “Linux/GNU,” that is a " "lot better than what people usually do, which is to omit GNU entirely and " "make it seem that the whole system is Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "My distro's developers call it “Foobar Linux,” but that doesn't " "say anything about what the system consists of. Why shouldn't they call it " "whatever they like? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#distronames0\">#distronames0</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Calling a system “Foobar Linux” implies that it's a flavor of " "“Linux,” and people <a href=\"#distronames\">understand it that " "way</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If they called a GNU/Linux distro “Foobar BSD,” you would call " "that a mistake. “This system is not BSD,” you would tell them. " "Well, it's not Linux either." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "My distro is called “Foobar Linux”; doesn't that show it's " "really Linux? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#distronames\">#distronames</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It means that the people who make the “Foobar Linux” distro are " "repeating the common mistake. We appreciate that distributions like Debian, " "Dragora, Musix, Trisquel, and Venenux have adopted GNU/Linux as part of " "their official name, and we hope that if you are involved with a different " "distribution, you will encourage it to do the same." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "My distro's official name is “Foobar Linux”; isn't it wrong to " "call the distro anything but “Foobar Linux”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#distronames1\">#distronames1</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "When they spread misinformation by changing “GNU” to " "“Linux,” and call their version of it “Foobar " "Linux,” it's proper for you to correct the misinformation by calling " "it “Foobar GNU/Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Wouldn't it be more effective to ask companies such as Mandrake, Red Hat and " "IBM to call their distributions “GNU/Linux” rather than asking " "individuals? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#companies\">#companies</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "It isn't a choice of one or the other—we ask companies and " "organizations and individuals to help spread the word about this. In fact, " "we have asked all three of those companies. Mandrake said it would use the " "term “GNU/Linux” some of the time, but IBM and Red Hat were " "unwilling to help. One executive said, “This is a pure commercial " "decision; we expect to make more money calling it " "‘Linux’.” In other words, that company did not care what " "was right." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We can't make them do this right, but we're not the sort to give up just " "because the road isn't easy. You may not have as much influence at your " "disposal as IBM or Red Hat, but you can still help. Together we can change " "the situation to the point where companies will make more profit calling it " "“GNU/Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Wouldn't it be better to reserve the name “GNU/Linux” for " "distributions that are purely free software? After all, that is the ideal of " "GNU. <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#reserve\">#reserve</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "The widespread practice of adding nonfree software to the GNU/Linux system " "is a major problem for our community. It teaches the users that nonfree " "software is ok, and that using it is part of the spirit of " "“Linux.” Many “Linux” User Groups make it part of " "their mission to help users use nonfree add-ons, and may even invite " "salesmen to come and make sales pitches for them. They adopt goals such as " "“helping the users” of GNU/Linux (including helping them use " "nonfree applications and drivers), or making the system more popular even at " "the cost of freedom." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "The question is how to try to change this." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Given that most of the community which uses GNU with Linux already does not " "realize that's what it is, for us to disown these adulterated versions, " "saying they are not really GNU, would not teach the users to value freedom " "more. They would not get the intended message. They would only respond " "they never thought these systems were GNU in the first place." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The way to lead these users to see a connection with freedom is exactly the " "opposite: to inform them that all these system versions <em>are</em> " "versions of GNU, that they all are based on a system that exists " "specifically for the sake of the users' freedom. With this understanding, " "they can start to recognize the distributions that include nonfree software " "as perverted, adulterated versions of GNU, instead of thinking they are " "proper and appropriate “versions of Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It is very useful to start GNU/Linux User Groups, which call the system " "GNU/Linux and adopt the ideals of the GNU Project as a basis for their " "activities. If the Linux User Group in your area has the problems described " "above, we suggest you either campaign within the group to change its " "orientation (and name) or start a new group. The people who focus on the " "more superficial goals have a right to their views, but don't let them drag " "you along!" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why not make a GNU distribution of Linux (sic) and call that GNU/Linux? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#gnudist\">#gnudist</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "All the “Linux” distributions are actually versions of the GNU " "system with Linux as the kernel. The purpose of the term " "“GNU/Linux” is to communicate this point. To develop one new " "distribution and call that alone “GNU/Linux” would obscure the " "point we want to make." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "As for developing a distribution of GNU/Linux, we already did this once, " "when we funded the early development of Debian GNU/Linux. To do it again " "now does not seem useful; it would be a lot of work, and unless the new " "distribution had substantial practical advantages over other distributions, " "it would serve no purpose." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Instead we help the developers of 100% free GNU/Linux distributions, such as " "Trisquel and Parabola." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why not just say “Linux is the GNU kernel” and release some " "existing version of GNU/Linux under the name “GNU”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#linuxgnu\">#linuxgnu</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "It might have been a good idea to adopt Linux as the GNU kernel back in " "1992. If we had realized, then, how long it would take to get the GNU Hurd " "to work, we might have done that. (Alas, that is hindsight.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If we were to take an existing version of GNU/Linux and relabel it as " "“GNU,” that would be somewhat like making a version of the GNU " "system and labeling it “Linux.” That wasn't right, and we don't " "want to act like that." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Did the GNU Project condemn and oppose use of Linux in the early days? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#condemn\">#condemn</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "We did not adopt Linux as our kernel, but we didn't condemn or oppose it. " "In 1993 we started discussing the arrangements to sponsor the development of " "Debian GNU/Linux. We also sought to cooperate with the people who were " "changing some GNU packages for use with Linux. We wanted to include their " "changes in the standard releases so that these GNU packages would work " "out-of-the-box in combination with Linux. But the changes were often ad-hoc " "and nonportable; they needed to be cleaned up for installation." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The people who had made the changes showed little interest in cooperating " "with us. One of them actually told us that he didn't care about working " "with the GNU Project because he was a “Linux user.” That came as " "a shock, because the people who ported GNU packages to other systems had " "generally wanted to work with us to get their changes installed. Yet these " "people, developing a system that was primarily based on GNU, were the first " "(and still practically the only) group that was unwilling to work with us." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It was this experience that first showed us that people were calling a " "version of the GNU system “Linux,” and that this confusion was " "obstructing our work. Asking you to call the system “GNU/Linux” " "is our response to that problem, and to the other problems caused by the " "“Linux” misnomer." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why did you wait so long before asking people to use the name GNU/Linux? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#wait\">#wait</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Actually we didn't. We began talking privately with developers and " "distributors about this in 1994, and made a more public campaign in 1996. " "We will continue for as long as it's necessary." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Should the GNU/<i>name</i> convention be applied to all programs that are " "GPL'ed? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#allgpled\">#allgpled</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "We never refer to individual programs as “GNU/<i>name</i>.” When " "a program is a GNU package, we may call it “GNU <i>name</i>.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "GNU, the operating system, is made up of many different programs. Some of " "the programs in GNU were written as part of the GNU Project or specifically " "contributed to it; these are the GNU packages, and we often use " "“GNU” in their names." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It's up to the developers of a program to decide if they want to contribute " "it and make it a GNU package. If you have developed a program and you would " "like it to be a GNU package, please write to <a " "href=\"mailto:gnu@gnu.org\"><gnu@gnu.org></a>, so we can evaluate it " "and decide whether we want it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It wouldn't be fair to put the name GNU on every individual program that is " "released under the GPL. If you write a program and release it under the " "GPL, that doesn't mean the GNU Project wrote it or that you wrote it for " "us. For instance, the kernel, Linux, is released under the GNU GPL, but " "Linus did not write it as part of the GNU Project—he did the work " "independently. If something is not a GNU package, the GNU Project can't " "take credit for it, and putting “GNU” in its name would be " "improper." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "In contrast, we do deserve the overall credit for the GNU operating system " "as a whole, even though not for each and every program in it. The system " "exists as a system because of our determination and persistence, starting in " "1984, many years before Linux was begun." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The operating system in which Linux became popular was basically the same as " "the GNU operating system. It was not entirely the same, because it had a " "different kernel, but it was mostly the same system. It was a variant of " "GNU. It was the GNU/Linux system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linux continues to be used primarily in derivatives of that system—in " "today's versions of the GNU/Linux system. What gives these systems their " "identity is GNU and Linux at the center of them, not particularly Linux " "alone." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since much of GNU comes from Unix, shouldn't GNU give credit to Unix by " "using “Unix” in its name? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#unix\">#unix</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Actually, none of GNU comes from Unix. Unix was proprietary software (and " "still is), so using any of its code in GNU would have been illegal. This is " "not a coincidence; this is why we developed GNU: since you could not have " "freedom in using Unix, or any of the other operating systems of the day, we " "needed a free system to replace it. We could not copy programs, or even " "parts of them, from Unix; everything had to be written afresh." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "No code in GNU comes from Unix, but GNU is a Unix-compatible system; " "therefore, many of the ideas and specifications of GNU do come from Unix. " "The name “GNU,” which stands for “GNU's Not Unix,” " "is a humorous way of giving credit to Unix for this, following a hacker " "tradition of recursive acronyms that started in the 70s." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The first such recursive acronym was TINT, “TINT Is Not TECO.” " "The author of TINT wrote another implementation of TECO (there were already " "many of them, for various systems), but instead of calling it by a dull name " "like “<em>somethingorother</em> TECO,” he thought of a clever " "amusing name. (That's what hacking means: <a " "href=\"https://stallman.org/articles/on-hacking.html\">playful " "cleverness</a>.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Other hackers enjoyed that name so much that we imitated the approach. It " "became a tradition that, when you were writing from scratch a program that " "was similar to some existing program (let's imagine its name was " "“Klever”), you could give it a recursive acronym name, such as " "“MINK” for “MINK Is Not Klever.” In this same spirit " "we called our replacement for Unix “GNU's Not Unix.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Historically, AT&T which developed Unix did not want anyone to give it " "credit by using “Unix” in the name of a similar system, not even " "in a system 99% copied from Unix. AT&T actually threatened to sue " "anyone giving AT&T credit in that way. This is why each of the various " "modified versions of Unix (all proprietary, like Unix) had a completely " "different name that didn't include “Unix.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Should we say “GNU/BSD” too? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#bsd\">#bsd</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "We don't call the BSD systems (FreeBSD, etc.) “GNU/BSD” systems, " "because that term does not fit the history of the BSD systems." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The BSD system was developed by UC Berkeley as nonfree software in the 80s, " "and became free in the early 90s. A free operating system that exists today " "is almost certainly either a variant of the GNU system, or a kind of BSD " "system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "People sometimes ask whether BSD too is a variant of GNU, as GNU/Linux is. " "It is not. The BSD developers were inspired to make their code free " "software by the example of the GNU Project, and explicit appeals from GNU " "activists helped convince them to start, but the code had little overlap " "with GNU." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "BSD systems today use some GNU packages, just as the GNU system and its " "variants use some BSD programs; however, taken as wholes, they are two " "different systems that evolved separately. The BSD developers did not write " "a kernel and add it to the GNU system, so a name like GNU/BSD would not fit " "the situation." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The connection between GNU/Linux and GNU is much closer, and that's why the " "name “GNU/Linux” is appropriate for it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "There is a version of GNU which uses the kernel from NetBSD. Its developers " "call it “Debian GNU/NetBSD,” but " "“GNU/kernelofNetBSD” would be more accurate, since NetBSD is an " "entire system, not just the kernel. This is not a BSD system, since most of " "the system is the same as the GNU/Linux system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "If I install the GNU tools on Windows, does that mean I am running a " "GNU/Windows system? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#othersys\">#othersys</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Not in the same sense that we mean by “GNU/Linux.” The tools of " "GNU are just a part of the GNU software, which is just a part of the GNU " "system, and underneath them you would still have another complete operating " "system which has no code in common with GNU. All in all, that's a very " "different situation from GNU/Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Can't Linux be used without GNU? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#justlinux\">#justlinux</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linux is used by itself, or with small other programs, in some appliances. " "These small software systems are a far cry from the GNU/Linux system. Users " "do not install them on PCs, for instance, and would find them rather " "disappointing. It is useful to say that these appliances run just Linux, to " "show how different those small platforms are from GNU/Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "How much of the GNU system is needed for the system to be GNU/Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#howmuch\">#howmuch</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "“How much” is not a meaningful question because the GNU system " "does not have precise boundaries." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "GNU is an operating system maintained by a community. It includes far more " "than just the GNU software packages (of which we have a specific list), and " "people add more packages constantly. Despite these changes, it remains the " "GNU system, and adding Linux to that yields GNU/Linux. If you use part of " "the GNU system and omit part, there is no meaningful way to say “how " "much” you used." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If we look at the level of packages, Linux is one important package in the " "GNU/Linux system. The inclusion of one important GNU package is enough to " "justify our request for equal mention." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Are there complete Linux systems [sic] without GNU? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#linuxsyswithoutgnu\">#linuxsyswithoutgnu</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "There are complete systems that contain Linux and not GNU; Android is an " "example. But it is a mistake to call them “Linux” systems, just " "as it is a mistake to call GNU a “Linux” system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Android is very different from the GNU/Linux system—because the two " "have very little code in common. In fact, the only thing they have in " "common is Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If you call the whole GNU/Linux system “Linux,” you will find it " "necessary to say things like, “Android contains Linux, but it isn't " "Linux, because it doesn't have the usual Linux [sic] libraries and utilities " "[meaning the GNU system].”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Android contains just as much of Linux as GNU/Linux does. What it doesn't " "have is the GNU system. Android replaces that with Google software that " "works quite differently. What makes Android different from GNU/Linux is the " "absence of GNU." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Is it correct to say “using Linux” if it refers to using " "GNU/Linux and using Android? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#usegnulinuxandandroidlinuxsyswithoutgnu\">#usegnulinuxandandroidlinuxsyswithoutgnu</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Far from it. That usage is so strained that people will not understand the " "intended meaning." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The public will find it very strange to speak of using Android as " "“using Linux.” It's like having a conversation, then saying you " "were conversing with the person's intestines or the person's circulatory " "system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The public <em>will</em> understand the idea of “using Linux” " "when it's really GNU/Linux, by way of the usual misunderstanding: thinking " "of the whole system as “Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Use of Android and use of GNU/Linux are totally different, as different as " "driving a car and riding a bicycle. The fact that the first two both " "contain Linux is irrelevant to using them, just as the fact that a car and a " "bicycle both have a structure of metal is irrelevant to using those two. If " "you wish to talk about using cars and bikes, you wouldn't speak of " "“riding metal objects”—not unless you're playing games " "with the reader. You would say, “using cars and bikes.” " "Likewise, the clear way to talk about using GNU/Linux and Android is to say " "“using GNU/Linux and Android.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why not call the system “Linux” anyway, and strengthen Linus " "Torvalds' role as posterboy for our community? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#helplinus\">#helplinus</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Linus Torvalds is the “posterboy” (other people's choice of " "word, not ours) for his goals, not ours. His goal is to make the system " "more popular, and he believes its value to society lies merely in the " "practical advantages it offers: its power, reliability and easy " "availability. He has never advocated <a " "href=\"/philosophy/why-free.html\">freedom to cooperate</a> as an ethical " "principle, which is why the public does not connect the name " "“Linux” with that principle." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linus publicly states his disagreement with the free software movement's " "ideals. He developed nonfree software in his job for many years (and said " "so to a large audience at a “Linux”World show), and publicly " "invited fellow developers of Linux, the kernel, to use nonfree software to " "work on it with him. He goes even further, and rebukes people who suggest " "that engineers and scientists should consider social consequences of our " "technical work—rejecting the lessons society learned from the " "development of the atom bomb." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "There is nothing wrong with writing a free program for the motivations of " "learning and having fun; the kernel Linus wrote for those reasons was an " "important contribution to our community. But those motivations are not the " "reason why the complete free system, GNU/Linux, exists, and they won't " "secure our freedom in the future. The public needs to know this. Linus has " "the right to promote his views; however, people should be aware that the " "operating system in question stems from ideals of freedom, not from his " "views." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't it wrong for us to label Linus Torvalds' work as GNU? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#claimlinux\">#claimlinux</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It would be wrong, so we don't do that. Torvalds' work is Linux, the " "kernel; we are careful not to attribute that work to the GNU Project or " "label it as “GNU.” When we talk about the whole system, the name " "“GNU/Linux” gives him a share of the credit." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Does Linus Torvalds agree that Linux is just the kernel? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#linusagreed\">#linusagreed</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "He recognized this at the beginning. The <a " "href=\"https://ftp.funet.fi/pub/linux/historical/kernel/old-versions/RELNOTES-0.01\"> " "earliest Linux release notes</a> said:" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><blockquote><p> msgid "" "Most of the tools used with linux are GNU software and are under the GNU " "copyleft. These tools aren't in the distribution - ask me (or GNU) for more " "info." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why not finish the GNU Hurd kernel, release the GNU system as a whole, and " "forget the question of what to call GNU/Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#finishhurd\">#finishhurd</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "We would like credit for the GNU operating system no matter which kernel is " "used with it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Making the GNU Hurd work well enough to compete with Linux would be a big " "job, and it's not clearly necessary. The only thing ethically wrong with " "Linux as a kernel is its inclusion of firmware “blobs”; the best " "fix for that problem is <a " "href=\"https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/priority-projects\"> developing free " "replacement for the blobs</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "The battle is already lost—society has made its decision and we can't " "change it, so why even think about it? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#lost\">#lost</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "This isn't a battle, it is a campaign of education. What to call the system " "is not a single decision, to be made at one moment by “society”: " "each person, each organization, can decide what name to use. You can't make " "others say “GNU/Linux,” but you can decide to call the system " "“GNU/Linux” yourself—and by doing so, you will help " "educate others." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Society has made its decision and we can't change it, so what good does it " "do if I say “GNU/Linux”? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#whatgood\">#whatgood</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "This is not an all-or-nothing situation: correct and incorrect pictures are " "being spread more or less by various people. If you call the system " "“GNU/Linux,” you will help others learn the system's true " "history, origin, and reason for being. You can't correct the misnomer " "everywhere on your own, any more than we can, but you can help. If only a " "few hundred people see you use the term “GNU/Linux,” you will " "have educated a substantial number of people with very little work. And " "some of them will spread the correction to others." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Wouldn't it be better to call the system “Linux” and teach " "people its real origin with a ten-minute explanation? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#explain\">#explain</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "If you help us by explaining to others in that way, we appreciate your " "effort, but that is not the best method. It is not as effective as calling " "the system “GNU/Linux,” and uses your time inefficiently." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It is ineffective because it may not sink in, and surely will not " "propagate. Some of the people who hear your explanation will pay attention, " "and they may learn a correct picture of the system's origin. But they are " "unlikely to repeat the explanation to others whenever they talk about the " "system. They will probably just call it “Linux.” Without " "particularly intending to, they will help spread the incorrect picture." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It is inefficient because it takes a lot more time. Saying and writing " "“GNU/Linux” will take you only a few seconds a day, not minutes, " "so you can afford to reach far more people that way. Distinguishing between " "Linux and GNU/Linux when you write and speak is by far the easiest way to " "help the GNU Project effectively." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Some people laugh at you when you ask them to call the system GNU/Linux. " "Why do you subject yourself to this treatment? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#treatment\">#treatment</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Calling the system “Linux” tends to give people a mistaken " "picture of the system's history and reason for existence. People who laugh " "at our request probably have picked up that mistaken picture—they " "think our work was done by Linus, so they laugh when we ask for credit for " "it. If they knew the truth, they probably wouldn't laugh." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Why do we take the risk of making a request that sometimes leads people to " "ridicule us? Because often it has useful results that help the GNU Project. " "We will run the risk of undeserved abuse to achieve our goals." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If you see such an ironically unfair situation occurring, please don't sit " "idly by. Please teach the laughing people the real history. When they see " "why the request is justified, those who have any sense will stop laughing." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Some people condemn you when you ask them to call the system GNU/Linux. " "Don't you lose by alienating them? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#alienate\">#alienate</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Not much. People who don't appreciate our role in developing the system are " "unlikely to make substantial efforts to help us. If they do work that " "advances our goals, such as releasing free software, it is probably for " "other unrelated reasons, not because we asked them. Meanwhile, by teaching " "others to attribute our work to someone else, they are undermining our " "ability to recruit the help of others." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It makes no sense to worry about alienating people who are already mostly " "uncooperative, and it is self-defeating to be deterred from correcting a " "major problem lest we anger the people who perpetuate it. Therefore, we " "will continue trying to correct the misnomer." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Whatever you contributed, is it legitimate to rename the operating system? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#rename\">#rename</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We are not renaming anything; we have been calling this system " "“GNU” ever since we announced it in 1983. The people who tried " "to rename it to “Linux” should not have done so." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't it wrong to force people to call the system “GNU/Linux”? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#force\">#force</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It would be wrong to force them, and we don't try. We call the system " "“GNU/Linux,” and we ask you to do it too." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why not sue people who call the whole system “Linux”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#whynotsue\">#whynotsue</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "There are no legal grounds to sue them, but since we believe in freedom of " "speech, we wouldn't want to do that anyway. We ask people to call the " "system “GNU/Linux” because that is the right thing to do." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Shouldn't you put something in the GNU GPL to require people to call the " "system “GNU”? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#require\">#require</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The purpose of the GNU GPL is to protect the users' freedom from those who " "would make proprietary versions of free software. While it is true that " "those who call the system “Linux” often do things that limit the " "users' freedom, such as bundling nonfree software with the GNU/Linux system " "or even developing nonfree software for such use, the mere act of calling " "the system “Linux” does not, in itself, deny users their " "freedom. It seems improper to make the GPL restrict what name people can " "use for the system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since you objected to the original BSD license's advertising requirement to " "give credit to the University of California, isn't it hypocritical to demand " "credit for the GNU project? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#BSDlicense\">#BSDlicense</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "It would be hypocritical to make the name GNU/Linux a license requirement, " "and we don't. We only <em>ask</em> you to give us the credit we deserve." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Please note that there are at least <a href=\"/licenses/bsd.html\"> two " "different BSD licenses</a>. For clarity's sake, please don't use the term " "“BSD license” without specifying which one." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since you failed to put something in the GNU GPL to require people to call " "the system “GNU,” you deserve what happened; why are you " "complaining now? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#deserve\">#deserve</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "The question presupposes a rather controversial general ethical premise: " "that if people do not force you to treat them fairly, you are entitled to " "take advantage of them as much as you like. In other words, it assumes that " "might makes right." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "We hope you disagree with that premise just as we do." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Wouldn't you be better off not contradicting what so many people believe? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#contradict\">#contradict</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "We don't think we should go along with large numbers of people because they " "have been misled. We hope you too will decide that truth is important." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We could never have developed a free operating system without first denying " "the belief, held by most people, that proprietary software was legitimate " "and acceptable." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since many people call it “Linux,” doesn't that make it right? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#somanyright\">#somanyright</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "We don't think that the popularity of an error makes it the truth." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't it better to call the system by the name most users already know? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#knownname\">#knownname</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Users are not incapable of learning. Since “GNU/Linux” includes " "“Linux,” they will recognize what you're talking about. If you " "add “(often erroneously referred to as ‘Linux’)” " "once in a while, they will all understand." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Many people care about what's convenient or who's winning, not about " "arguments of right or wrong. Couldn't you get more of their support by a " "different road? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#winning\">#winning</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "To care only about what's convenient or who's winning is an amoral approach " "to life. Nonfree software is an example of that amoral approach and thrives " "on it. Thus, in the long run it would be self-defeating for us to adopt " "that approach. We will continue talking in terms of right and wrong." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "We hope that you are one of those for whom right and wrong do matter." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't have notes. #. type: Content of: <div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S NOTES*" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to <a " "href=\"mailto:gnu@gnu.org\"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. There are also <a " "href=\"/contact/\">other ways to contact</a> the FSF. Broken links and " "other corrections or suggestions can be sent to <a " "href=\"mailto:webmasters@gnu.org\"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, #. replace it with the translation of these two: # #. We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality #. translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection. #. Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard #. to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org"> # #. <web-translators@gnu.org></a>.</p> # #. <p>For information on coordinating and contributing translations of #. our web pages, see <a #. href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations #. README</a>. #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please see the <a " "href=\"/server/standards/README.translations.html\">Translations README</a> " "for information on coordinating and contributing translations of this " "article." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Copyright © 2001-2011, 2013-2018, 2020, 2022, 2025 Free Software " "Foundation, Inc." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "This page is licensed under a <a rel=\"license\" " "href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons " "Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't want credits. #. type: Content of: <div><div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S CREDITS*" msgstr "" #. timestamp start #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "Updated:" msgstr ""

# LANGUAGE translation of https://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html # Copyright (C) YEAR Free Software Foundation, Inc. # This file is distributed under the same license as the original article. # FIRST AUTHOR , YEAR. # #, fuzzy msgid "" msgstr "" "Project-Id-Version: gnu-linux-faq.html\n" "POT-Creation-Date: 2025-01-02 12:26+0000\n" "PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n" "Last-Translator: FULL NAME \n" "Language-Team: LANGUAGE \n" "Language: \n" "MIME-Version: 1.0\n" "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n" "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n" #. type: Content of: msgid "GNU/Linux FAQ - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><h2> msgid "GNU/Linux FAQ" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><address> msgid "by Richard Stallman" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "When people see that we use and recommend the name GNU/Linux for a system " "that many others call just “Linux,” they ask many questions. " "Here are common questions, and our answers." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><h3> msgid "Table of Contents" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#why\">Why do you call the system we use GNU/Linux and not " "Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "<a href=\"#whycare\">Why is the name important?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "<a href=\"#what\">What is the real relationship between GNU and Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#howerror\">How did it come about that most people call the system " "“Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#always\">Should we always say “GNU/Linux” instead of " "“Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#linuxalone\">Would Linux have achieved the same success if there " "had been no GNU?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#divide\">Wouldn't it be better for the community if you did not " "divide people with this request?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#freespeech\">Doesn't the GNU project support an individual's free " "speech rights to call the system by any name that individual chooses?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#everyoneknows\">Since everyone knows the role of GNU in " "developing the system, doesn't the “GNU/” in the name go without " "saying?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#everyoneknows2\">Since I know the role of GNU in this system, why " "does it matter what name I use?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#windows\">Isn't shortening “GNU/Linux” to " "“Linux” just like shortening “Microsoft Windows” to " "“Windows”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#tools\">Isn't GNU a collection of programming tools that were " "included in Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#osvskernel\">What is the difference between an operating system " "and a kernel?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#house\">The kernel of a system is like the foundation of a " "house. How can a house be almost complete when it doesn't have a " "foundation?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "<a href=\"#brain\">Isn't the kernel the brain of the system?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#kernelmost\">Isn't writing the kernel most of the work in an " "operating system?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#nokernel\">An operating system requires a kernel. Since the GNU " "Project didn't develop a kernel, how can the system be GNU?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#notinstallable\">How can GNU be an operating system, if I can't " "get something called “GNU” and install it?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#afterkernel\">We're calling the whole system after the kernel, " "Linux. Isn't it normal to name an operating system after a kernel?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#feel\">Can another system have “the feel of " "Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#long\">The problem with “GNU/Linux” is that it is too " "long. How about recommending a shorter name?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#long1\">How about calling the system “GliNUx” " "(instead of “GNU/Linux”)?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#long2\">The problem with “GNU/Linux” is that it is " "too long. Why should I go to the trouble of saying “GNU/”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#long3\">Unfortunately, “GNU/Linux” is five " "syllables. People won't use such a long term. Shouldn't you find a shorter " "one?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#long4\">Stallman doesn't ask us to call him “Richard " "Matthew Stallman” every the time. So why ask us to say " "“GNU/Linux” every time?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#justgnu\">Since Linux is a secondary contribution, would it be " "false to the facts to call the system simply “GNU”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#trademarkfee\">I would have to pay a fee if I use " "“Linux” in the name of a product, and that would also apply if I " "say “GNU/Linux.” Is it wrong if I use “GNU” without " "“Linux,” to save the fee?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#many\">Many other projects contributed to the system as it is " "today; it includes TeX, X11, Apache, Perl, and many more programs. Don't " "your arguments imply we have to give them credit too? (But that would lead " "to a name so long it is absurd.)</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#systemd\">systemd plays an important role in the GNU/Linux system " "as it is today; are we obligated to call it GNU/systemd/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#others\">Many other projects contributed to the system as it is " "today, but they don't insist on calling it XYZ/Linux. Why should we treat " "GNU specially?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#allsmall\">GNU is a small fraction of the system nowadays, so why " "should we mention it?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#manycompanies\">Many companies contributed to the system as it is " "today; doesn't that mean we ought to call it " "GNU/Red Hat/Novell/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#whyslash\">Why do you write “GNU/Linux” instead of " "“GNU Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#linuxlibre\">Does GNU have its own version of Linux, the " "kernel?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#pronounce\">How is the name “GNU/Linux” " "pronounced?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#whynoslash\">Why do you write “GNU Emacs” rather than " "“GNU/Emacs”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#whyorder\">Why “GNU/Linux” rather than " "“Linux/GNU”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#distronames0\">My distro's developers call it “Foobar " "Linux,” but that doesn't say anything about what the system consists " "of. Why shouldn't they call it whatever they like?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#distronames\">My distro is called “Foobar Linux”; " "doesn't that show it's really Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#distronames1\">My distro's official name is “Foobar " "Linux”; isn't it wrong to call the distro anything but “Foobar " "Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#companies\">Wouldn't it be more effective to ask companies such " "as Mandrake, Red Hat and IBM to call their distributions " "“GNU/Linux” rather than asking individuals?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#reserve\">Wouldn't it be better to reserve the name " "“GNU/Linux” for distributions that are purely free software? " "After all, that is the ideal of GNU.</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#gnudist\">Why not make a GNU distribution of Linux (sic) and call " "that GNU/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#linuxgnu\">Why not just say “Linux is the GNU kernel” " "and release some existing version of GNU/Linux under the name " "“GNU”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#condemn\">Did the GNU Project condemn and oppose use of Linux in " "the early days?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#wait\">Why did you wait so long before asking people to use the " "name GNU/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#allgpled\">Should the GNU/<i>name</i> convention be applied to " "all programs that are GPL'ed?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#unix\">Since much of GNU comes from Unix, shouldn't GNU give " "credit to Unix by using “Unix” in its name?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "<a href=\"#bsd\">Should we say “GNU/BSD” too?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#othersys\">If I install the GNU tools on Windows, does that mean " "I am running a GNU/Windows system?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "<a href=\"#justlinux\">Can't Linux be used without GNU?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#howmuch\">How much of the GNU system is needed for the system to " "be GNU/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#linuxsyswithoutgnu\">Are there complete Linux systems [sic] " "without GNU?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#usegnulinuxandandroid\">Is it correct to say “using " "Linux” if it refers to using GNU/Linux and using Android?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#helplinus\">Why not call the system “Linux” anyway, " "and strengthen Linus Torvalds' role as posterboy for our community?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#claimlinux\">Isn't it wrong for us to label Linus Torvalds' work " "as GNU?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#linusagreed\">Does Linus Torvalds agree that Linux is just the " "kernel?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#finishhurd\">Why not finish the GNU Hurd kernel, release the GNU " "system as a whole, and forget the question of what to call GNU/Linux?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#lost\">The battle is already lost—society has made its " "decision and we can't change it, so why even think about it?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#whatgood\">Society has made its decision and we can't change it, " "so what good does it do if I say “GNU/Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#explain\">Wouldn't it be better to call the system " "“Linux” and teach people its real origin with a ten-minute " "explanation?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#treatment\">Some people laugh at you when you ask them to call " "the system GNU/Linux. Why do you subject yourself to this treatment?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#alienate\">Some people condemn you when you ask them to call the " "system GNU/Linux. Don't you lose by alienating them?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#rename\">Whatever you contributed, is it legitimate to rename the " "operating system?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#force\">Isn't it wrong to force people to call the system " "“GNU/Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#whynotsue\">Why not sue people who call the whole system " "“Linux”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#BSDlicense\">Since you objected to the original BSD license's " "advertising requirement to give credit to the University of California, " "isn't it hypocritical to demand credit for the GNU project?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#require\">Shouldn't you put something in the GNU GPL to require " "people to call the system “GNU”?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#deserve\">Since you failed to put something in the GNU GPL to " "require people to call the system “GNU,” you deserve what " "happened; why are you complaining now?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#contradict\">Wouldn't you be better off not contradicting what so " "many people believe?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#somanyright\">Since many people call it “Linux,” " "doesn't that make it right?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#knownname\">Isn't it better to call the system by the name most " "users already know?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li> msgid "" "<a href=\"#winning\">Many people care about what's convenient or who's " "winning, not about arguments of right or wrong. Couldn't you get more of " "their support by a different road?</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "To learn more about this issue, you can also read our page on <a " "href=\"/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html\">Linux and the GNU System</a>, our page on " "<a href=\"/gnu/why-gnu-linux.html\">Why GNU/Linux?</a> and our page on <a " "href=\"/gnu/gnu-users-never-heard-of-gnu.html\">GNU Users Who Have Never " "Heard of GNU</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why do you call the system we use GNU/Linux and not Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#why\">#why</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Most operating system distributions based on Linux as kernel are basically " "modified versions of the GNU operating system. We began developing GNU in " "1984, years before Linus Torvalds started to write his kernel. Our goal was " "to develop a complete free operating system. Of course, we did not develop " "all the parts ourselves—but we led the way. We developed most of the " "central components, forming the largest single contribution to the whole " "system. The basic vision was ours too." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "In fairness, we ought to get at least equal mention." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "See <a href=\"/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html\">Linux and the GNU System</a> and <a " "href=\"/gnu/gnu-users-never-heard-of-gnu.html\">GNU Users Who Have Never " "Heard of GNU</a> for more explanation, and <a " "href=\"/gnu/the-gnu-project.html\">The GNU Project</a> for the history." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why is the name important? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#whycare\">#whycare</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Although the developers of Linux, the kernel, are contributing to the free " "software community, many of them do not care about freedom. People who " "think the whole system is Linux tend to get confused and assign to those " "developers a role in the history of our community which they did not " "actually play. Then they give inordinate weight to those developers' views." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Calling the system GNU/Linux recognizes the role that our idealism played in " "building our community, and <a href=\"/gnu/why-gnu-linux.html\">helps the " "public recognize the practical importance of these ideals</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "What is the real relationship between GNU and Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#what\">#what</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The GNU operating system and the kernel named Linux are separate software " "projects that do complementary jobs. Typically they are packaged in a <a " "href=\"/distros/distros.html\">GNU/Linux distribution</a>, and used " "together." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "How did it come about that most people call the system “Linux”? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#howerror\">#howerror</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Calling the system “Linux” is a confusion that has spread faster " "than the corrective information." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The people who combined Linux with the GNU system were not aware that that's " "what their activity amounted to. They focused their attention on the piece " "that was Linux and did not realize that more of the combination was GNU. " "They started calling it “Linux” even though that name did not " "fit what they had. It took a few years for us to realize what a problem " "this was and ask people to correct the practice. By that time, the " "confusion had a big head start." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Most of the people who call the system “Linux” have never heard " "why that's not the right thing. They saw others using that name and assume " "it must be right. The name “Linux” also spreads a false picture " "of the system's origin, because people tend to suppose that the system's " "history was such as to fit that name. For instance, they often believe its " "development was started by Linus Torvalds in 1991. This false picture tends " "to reinforce the idea that the system should be called “Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Many of the questions in this file represent people's attempts to justify " "the name they are accustomed to using." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Should we always say “GNU/Linux” instead of “Linux”? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#always\">#always</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Not always—only when you're talking about the whole system. When " "you're referring specifically to the kernel, you should call it " "“Linux,” the name its developer chose." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "When people call the whole system “Linux,” as a consequence they " "call the whole system by the same name as the kernel. This causes many " "kinds of confusion, because only experts can tell whether a statement is " "about the kernel or the whole system. By calling the whole system " "“GNU/Linux,” and calling the kernel “Linux,” you " "avoid the ambiguity." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Would Linux have achieved the same success if there had been no GNU? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#linuxalone\">#linuxalone</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "In that alternative world, there would be nothing today like the GNU/Linux " "system, and probably no free operating system at all. No one attempted to " "develop a free operating system in the 1980s except the GNU Project and " "(later) Berkeley CSRG, which had been specifically asked by the GNU Project " "to start freeing its code." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linus Torvalds was partly influenced by a speech about GNU in Finland in " "1990. It's possible that even without this influence he might have written " "a Unix-like kernel, but it probably would not have been free software. " "Linux became free in 1992 when Linus rereleased it under the GNU GPL. (See " "the release notes for version 0.12.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Even if Torvalds had released Linux under some other free software license, " "a free kernel alone would not have made much difference to the world. The " "significance of Linux came from fitting into a larger framework, a complete " "free operating system: GNU/Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Wouldn't it be better for the community if you did not divide people with " "this request? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#divide\">#divide</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "When we ask people to say “GNU/Linux,” we are not dividing " "people. We are asking them to give the GNU Project credit for the GNU " "operating system. This does not criticize anyone or push anyone away." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "However, there are people who do not like our saying this. Sometimes those " "people push us away in response. On occasion they are so rude that one " "wonders if they are intentionally trying to intimidate us into silence. It " "doesn't silence us, but it does tend to divide the community, so we hope you " "can convince them to stop." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "However, this is only a secondary cause of division in our community. The " "largest division in the community is between people who appreciate free " "software as a social and ethical issue and consider proprietary software a " "social problem (supporters of the free software movement), and those who " "cite only practical benefits and present free software only as an efficient " "development model (the open source movement)." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "This disagreement is not just a matter of names—it is a matter of " "differing basic values. It is essential for the community to see and think " "about this disagreement. The names “free software” and " "“open source” are the banners of the two positions. See <a " "href=\"/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html\">Why Open Source " "misses the point of Free Software</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The disagreement over values partially aligns with the amount of attention " "people pay to the GNU Project's role in our community. People who value " "freedom are more likely to call the system “GNU/Linux,” and " "people who learn that the system is “GNU/Linux” are more likely " "to pay attention to our philosophical arguments for freedom and community " "(which is why the choice of name for the system makes a real difference for " "society). However, the disagreement would probably exist even if everyone " "knew the system's real origin and its proper name, because the issue is a " "real one. It can only go away if we who value freedom either persuade " "everyone (which won't be easy) or are defeated entirely (let's hope not)." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Doesn't the GNU project support an individual's free speech rights to call " "the system by any name that individual chooses? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#freespeech\">#freespeech</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Yes, indeed, we believe you have a free speech right to call the operating " "system by any name you wish. We ask that people call it GNU/Linux as a " "matter of doing justice to the GNU project, to promote the values of freedom " "that GNU stands for, and to inform others that those values of freedom " "brought the system into existence." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since everyone knows the role of GNU in developing the system, doesn't the " "“GNU/” in the name go without saying? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#everyoneknows\">#everyoneknows</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Experience shows that the system's users, and the computer-using public in " "general, often know nothing about the GNU system. Most articles about the " "system do not mention the name “GNU,” or the ideals that GNU " "stands for. <a href=\"/gnu/gnu-users-never-heard-of-gnu.html\">GNU Users " "Who Have Never Heard of GNU</a> explains further." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The people who say this are probably geeks thinking of the geeks they know. " "Geeks often do know about GNU, but many have a completely wrong idea of what " "GNU is. For instance, many think it is a collection of “<a " "href=\"#tools\">tools</a>,” or a project to develop tools." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The wording of this question, which is typical, illustrates another common " "misconception. To speak of “GNU's role” in developing something " "assumes that GNU is a group of people. GNU is an operating system. It " "would make sense to talk about the GNU Project's role in this or some other " "activity, but not that of GNU." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since I know the role of GNU in this system, why does it matter what name I " "use? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#everyoneknows2\">#everyoneknows2</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If your words don't reflect your knowledge, you don't teach others. Most " "people who have heard of the GNU/Linux system think it is " "“Linux,” that it was started by Linus Torvalds, and that it was " "intended to be “open source.” If you don't tell them, who will?" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't shortening “GNU/Linux” to “Linux” just like " "shortening “Microsoft Windows” to “Windows”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#windows\">#windows</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "It's useful to shorten a frequently-used name, but not if the abbreviation " "is misleading." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Almost everyone in developed countries really does know that the " "“Windows” system is made by Microsoft, so shortening " "“Microsoft Windows” to “Windows” does not mislead " "anyone as to that system's nature and origin. Shortening " "“GNU/Linux” to “Linux” does give the wrong idea of " "where the system comes from." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The question is itself misleading because GNU and Microsoft are not the same " "kind of thing. Microsoft is a company; GNU is an operating system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't GNU a collection of programming tools that were included in Linux? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#tools\">#tools</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "People who think that Linux is an entire operating system, if they hear " "about GNU at all, often get a wrong idea of what GNU is. They may think " "that GNU is the name of a collection of programs—often they say " "“programming tools,” since some of our programming tools became " "popular on their own. The idea that “GNU” is the name of an " "operating system is hard to fit into a conceptual framework in which that " "operating system is labeled “Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The GNU Project was named after the GNU operating system—it's the " "project to develop the GNU system. (See <a " "href=\"/gnu/initial-announcement.html\">the 1983 initial announcement</a>.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We developed programs such as GCC, GNU Emacs, GAS, GLIBC, BASH, etc., " "because we needed them for the GNU operating system. GCC, the GNU Compiler " "Collection is the compiler that we wrote for the GNU operating system. We, " "the many people working on the GNU Project, developed Ghostscript, GNUCash, " "GNU Chess and GNOME for the GNU system too." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "What is the difference between an operating system and a kernel? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#osvskernel\">#osvskernel</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "An operating system, as we use the term, means a collection of programs that " "are sufficient to use the computer to do a wide variety of jobs. A general " "purpose operating system, to be complete, ought to handle all the jobs that " "many users may want to do." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The kernel is one of the programs in an operating system—the program " "that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that are " "running. The kernel also takes care of starting and stopping other " "programs." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "To confuse matters, some people use the term “operating system” " "to mean “kernel.” Both uses of the term go back many years. The " "use of “operating system” to mean “kernel” is found " "in a number of textbooks on system design, going back to the 80s. At the " "same time, in the 80s, the “Unix operating system” was " "understood to include all the system programs, and Berkeley's version of " "Unix included even games. Since we intended GNU to be a Unix-like operating " "system, we use the term “operating system” in the same way." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Most of the time when people speak of the “Linux operating " "system” they are using “operating system” in the same " "sense we use: they mean the whole collection of programs. If that's what " "you are referring to, please call it “GNU/Linux.” If you mean " "just the kernel, then “Linux” is the right name for it, but " "please say “kernel” also to avoid ambiguity about which body of " "software you mean." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If you prefer to use some other term such as “system " "distribution” for the entire collection of programs, instead of " "“operating system,” that's fine. Then you would talk about " "GNU/Linux system distributions." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "The kernel of a system is like the foundation of a house. How can a house " "be almost complete when it doesn't have a foundation? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#house\">#house</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "A kernel is not much like the foundation of a house because building an " "operating system is not much like building a house." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "A house is built from lots of little general parts that are cut and put " "together in situ. They have to be put together from the bottom up. Thus, " "when the foundation has not been built, no substantial part has been built; " "all you have is a hole in the ground." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "By contrast, an operating system consists of complex components that can be " "developed in any order. When you have developed most of the components, " "most of the work is done. This is much more like the International Space " "Station than like a house. If most of the Space Station modules were in " "orbit but awaiting one other essential module, that would be like the GNU " "system in 1992." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't the kernel the brain of the system? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#brain\">#brain</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "A computer system is not much like a human body, and no part of it plays a " "role comparable to that of the brain in a human." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't writing the kernel most of the work in an operating system? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#kernelmost\">#kernelmost</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "No, many components take a lot of work." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "An operating system requires a kernel. Since the GNU Project didn't develop " "a kernel, how can the system be GNU?<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#nokernel\">#nokernel</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "The people who argue that way for calling the system “Linux” are " "using a double standard. An operating system requires compilers, editors, " "window systems, libraries, and much more—hundreds of programs, even to " "match what BSD systems included in 1983. Since Torvalds didn't develop any " "of those, how can the system be “Linux”?" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "That standard is too strict, not the right way to judge the contributions of " "any contributor." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linus Torvalds made an important contribution to the operating system we " "use; the GNU Project started earlier and contributed much more. The name " "“GNU/Linux” gives credit to each." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "How can GNU be an operating system, if I can't get something called " "“GNU” and install it? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#notinstallable\">#notinstallable</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Many <a href=\"/distros/distros.html\"> packaged and installable versions of " "GNU</a> are available. None of them is called simply “GNU,” but " "GNU is what they basically are." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We expected to release the GNU system packaged for installation, but this " "plan was overtaken by events: in 1992 others were already packaging GNU " "variants containing Linux. Starting in 1993 we sponsored an effort to make " "a better and freer GNU/Linux distribution, called <a " "href=\"/distros/common-distros.html#Debian\">Debian GNU/Linux</a>. The " "founder of Debian had already chosen that name. We did not ask him to call " "it just “GNU” because that was to be the name of a system " "version with the GNU Hurd kernel—which wasn't ready yet." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The GNU Hurd kernel never became sufficiently ready; we only recommend it to " "those interested in working on it. So we never packaged GNU with the GNU " "Hurd kernel. However, Debian packaged this combination as Debian GNU/Hurd." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We are now developing an advanced Scheme-based package manager called Guix " "and a complete system distribution based on it called the <a " "href=\"/software/guix\">Guix System Distribution</a> or GuixSD. This " "includes repackaging a substantial part of the GNU system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We never took the last step of packaging GNU under the name " "“GNU,” but that doesn't alter what kind of thing GNU is. GNU is " "an operating system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "We're calling the whole system after the kernel, Linux. Isn't it normal to " "name an operating system after a kernel? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#afterkernel\">#afterkernel</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "That practice seems to be very rare—we can't find any examples other " "than the misuse of the name “Linux.” Normally an operating " "system is developed as a single unified project, and the developers choose a " "name for the system as a whole. The kernel usually does not have a name of " "its own—instead, people say “the kernel of such-and-such” " "or “the such-and-such kernel.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Because those two constructions are used synonymously, the expression " "“the Linux kernel” can easily be misunderstood as meaning " "“the kernel of Linux” and implying that Linux must be more than " "a kernel. You can avoid the possibility of this misunderstanding by saying " "or writing “the kernel, Linux” or “Linux, the " "kernel.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Can another system have “the feel of Linux”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#feel\">#feel</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "There is no such thing as the “feel of Linux” because Linux has " "no user interfaces. Like any modern kernel, Linux is a base for running " "programs; user interfaces belong elsewhere in the system. Human interaction " "with GNU/Linux always goes through other programs, and the " "“feel” comes from them." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "The problem with “GNU/Linux” is that it is too long. How about " "recommending a shorter name? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#long\">#long</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "For a while we tried the name “LiGNUx,” which combines the words " "“GNU” and “Linux.” The reaction was very bad. " "People accept “GNU/Linux” much better." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The shortest legitimate name for this system is “GNU,” but we " "call it “GNU/Linux” <a href=\"#justgnu\"> for the reasons given " "below</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "How about calling the system “GliNUx” (instead of " "“GNU/Linux”)? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#long1\">#long1</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The name “GNU” does not visibly appear in “Glinux,” " "so most people would not notice it is there. Even if it is capitalized as " "“GliNUx,” most people would not realize that it contains a " "reference to GNU." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It would be comparable to writing “GNU/Linux,” but putting " "“GNU/” in print so small that most people could not read it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "The problem with “GNU/Linux” is that it is too long. Why should " "I go to the trouble of saying “GNU/”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#long2\">#long2</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It only takes a second to say or type “GNU/.” If you appreciate " "the system that we developed, can't you take one second to recognize our " "work?" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Unfortunately, “GNU/Linux” is five syllables. People won't use " "such a long term. Shouldn't you find a shorter one? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#long3\">#long3</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Actually, “GNU/Linux” is only four syllables. " "“Unfortunately” is five syllables, yet people show no sign of " "reluctance to use that word." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Stallman doesn't ask us to call him “Richard Matthew Stallman” " "every the time. So why ask us to say “GNU/Linux” every time? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#long4\">#long4</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Omitting “Matthew” does not misrepresent anything important " "about Stallman's nature, origin, ideas or purpose. Omitting " "“GNU” does misrepresent those things about the GNU/Linux system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "This is an example of a frequent way of hiding a fallacy: to bury it inside " "a misleading analogy. A better analogy would be, “Why shouldn't we " "call Stallman ‘Torvalds’?”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since Linux is a secondary contribution, would it be false to the facts to " "call the system simply “GNU”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#justgnu\">#justgnu</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "It would not be false to the facts, but it is not the best thing to do. " "Here are the reasons we call that system version “GNU/Linux” " "rather than just “GNU”:" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><ul><li> msgid "" "It's not exactly GNU—it has a different kernel (that is, Linux). " "Distinguishing GNU/Linux from GNU is useful." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><ul><li> msgid "" "It would be ungentlemanly to ask people to <em>stop</em> giving any credit " "to Linus Torvalds. He did write an important component of the system. We " "want to get credit for launching and sustaining the system's development, " "but this doesn't mean we should treat Linus the same way those who call the " "system “Linux” treat us. We strongly disagree with his " "political views, but we deal with that disagreement honorably and openly, " "rather than by trying to cut him out of the credit for his contribution to " "the system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><ul><li> msgid "" "Since many people know of the system as “Linux,” if we say " "“GNU” they may simply not recognize we're talking about the same " "system. If we say “GNU/Linux,” they can make a connection to " "what they have heard about." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "I would have to pay a fee if I use “Linux” in the name of a " "product, and that would also apply if I say “GNU/Linux.” Is it " "wrong if I use “GNU” without “Linux,” to save the " "fee? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#trademarkfee\">#trademarkfee</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "There's nothing wrong in calling the system “GNU”; basically, " "that's what it is. It is nice to give Linus Torvalds a share of the credit " "as well, but you have no obligation to pay for the privilege of doing so." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "So if you want to refer to the system simply as “GNU,” to avoid " "paying the fee for calling it “Linux,” we won't criticize you." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Many other projects contributed to the system as it is today; it includes " "TeX, X11, Apache, Perl, and many more programs. Don't your arguments imply " "we have to give them credit too? (But that would lead to a name so long it " "is absurd.) <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#many\">#many</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "What we say is that you ought to give the system's principal developer a " "share of the credit. The principal developer is the GNU Project, and the " "system is basically GNU." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If you feel even more strongly about giving credit where it is due, you " "might feel that some secondary contributors also deserve credit in the " "system's name. If so, far be it from us to argue against it. If you feel " "that X11 deserves credit in the system's name, and you want to call the " "system GNU/X11/Linux, please do. If you feel that Perl simply cries out for " "mention, and you want to write GNU/Linux/Perl, go ahead." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Since a long name such as GNU/X11/Apache/Linux/TeX/Perl/Python/FreeCiv " "becomes absurd, at some point you will have to set a threshold and omit the " "names of the many other secondary contributions. There is no one obvious " "right place to set the threshold, so wherever you set it, we won't argue " "against it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Different threshold levels would lead to different choices of name for the " "system. But one name that cannot result from concerns of fairness and " "giving credit, not for any possible threshold level, is “Linux.” " "It can't be fair to give all the credit to one secondary contribution " "(Linux) while omitting the principal contribution (GNU)." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "systemd plays an important role in the GNU/Linux system as it is today; are " "we obligated to call it GNU/systemd/Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#systemd\">#systemd</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "systemd is a fairly important component, but not as important as the kernel " "(Linux), nor as important as the basis of the system as a whole (GNU). " "However, if you want to emphasize the presence of systemd by calling the " "system “GNU/systemd/Linux,” there is nothing wrong with doing " "so." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Many other projects contributed to the system as it is today, but they don't " "insist on calling it XYZ/Linux. Why should we treat GNU specially? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#others\">#others</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Thousands of projects have developed programs commonly included in today's " "GNU/Linux systems. They all deserve credit for their contributions, but " "they aren't the principal developers of the system as a whole, so they don't " "ask to be credited as such." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "GNU is different because it is more than just a contributed program, more " "than just a collection of contributed programs. GNU is the framework on " "which the system was made." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "GNU is a small fraction of the system nowadays, so why should we mention it? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#allsmall\">#allsmall</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "In 2008, we found that GNU packages made up 15% of the “main” " "repository of the gNewSense GNU/Linux distribution. Linux made up 1.5%. So " "the same argument would apply even more strongly to calling it " "“Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "GNU is a small fraction of the system nowadays, and Linux is an even smaller " "fraction. But they are the system's core; the system was made by combining " "them. Thus, the name “GNU/Linux” remains appropriate." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Many companies contributed to the system as it is today; doesn't that mean " "we ought to call it GNU/Red Hat/Novell/Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#manycompanies\">#manycompanies</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "GNU is not comparable to Red Hat or Novell; it is not a company, or an " "organization, or even an activity. GNU is an operating system. (When we " "speak of the GNU Project, that refers to the project to develop the GNU " "system.) The GNU/Linux system is based on GNU, and that's why GNU ought to " "appear in its name." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Much of those companies' contribution to the GNU/Linux system lies in the " "code they have contributed to various GNU packages including GCC and GNOME. " "Saying GNU/Linux gives credit to those companies along with all the rest of " "the GNU developers." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why do you write “GNU/Linux” instead of “GNU Linux”? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#whyslash\">#whyslash</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Following the rules of English, in the construction “GNU Linux” " "the word “GNU” modifies “Linux.” This can mean " "either “GNU's version of Linux” or “Linux, which is a GNU " "package.” Neither of those meanings fits the situation at hand." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linux is not a GNU package; that is, it wasn't developed under the GNU " "Project's aegis or contributed specifically to the GNU Project. Linus " "Torvalds wrote Linux independently, as his own project. So the " "“Linux, which is a GNU package” meaning is not right." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We're not talking about a distinct GNU version of Linux, the kernel. The " "free GNU/Linux distros do have a <a " "href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Linux-libre\">separate version of " "Linux</a>, since the “standard” version contains nonfree " "firmware “blobs.” If this were part of the GNU Project, it could " "be considered “GNU Linux”; but we would not want to call it " "that, because it would be too confusing." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We're talking about a version of GNU, the operating system, distinguished by " "having Linux as the kernel. A slash fits the situation because it means " "“combination.” (Think of “Input/Output.”) It's the " "GNU system, with the kernel Linux underneath; hence, " "“GNU/Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "There are other ways to express “combination.” If you think that " "a plus-sign is clearer, please use that. In French, a hyphen is clear: " "“GNU-Linux.” In Spanish, we sometimes say “GNU con " "Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Does GNU have its own version of Linux, the kernel? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#linuxlibre\">#linuxlibre</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Yes and no. The free GNU/Linux distros use slightly modified versions of " "Linux, modified to remove the nonfree firmware “blobs” contained " "in the “standard” release of Linux. Some of them use <a " "href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Linux-libre\">GNU Linux-Libre</a>, " "which is the GNU Project's freed version of Linux. But this is not a fork; " "rather, it is a version of Linux—we take the source of each standard " "Linux release and de-blob it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Other free distros make their own arrangements to remove the blobs from " "Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "How is the name “GNU/Linux” pronounced? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#pronounce\">#pronounce</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Please pronounce it as “GNU slash Linux.” If you don't pronounce " "the slash, people will think you are saying “GNU Linux,” which " "is <a href=\"#whyslash\">not a suitable name for the combination</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why do you write “GNU Emacs” rather than " "“GNU/Emacs”? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#whynoslash\">#whynoslash</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Following the rules of English, in the construction “GNU Emacs” " "the word “GNU” modifies “Emacs.” That is the right " "way to describe a program called Emacs which is a GNU package." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "“GNU/Emacs” would mean the combination of GNU, the operating " "system, and the program Emacs. That doesn't fit this program, so " "“GNU/Emacs” is the wrong way to refer to it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why “GNU/Linux” rather than “Linux/GNU”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#whyorder\">#whyorder</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It is right and proper to mention the principal contribution first. The GNU " "contribution to the system is not only bigger than Linux and prior to Linux, " "we actually started the whole activity." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "In addition, “GNU/Linux” fits the fact that Linux is the lowest " "level of the system and GNU fills technically higher levels." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "However, if you prefer to call the system “Linux/GNU,” that is a " "lot better than what people usually do, which is to omit GNU entirely and " "make it seem that the whole system is Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "My distro's developers call it “Foobar Linux,” but that doesn't " "say anything about what the system consists of. Why shouldn't they call it " "whatever they like? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#distronames0\">#distronames0</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Calling a system “Foobar Linux” implies that it's a flavor of " "“Linux,” and people <a href=\"#distronames\">understand it that " "way</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If they called a GNU/Linux distro “Foobar BSD,” you would call " "that a mistake. “This system is not BSD,” you would tell them. " "Well, it's not Linux either." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "My distro is called “Foobar Linux”; doesn't that show it's " "really Linux? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#distronames\">#distronames</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It means that the people who make the “Foobar Linux” distro are " "repeating the common mistake. We appreciate that distributions like Debian, " "Dragora, Musix, Trisquel, and Venenux have adopted GNU/Linux as part of " "their official name, and we hope that if you are involved with a different " "distribution, you will encourage it to do the same." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "My distro's official name is “Foobar Linux”; isn't it wrong to " "call the distro anything but “Foobar Linux”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#distronames1\">#distronames1</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "When they spread misinformation by changing “GNU” to " "“Linux,” and call their version of it “Foobar " "Linux,” it's proper for you to correct the misinformation by calling " "it “Foobar GNU/Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Wouldn't it be more effective to ask companies such as Mandrake, Red Hat and " "IBM to call their distributions “GNU/Linux” rather than asking " "individuals? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#companies\">#companies</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "It isn't a choice of one or the other—we ask companies and " "organizations and individuals to help spread the word about this. In fact, " "we have asked all three of those companies. Mandrake said it would use the " "term “GNU/Linux” some of the time, but IBM and Red Hat were " "unwilling to help. One executive said, “This is a pure commercial " "decision; we expect to make more money calling it " "‘Linux’.” In other words, that company did not care what " "was right." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We can't make them do this right, but we're not the sort to give up just " "because the road isn't easy. You may not have as much influence at your " "disposal as IBM or Red Hat, but you can still help. Together we can change " "the situation to the point where companies will make more profit calling it " "“GNU/Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Wouldn't it be better to reserve the name “GNU/Linux” for " "distributions that are purely free software? After all, that is the ideal of " "GNU. <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#reserve\">#reserve</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "The widespread practice of adding nonfree software to the GNU/Linux system " "is a major problem for our community. It teaches the users that nonfree " "software is ok, and that using it is part of the spirit of " "“Linux.” Many “Linux” User Groups make it part of " "their mission to help users use nonfree add-ons, and may even invite " "salesmen to come and make sales pitches for them. They adopt goals such as " "“helping the users” of GNU/Linux (including helping them use " "nonfree applications and drivers), or making the system more popular even at " "the cost of freedom." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "The question is how to try to change this." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Given that most of the community which uses GNU with Linux already does not " "realize that's what it is, for us to disown these adulterated versions, " "saying they are not really GNU, would not teach the users to value freedom " "more. They would not get the intended message. They would only respond " "they never thought these systems were GNU in the first place." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The way to lead these users to see a connection with freedom is exactly the " "opposite: to inform them that all these system versions <em>are</em> " "versions of GNU, that they all are based on a system that exists " "specifically for the sake of the users' freedom. With this understanding, " "they can start to recognize the distributions that include nonfree software " "as perverted, adulterated versions of GNU, instead of thinking they are " "proper and appropriate “versions of Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It is very useful to start GNU/Linux User Groups, which call the system " "GNU/Linux and adopt the ideals of the GNU Project as a basis for their " "activities. If the Linux User Group in your area has the problems described " "above, we suggest you either campaign within the group to change its " "orientation (and name) or start a new group. The people who focus on the " "more superficial goals have a right to their views, but don't let them drag " "you along!" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why not make a GNU distribution of Linux (sic) and call that GNU/Linux? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#gnudist\">#gnudist</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "All the “Linux” distributions are actually versions of the GNU " "system with Linux as the kernel. The purpose of the term " "“GNU/Linux” is to communicate this point. To develop one new " "distribution and call that alone “GNU/Linux” would obscure the " "point we want to make." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "As for developing a distribution of GNU/Linux, we already did this once, " "when we funded the early development of Debian GNU/Linux. To do it again " "now does not seem useful; it would be a lot of work, and unless the new " "distribution had substantial practical advantages over other distributions, " "it would serve no purpose." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Instead we help the developers of 100% free GNU/Linux distributions, such as " "Trisquel and Parabola." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why not just say “Linux is the GNU kernel” and release some " "existing version of GNU/Linux under the name “GNU”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#linuxgnu\">#linuxgnu</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "It might have been a good idea to adopt Linux as the GNU kernel back in " "1992. If we had realized, then, how long it would take to get the GNU Hurd " "to work, we might have done that. (Alas, that is hindsight.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If we were to take an existing version of GNU/Linux and relabel it as " "“GNU,” that would be somewhat like making a version of the GNU " "system and labeling it “Linux.” That wasn't right, and we don't " "want to act like that." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Did the GNU Project condemn and oppose use of Linux in the early days? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#condemn\">#condemn</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "We did not adopt Linux as our kernel, but we didn't condemn or oppose it. " "In 1993 we started discussing the arrangements to sponsor the development of " "Debian GNU/Linux. We also sought to cooperate with the people who were " "changing some GNU packages for use with Linux. We wanted to include their " "changes in the standard releases so that these GNU packages would work " "out-of-the-box in combination with Linux. But the changes were often ad-hoc " "and nonportable; they needed to be cleaned up for installation." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The people who had made the changes showed little interest in cooperating " "with us. One of them actually told us that he didn't care about working " "with the GNU Project because he was a “Linux user.” That came as " "a shock, because the people who ported GNU packages to other systems had " "generally wanted to work with us to get their changes installed. Yet these " "people, developing a system that was primarily based on GNU, were the first " "(and still practically the only) group that was unwilling to work with us." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It was this experience that first showed us that people were calling a " "version of the GNU system “Linux,” and that this confusion was " "obstructing our work. Asking you to call the system “GNU/Linux” " "is our response to that problem, and to the other problems caused by the " "“Linux” misnomer." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why did you wait so long before asking people to use the name GNU/Linux? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#wait\">#wait</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Actually we didn't. We began talking privately with developers and " "distributors about this in 1994, and made a more public campaign in 1996. " "We will continue for as long as it's necessary." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Should the GNU/<i>name</i> convention be applied to all programs that are " "GPL'ed? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#allgpled\">#allgpled</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "We never refer to individual programs as “GNU/<i>name</i>.” When " "a program is a GNU package, we may call it “GNU <i>name</i>.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "GNU, the operating system, is made up of many different programs. Some of " "the programs in GNU were written as part of the GNU Project or specifically " "contributed to it; these are the GNU packages, and we often use " "“GNU” in their names." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It's up to the developers of a program to decide if they want to contribute " "it and make it a GNU package. If you have developed a program and you would " "like it to be a GNU package, please write to <a " "href=\"mailto:gnu@gnu.org\"><gnu@gnu.org></a>, so we can evaluate it " "and decide whether we want it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It wouldn't be fair to put the name GNU on every individual program that is " "released under the GPL. If you write a program and release it under the " "GPL, that doesn't mean the GNU Project wrote it or that you wrote it for " "us. For instance, the kernel, Linux, is released under the GNU GPL, but " "Linus did not write it as part of the GNU Project—he did the work " "independently. If something is not a GNU package, the GNU Project can't " "take credit for it, and putting “GNU” in its name would be " "improper." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "In contrast, we do deserve the overall credit for the GNU operating system " "as a whole, even though not for each and every program in it. The system " "exists as a system because of our determination and persistence, starting in " "1984, many years before Linux was begun." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The operating system in which Linux became popular was basically the same as " "the GNU operating system. It was not entirely the same, because it had a " "different kernel, but it was mostly the same system. It was a variant of " "GNU. It was the GNU/Linux system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linux continues to be used primarily in derivatives of that system—in " "today's versions of the GNU/Linux system. What gives these systems their " "identity is GNU and Linux at the center of them, not particularly Linux " "alone." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since much of GNU comes from Unix, shouldn't GNU give credit to Unix by " "using “Unix” in its name? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#unix\">#unix</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Actually, none of GNU comes from Unix. Unix was proprietary software (and " "still is), so using any of its code in GNU would have been illegal. This is " "not a coincidence; this is why we developed GNU: since you could not have " "freedom in using Unix, or any of the other operating systems of the day, we " "needed a free system to replace it. We could not copy programs, or even " "parts of them, from Unix; everything had to be written afresh." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "No code in GNU comes from Unix, but GNU is a Unix-compatible system; " "therefore, many of the ideas and specifications of GNU do come from Unix. " "The name “GNU,” which stands for “GNU's Not Unix,” " "is a humorous way of giving credit to Unix for this, following a hacker " "tradition of recursive acronyms that started in the 70s." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The first such recursive acronym was TINT, “TINT Is Not TECO.” " "The author of TINT wrote another implementation of TECO (there were already " "many of them, for various systems), but instead of calling it by a dull name " "like “<em>somethingorother</em> TECO,” he thought of a clever " "amusing name. (That's what hacking means: <a " "href=\"https://stallman.org/articles/on-hacking.html\">playful " "cleverness</a>.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Other hackers enjoyed that name so much that we imitated the approach. It " "became a tradition that, when you were writing from scratch a program that " "was similar to some existing program (let's imagine its name was " "“Klever”), you could give it a recursive acronym name, such as " "“MINK” for “MINK Is Not Klever.” In this same spirit " "we called our replacement for Unix “GNU's Not Unix.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Historically, AT&T which developed Unix did not want anyone to give it " "credit by using “Unix” in the name of a similar system, not even " "in a system 99% copied from Unix. AT&T actually threatened to sue " "anyone giving AT&T credit in that way. This is why each of the various " "modified versions of Unix (all proprietary, like Unix) had a completely " "different name that didn't include “Unix.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Should we say “GNU/BSD” too? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#bsd\">#bsd</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "We don't call the BSD systems (FreeBSD, etc.) “GNU/BSD” systems, " "because that term does not fit the history of the BSD systems." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The BSD system was developed by UC Berkeley as nonfree software in the 80s, " "and became free in the early 90s. A free operating system that exists today " "is almost certainly either a variant of the GNU system, or a kind of BSD " "system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "People sometimes ask whether BSD too is a variant of GNU, as GNU/Linux is. " "It is not. The BSD developers were inspired to make their code free " "software by the example of the GNU Project, and explicit appeals from GNU " "activists helped convince them to start, but the code had little overlap " "with GNU." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "BSD systems today use some GNU packages, just as the GNU system and its " "variants use some BSD programs; however, taken as wholes, they are two " "different systems that evolved separately. The BSD developers did not write " "a kernel and add it to the GNU system, so a name like GNU/BSD would not fit " "the situation." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The connection between GNU/Linux and GNU is much closer, and that's why the " "name “GNU/Linux” is appropriate for it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "There is a version of GNU which uses the kernel from NetBSD. Its developers " "call it “Debian GNU/NetBSD,” but " "“GNU/kernelofNetBSD” would be more accurate, since NetBSD is an " "entire system, not just the kernel. This is not a BSD system, since most of " "the system is the same as the GNU/Linux system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "If I install the GNU tools on Windows, does that mean I am running a " "GNU/Windows system? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#othersys\">#othersys</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Not in the same sense that we mean by “GNU/Linux.” The tools of " "GNU are just a part of the GNU software, which is just a part of the GNU " "system, and underneath them you would still have another complete operating " "system which has no code in common with GNU. All in all, that's a very " "different situation from GNU/Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Can't Linux be used without GNU? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#justlinux\">#justlinux</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linux is used by itself, or with small other programs, in some appliances. " "These small software systems are a far cry from the GNU/Linux system. Users " "do not install them on PCs, for instance, and would find them rather " "disappointing. It is useful to say that these appliances run just Linux, to " "show how different those small platforms are from GNU/Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "How much of the GNU system is needed for the system to be GNU/Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#howmuch\">#howmuch</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "“How much” is not a meaningful question because the GNU system " "does not have precise boundaries." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "GNU is an operating system maintained by a community. It includes far more " "than just the GNU software packages (of which we have a specific list), and " "people add more packages constantly. Despite these changes, it remains the " "GNU system, and adding Linux to that yields GNU/Linux. If you use part of " "the GNU system and omit part, there is no meaningful way to say “how " "much” you used." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If we look at the level of packages, Linux is one important package in the " "GNU/Linux system. The inclusion of one important GNU package is enough to " "justify our request for equal mention." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Are there complete Linux systems [sic] without GNU? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#linuxsyswithoutgnu\">#linuxsyswithoutgnu</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "There are complete systems that contain Linux and not GNU; Android is an " "example. But it is a mistake to call them “Linux” systems, just " "as it is a mistake to call GNU a “Linux” system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Android is very different from the GNU/Linux system—because the two " "have very little code in common. In fact, the only thing they have in " "common is Linux." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If you call the whole GNU/Linux system “Linux,” you will find it " "necessary to say things like, “Android contains Linux, but it isn't " "Linux, because it doesn't have the usual Linux [sic] libraries and utilities " "[meaning the GNU system].”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Android contains just as much of Linux as GNU/Linux does. What it doesn't " "have is the GNU system. Android replaces that with Google software that " "works quite differently. What makes Android different from GNU/Linux is the " "absence of GNU." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Is it correct to say “using Linux” if it refers to using " "GNU/Linux and using Android? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#usegnulinuxandandroidlinuxsyswithoutgnu\">#usegnulinuxandandroidlinuxsyswithoutgnu</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Far from it. That usage is so strained that people will not understand the " "intended meaning." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The public will find it very strange to speak of using Android as " "“using Linux.” It's like having a conversation, then saying you " "were conversing with the person's intestines or the person's circulatory " "system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The public <em>will</em> understand the idea of “using Linux” " "when it's really GNU/Linux, by way of the usual misunderstanding: thinking " "of the whole system as “Linux.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Use of Android and use of GNU/Linux are totally different, as different as " "driving a car and riding a bicycle. The fact that the first two both " "contain Linux is irrelevant to using them, just as the fact that a car and a " "bicycle both have a structure of metal is irrelevant to using those two. If " "you wish to talk about using cars and bikes, you wouldn't speak of " "“riding metal objects”—not unless you're playing games " "with the reader. You would say, “using cars and bikes.” " "Likewise, the clear way to talk about using GNU/Linux and Android is to say " "“using GNU/Linux and Android.”" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why not call the system “Linux” anyway, and strengthen Linus " "Torvalds' role as posterboy for our community? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#helplinus\">#helplinus</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Linus Torvalds is the “posterboy” (other people's choice of " "word, not ours) for his goals, not ours. His goal is to make the system " "more popular, and he believes its value to society lies merely in the " "practical advantages it offers: its power, reliability and easy " "availability. He has never advocated <a " "href=\"/philosophy/why-free.html\">freedom to cooperate</a> as an ethical " "principle, which is why the public does not connect the name " "“Linux” with that principle." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Linus publicly states his disagreement with the free software movement's " "ideals. He developed nonfree software in his job for many years (and said " "so to a large audience at a “Linux”World show), and publicly " "invited fellow developers of Linux, the kernel, to use nonfree software to " "work on it with him. He goes even further, and rebukes people who suggest " "that engineers and scientists should consider social consequences of our " "technical work—rejecting the lessons society learned from the " "development of the atom bomb." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "There is nothing wrong with writing a free program for the motivations of " "learning and having fun; the kernel Linus wrote for those reasons was an " "important contribution to our community. But those motivations are not the " "reason why the complete free system, GNU/Linux, exists, and they won't " "secure our freedom in the future. The public needs to know this. Linus has " "the right to promote his views; however, people should be aware that the " "operating system in question stems from ideals of freedom, not from his " "views." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't it wrong for us to label Linus Torvalds' work as GNU? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#claimlinux\">#claimlinux</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It would be wrong, so we don't do that. Torvalds' work is Linux, the " "kernel; we are careful not to attribute that work to the GNU Project or " "label it as “GNU.” When we talk about the whole system, the name " "“GNU/Linux” gives him a share of the credit." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Does Linus Torvalds agree that Linux is just the kernel? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#linusagreed\">#linusagreed</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "He recognized this at the beginning. The <a " "href=\"https://ftp.funet.fi/pub/linux/historical/kernel/old-versions/RELNOTES-0.01\"> " "earliest Linux release notes</a> said:" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><blockquote><p> msgid "" "Most of the tools used with linux are GNU software and are under the GNU " "copyleft. These tools aren't in the distribution - ask me (or GNU) for more " "info." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why not finish the GNU Hurd kernel, release the GNU system as a whole, and " "forget the question of what to call GNU/Linux? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#finishhurd\">#finishhurd</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "We would like credit for the GNU operating system no matter which kernel is " "used with it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Making the GNU Hurd work well enough to compete with Linux would be a big " "job, and it's not clearly necessary. The only thing ethically wrong with " "Linux as a kernel is its inclusion of firmware “blobs”; the best " "fix for that problem is <a " "href=\"https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/priority-projects\"> developing free " "replacement for the blobs</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "The battle is already lost—society has made its decision and we can't " "change it, so why even think about it? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#lost\">#lost</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "This isn't a battle, it is a campaign of education. What to call the system " "is not a single decision, to be made at one moment by “society”: " "each person, each organization, can decide what name to use. You can't make " "others say “GNU/Linux,” but you can decide to call the system " "“GNU/Linux” yourself—and by doing so, you will help " "educate others." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Society has made its decision and we can't change it, so what good does it " "do if I say “GNU/Linux”? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#whatgood\">#whatgood</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "This is not an all-or-nothing situation: correct and incorrect pictures are " "being spread more or less by various people. If you call the system " "“GNU/Linux,” you will help others learn the system's true " "history, origin, and reason for being. You can't correct the misnomer " "everywhere on your own, any more than we can, but you can help. If only a " "few hundred people see you use the term “GNU/Linux,” you will " "have educated a substantial number of people with very little work. And " "some of them will spread the correction to others." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Wouldn't it be better to call the system “Linux” and teach " "people its real origin with a ten-minute explanation? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#explain\">#explain</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "If you help us by explaining to others in that way, we appreciate your " "effort, but that is not the best method. It is not as effective as calling " "the system “GNU/Linux,” and uses your time inefficiently." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It is ineffective because it may not sink in, and surely will not " "propagate. Some of the people who hear your explanation will pay attention, " "and they may learn a correct picture of the system's origin. But they are " "unlikely to repeat the explanation to others whenever they talk about the " "system. They will probably just call it “Linux.” Without " "particularly intending to, they will help spread the incorrect picture." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It is inefficient because it takes a lot more time. Saying and writing " "“GNU/Linux” will take you only a few seconds a day, not minutes, " "so you can afford to reach far more people that way. Distinguishing between " "Linux and GNU/Linux when you write and speak is by far the easiest way to " "help the GNU Project effectively." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Some people laugh at you when you ask them to call the system GNU/Linux. " "Why do you subject yourself to this treatment? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#treatment\">#treatment</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Calling the system “Linux” tends to give people a mistaken " "picture of the system's history and reason for existence. People who laugh " "at our request probably have picked up that mistaken picture—they " "think our work was done by Linus, so they laugh when we ask for credit for " "it. If they knew the truth, they probably wouldn't laugh." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Why do we take the risk of making a request that sometimes leads people to " "ridicule us? Because often it has useful results that help the GNU Project. " "We will run the risk of undeserved abuse to achieve our goals." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "If you see such an ironically unfair situation occurring, please don't sit " "idly by. Please teach the laughing people the real history. When they see " "why the request is justified, those who have any sense will stop laughing." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Some people condemn you when you ask them to call the system GNU/Linux. " "Don't you lose by alienating them? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#alienate\">#alienate</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "Not much. People who don't appreciate our role in developing the system are " "unlikely to make substantial efforts to help us. If they do work that " "advances our goals, such as releasing free software, it is probably for " "other unrelated reasons, not because we asked them. Meanwhile, by teaching " "others to attribute our work to someone else, they are undermining our " "ability to recruit the help of others." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It makes no sense to worry about alienating people who are already mostly " "uncooperative, and it is self-defeating to be deterred from correcting a " "major problem lest we anger the people who perpetuate it. Therefore, we " "will continue trying to correct the misnomer." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Whatever you contributed, is it legitimate to rename the operating system? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#rename\">#rename</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We are not renaming anything; we have been calling this system " "“GNU” ever since we announced it in 1983. The people who tried " "to rename it to “Linux” should not have done so." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't it wrong to force people to call the system “GNU/Linux”? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#force\">#force</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "It would be wrong to force them, and we don't try. We call the system " "“GNU/Linux,” and we ask you to do it too." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Why not sue people who call the whole system “Linux”? <span " "class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a href=\"#whynotsue\">#whynotsue</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "There are no legal grounds to sue them, but since we believe in freedom of " "speech, we wouldn't want to do that anyway. We ask people to call the " "system “GNU/Linux” because that is the right thing to do." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Shouldn't you put something in the GNU GPL to require people to call the " "system “GNU”? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#require\">#require</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "The purpose of the GNU GPL is to protect the users' freedom from those who " "would make proprietary versions of free software. While it is true that " "those who call the system “Linux” often do things that limit the " "users' freedom, such as bundling nonfree software with the GNU/Linux system " "or even developing nonfree software for such use, the mere act of calling " "the system “Linux” does not, in itself, deny users their " "freedom. It seems improper to make the GPL restrict what name people can " "use for the system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since you objected to the original BSD license's advertising requirement to " "give credit to the University of California, isn't it hypocritical to demand " "credit for the GNU project? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#BSDlicense\">#BSDlicense</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "It would be hypocritical to make the name GNU/Linux a license requirement, " "and we don't. We only <em>ask</em> you to give us the credit we deserve." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Please note that there are at least <a href=\"/licenses/bsd.html\"> two " "different BSD licenses</a>. For clarity's sake, please don't use the term " "“BSD license” without specifying which one." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since you failed to put something in the GNU GPL to require people to call " "the system “GNU,” you deserve what happened; why are you " "complaining now? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#deserve\">#deserve</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "The question presupposes a rather controversial general ethical premise: " "that if people do not force you to treat them fairly, you are entitled to " "take advantage of them as much as you like. In other words, it assumes that " "might makes right." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "We hope you disagree with that premise just as we do." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Wouldn't you be better off not contradicting what so many people believe? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#contradict\">#contradict</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "We don't think we should go along with large numbers of people because they " "have been misled. We hope you too will decide that truth is important." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "We could never have developed a free operating system without first denying " "the belief, held by most people, that proprietary software was legitimate " "and acceptable." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Since many people call it “Linux,” doesn't that make it right? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#somanyright\">#somanyright</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "We don't think that the popularity of an error makes it the truth." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Isn't it better to call the system by the name most users already know? " "<span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#knownname\">#knownname</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "" "Users are not incapable of learning. Since “GNU/Linux” includes " "“Linux,” they will recognize what you're talking about. If you " "add “(often erroneously referred to as ‘Linux’)” " "once in a while, they will all understand." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dt> msgid "" "Many people care about what's convenient or who's winning, not about " "arguments of right or wrong. Couldn't you get more of their support by a " "different road? <span class=\"anchor-reference-id\">(<a " "href=\"#winning\">#winning</a>)</span>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd> msgid "" "To care only about what's convenient or who's winning is an amoral approach " "to life. Nonfree software is an example of that amoral approach and thrives " "on it. Thus, in the long run it would be self-defeating for us to adopt " "that approach. We will continue talking in terms of right and wrong." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><dl><dd><p> msgid "We hope that you are one of those for whom right and wrong do matter." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't have notes. #. type: Content of: <div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S NOTES*" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to <a " "href=\"mailto:gnu@gnu.org\"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. There are also <a " "href=\"/contact/\">other ways to contact</a> the FSF. Broken links and " "other corrections or suggestions can be sent to <a " "href=\"mailto:webmasters@gnu.org\"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, #. replace it with the translation of these two: # #. We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality #. translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection. #. Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard #. to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org"> # #. <web-translators@gnu.org></a>.</p> # #. <p>For information on coordinating and contributing translations of #. our web pages, see <a #. href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations #. README</a>. #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please see the <a " "href=\"/server/standards/README.translations.html\">Translations README</a> " "for information on coordinating and contributing translations of this " "article." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "Copyright © 2001-2011, 2013-2018, 2020, 2022, 2025 Free Software " "Foundation, Inc." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "This page is licensed under a <a rel=\"license\" " "href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons " "Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't want credits. #. type: Content of: <div><div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S CREDITS*" msgstr "" #. timestamp start #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "Updated:" msgstr ""