The open-source operating system GNU, which once formed the basis for Linux, is 40 years old. The “copy left” license for the OS, the GNU General Public License (GPL), has become one of the most popular open-source licenses.
In 1983, Richard Stallman developed the GNU operating system. In recent decades, this open-source operating system has become one of the world’s most widely used open operating systems. It now supports thousands of servers, desktops and embedded computing devices worldwide, providing an important foundation for the Internet.
Introduction copy-left
One of its most notable features is that GNU introduced the world’s first “copy-left” license. The developers wanted the OS to allow users to experiment and modify it themselves. This meant taking measures to prevent the open-source operating system from turning into proprietary software.
For this purpose, the developers introduced the GNU GPL to which all modified versions of the OS had to comply. The copy-left license required all derivative versions of the open-source OS to have the same rights as the original GPL.
Thus, Linux initially came out under a GPL license. Other well-known open-source projects released under the GPL include Ansible, Drupal, Git and WordPress.
Free software development remains important
Today, GNU and the GPL are administered by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). This organization, dedicated to free software development, hopes developers will continue embracing GNU.
Especially to ensure that, as software increasingly controls daily life, using GNU and its philosophy helps maintain the current status quo and that technology does not take control of humans.
Tip: Fujitsu, Intel and Qualcomm collaborate under auspices of Linux Foundation