GNU OS has been around for 40 years

The open-source operating system GNU, which once formed the basis for Linux, has been around for 40 years. 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. This open-source operating system has been around for decades one of the most widely used open operating systems into the world. It now supports thousands of servers, desktops and embedded computing devices around the world, thus forming an important basis 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 offer users complete freedom to experiment and customize themselves. This meant that measures had to be taken to prevent the open-source operating system from turning into proprietary software.

The developers introduced the GNU GPL, which all modified versions of the OS had to comply with. The copy-left license required that all derivative versions of the open-source OS had the same rights as the original GPL.

For example, Linux was initially released 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 managed by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). This organization dedicated to free software development hopes that developers will continue to embrace GNU.

Especially to ensure that, as software increasingly controls everyday life, the use of GNU and the philosophy behind it helps to maintain the current status quo and that technology does not take control of humans.