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| author | Stephen L. Favor <sfavor@corridor.com> | 1999-01-11 14:45:29 +0000 |
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| committer | Stephen L. Favor <sfavor@corridor.com> | 1999-01-11 14:45:29 +0000 |
| commit | 7e4ec33e095c6923fd13c56a9cf6c4083dbd116d (patch) | |
| tree | 247ec0607b2f4eacb0856c3fad4f5d7b60d20dd0 /hurd-and-linux.html | |
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diff --git a/hurd-and-linux.html b/hurd-and-linux.html new file mode 100644 index 00000000..9c463116 --- /dev/null +++ b/hurd-and-linux.html @@ -0,0 +1,79 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//IETF//DTD HTML 2.0//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> +<TITLE>The Hurd and Linux - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</TITLE> +<LINK REV="made" HREF="mailto:webmasters@www.gnu.org"> +</HEAD> +<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#1F00FF" ALINK="#FF0000" VLINK="#9900DD"> +<H3>The Hurd and Linux</H3> +<A HREF="/graphics/hurd_sm_mf.jpg"><IMG SRC="/graphics/hurd_sm_mf.jpg" + ALT=" [image of a Hurd Metafont Logo] " + WIDTH="333" HEIGHT="80"> (jpeg 10k)</A> +<A HREF="/graphics/hurd_mf.jpg">(jpeg 20k)</A> +<A HREF="/philosophy/gif.html">no gifs due to patent problems</A> +<P> +by <A HREF="/people/rms.html">Richard Stallman</A>. +<P> + +People sometimes ask, ``Why did the FSF develop a new free kernel +instead of using Linux?'' It's a reasonable question. The answer, +briefly, is that that is not the question we faced. + +<P> +When we started developing the Hurd in 1990, the question facing us +was, ``How can we get a free kernel for the GNU system?'' There was +no free Unix-like kernel then, and we knew of no other plan to write +one. The only way we could expect to have a free kernel was to write +it ourselves. So we started. + +<P> +We heard about Linux after its release. At that time, the question +facing us was, ``Should we cancel the Hurd project and use Linux +instead?'' + +<P> +We heard that Linux was not at all portable (this may not be true +today, but that's what we heard then). And we heard that Linux was +architecturally on a par with the Unix kernel; our work was leading to +something much more powerful. + +<P> +Given the years of work we had already put into the Hurd, we decided +to finish it rather than throw them away. + +<P> +If we did face the question that people ask---if Linux were already +available, and we were considering whether to start writing another +kernel---we would not do it. Instead we would choose another project, +something to do a job that no existing free software can do. + +<P> +But we did start the Hurd, back then, and now we have made it work. +We hope its superior architecture will make free operating systems +more powerful. + +<HR> + +Return to <A HREF="/home.html">GNU's home page</A>. +<P> +FSF & GNU inquiries & questions to +<A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>. +Other <A HREF="/home.html#ContactInfo">ways to contact</A> the FSF. +<P> +Comments on these web pages to +<A HREF="mailto:webmasters@www.gnu.org"><EM>webmasters@www.gnu.org</EM></A>, +send other questions to +<A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>. +<P> +Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998 Free Software Foundation, Inc., +59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111, USA +<P> +Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is +permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.<P> +Updated: +<!-- hhmts start --> +16 Feb 1998 tower +<!-- hhmts end --> +<HR> +</BODY> +</HTML> |