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What Is the GNU Hurd?

The GNU Hurd is the GNU project's replacement for the Unix kernel.
The Hurd is a collection of servers that run on the Mach microkernel
to implement file systems, network protocols, file access control, and
other features that are implemented by the Unix kernel or similar
kernels (such as Linux).  *[[Read_on.|hurd/what_is_the_gnu_hurd]]*

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**There is a huge bunch of unpolished stuff on here, please help us to tidy
things up!**  Comments about how that could be tackled are best posted onto
this page's [[discussion]] subpage.

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This site focuses on providing user-centric and update-able (and hopefully the
most current) information regarding the status and development of the
GNU project's GNU operating system.  There are many areas to comment on the
core component (the Hurd) and other very closely related but distinct projects.
This is an all volunteer effort intended to supplement the [official Hurd
site](http://hurd.gnu.org/).


[[toc ]]

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## Breaking News

* 2008-09-19: We had 4 slots in the Google Summer of Code 2008 - [[check_the_results|community/gsoc]]! 

## Contributing

To help the Hurd you can for example (from high level stuff to the inner core)

* [[Contribute_to_these_web_pages|contributing/web_pages]],
* [[Run_a_GNU/Hurd_system|index#run]], and help others get their systems running, 
* [[Port_applications|hurd/running/debian/porting]] to work in Hurd, 
* Write [[translators|hurd/translator]] to extend the Hurd, 
* Work on the [[Hurd_on_Mach|contributing#hurd_on_mach]], or
* Help to port the Hurd [[to_a_modern_microkernel|contributing#hurd_on_modern_microkernel]].

Read about ways to contribute [[in_more_detail|contributing]].


## Getting Help

There are a couple of different [[Hurd_FAQs|hurd/FAQ]].
There are a number of [[IRC_channels|IRC]] and several
different [[mailing_lists]] with searchable archives.

Before asking a question on a mailing list or on IRC, first, please try to
answer your own question using a search engine and reading the introductory
information.  If you have done this and you cannot find the answer to your
question, feel free to ask on a mailing list or on IRC.

<a name="run"> </a>
## Running the Hurd

The most functional distribution of the Hurd is the one provided by Debian.
Find more information about it at the
[Debian GNU/Hurd website](http://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/hurd-install).

There are [[various_possibilities|hurd/running]] of running a GNU/Hurd system.

And these web pages are a living proof of the usability of the Hurd, as they
are rendered on a Debian GNU/Hurd system.  More people using GNU Hurd in
production can be found on [[Hurd/WhoRunsGNU]].


## Current Status

There has not yet been an official 1.0 release.  The Hurd is developed by a few
volunteers in their spare time.  The project welcomes any assistance you can provide.
Porting and development expertise is still badly needed in many key areas.

Functional systems are installable in a dual-boot configuration.  Development
systems are currently mostly based on the [[Debian_GNU/Hurd|hurd/running/debian]] port
sponsored by the [Debian project](http://www.debian.org/).

Community resources for related projects focus around these pages,
<http://hurd.gnu.org/>, the [[mailing_lists]] and the [[IRC_channels|IRC]].

If you want to see the current discussions in the Hurd project, please have a look at 
the [bug-hurd mailinglist archives](http://lists.gnu.org/pipermail/bug-hurd/). 

[[hurd/Status]]


## How is this site arranged?

The menu on the upper right corner provides a rough structuring about the
available content.  Just follow those topics and explore these pages.

Further information about this site and how it was created can be found in the
[[colophon]].

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