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<TITLE>The Hurd and Linux - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</TITLE>
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<H1>The Hurd and Linux</H1>
<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
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Updated:
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22 Jan 1999
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