I was wondering that how is Linux and GNU related to each other. Can anyone clear my doubt in it?
Thanks!
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I was wondering that how is Linux and GNU related to each other. Can anyone clear my doubt in it?
Thanks!
GNU, founded by Richard Stallman, is a collection of tools which more or less help to create a fully functional operating system. GNU’s goal was to create a fully free, open source replacement of UNIX.
Linux was created by Linus Torvalds with no connection to GNU. Linux functions as an operating system kernel. When Linux was created, there were many GNU components already created but GNU lacked a kernel, so Linux was used with GNU components to create a complete operating system. There is now a kernel created by the GNU team in development (GNU Hurd) which can be used instead of Linux producing a fully GNU-based operating system. However, GNU Hurd is still in development stages (and has been for 20 years) and Linux is a more mature kernel.
It is possible also (such as in the case of Android) to have a Linux-based operating system which has no GNU components.
But usually a complete operating system will consist of Linux + many GNU components, which is sometimes referred to as GNU/Linux.