# GNU

GNU (*GNU is Not Unix", a [recursive](recursion.md) acronym) is a project started by [Richard Stallman](rms.md), the inventor of [free as in freedom software](free_software.md), running since 1983 with the goal of creating a completely free (as in freedom) [operating system](os.md), along with other free [software](software.md) that computer users might need. The project achieved its goal of creating an operating system when a [kernel](kernel.md) named [Linux](linux.md) became part of it in the 90s as the last piece of the puzzle -- the system is now known as GNU/Linux. However, the GNU project didn't end and continues to further develop the operating system as well as a myriad of other software projects it hosts. GNU gave rise to the [Free Software Foundation](fsf.md) and is one of the most important software projects in history of computing.

## See Also

- [Free Software Foundation](fsf.md)
- [Richard Stallman](rms.md)
- [copyleft](copyleft.md)
- [free software](free_software.md)