To begin with, GNU will be a kernel plus all the utilities needed to

write and run C programs: editor, shell, C compiler, linker,

assembler, and a few other things. After this we will add a text

formatter, a YACC, an Empire game, a spreadsheet, and hundreds of

other things. We hope to supply, eventually, everything useful that

normally comes with a Unix system, and anything else useful, including

on-line and hardcopy documentation.



GNU will be able to run Unix programs, but will not be identical

to Unix. We will make all improvements that are convenient, based

on our experience with other operating systems. In particular,

we plan to have longer filenames, file version numbers, a crashproof

file system, filename completion perhaps, terminal-independent

display support, and eventually a Lisp-based window system through

which several Lisp programs and ordinary Unix programs can share a screen.

Both C and Lisp will be available as system programming languages.

We will have network software based on MIT's chaosnet protocol,

far superior to UUCP. We may also have something compatible

with UUCP.





Who Am I?



I am Richard Stallman, inventor of the original much-imitated EMACS

editor, now at the Artificial Intelligence Lab at MIT. I have worked

extensively on compilers, editors, debuggers, command interpreters, the

Incompatible Timesharing System and the Lisp Machine operating system.

I pioneered terminal-independent display support in ITS. In addition I

have implemented one crashproof file system and two window systems for

Lisp machines.





Why I Must Write GNU



I consider that the golden rule requires that if I like a program I

must share it with other people who like it. I cannot in good

conscience sign a nondisclosure agreement or a software license

agreement.



So that I can continue to use computers without violating my principles,

I have decided to put together a sufficient body of free software so that

I will be able to get along without any software that is not free.





How You Can Contribute



I am asking computer manufacturers for donations of machines and money.



I'm asking individuals for donations of programs and work.



One computer manufacturer has already offered to provide a machine. But

we could use more. One consequence you can expect if you donate

machines is that GNU will run on them at an early date. The machine had

better be able to operate in a residential area, and not require

sophisticated cooling or power.



Individual programmers can contribute by writing a compatible duplicate

of some Unix utility and giving it to me. For most projects, such

part-time distributed work would be very hard to coordinate; the

independently-written parts would not work together. But for the

particular task of replacing Unix, this problem is absent. Most

interface specifications are fixed by Unix compatibility. If each

contribution works with the rest of Unix, it will probably work

with the rest of GNU.



If I get donations of money, I may be able to hire a few people full or

part time. The salary won't be high, but I'm looking for people for

whom knowing they are helping humanity is as important as money. I view

this as a way of enabling dedicated people to devote their full energies to

working on GNU by sparing them the need to make a living in another way.





For more information, contact me.

Arpanet mail:

RMS@MIT-MC.ARPA



Usenet:

...!mit-eddie!RMS@OZ

...!mit-vax!RMS@OZ



US Snail:

Richard Stallman

166 Prospect St

Cambridge, MA 02139

