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In 1983, Richard Stallman launched the GNU Project with the goal of building a completely free Unix-like operating system. He wanted to ensure users had the freedom to run, study, modify, and share software. This marked the beginning of the free software movement, a reaction against the growing restrictions imposed by proprietary software. -
To support the development of GNU, Stallman founded the Free Software Foundation (FSF) in 1985. The FSF became a key organization promoting software freedom, coordinating legal and technical work, and funding the GNU Project. -
The GNU GPL v1 was released in 1989. It introduced the concept of copyleft, a legal mechanism to ensure that modified versions of free software also remained free. This license played a critical role in preserving the principles of the GNU Project. -
By the early 1990s, most essential parts of the GNU system were ready: GCC (compiler), Bash (shell), coreutils, and Emacs. However, the GNU Hurd kernel was still under development and unstable, making the system incomplete.
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In 1991, Finnish student Linus Torvalds released version 0.01 of the Linux kernel as a hobby project. It gained popularity quickly, and in 1992, Torvalds re-licensed Linux under the GPL v2, making it compatible with GNU software. -
With GNU providing the system components and Linux providing the kernel, developers began combining them into a fully functional operating system. The result was GNU/Linux, though it is often referred to simply as “Linux”. -
In 1993, early distributions like Slackware and Debian appeared. These packaged GNU and Linux components into installable systems, making GNU/Linux more accessible to users.
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The term “open source” was introduced to make the concept of free software more appealing to businesses. The OSI was founded to promote the practical benefits of open development, but this move sparked ideological tensions with the FSF. -
Despite years of work, the GNU Hurd kernel remained incomplete. As a result, the Linux kernel became the default choice for GNU systems, solidifying the dominance of GNU/Linux as the standard free operating system. -
In 2004, Ubuntu was launched by Canonical to make GNU/Linux easier for regular desktop users. Based on Debian, Ubuntu emphasized usability and broad access to Linux-based systems. -
Google launched Android, a mobile OS using the Linux kernel but not GNU components. While not a GNU/Linux system, it showed the versatility and widespread adoption of Linux. -
During the 2010s, GNU/Linux became the dominant OS in servers, cloud infrastructure, and supercomputers. It also gained ground in embedded devices and the Internet of Things (IoT), expanding well beyond its desktop roots.
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A new init system called systemd replaced older init systems in many distributions. Though technically powerful, it sparked controversy over complexity and the erosion of the Unix philosophy of modular -
In the 2020s, GNU/Linux continues to evolve. Projects like Wayland, PipeWire, and Guix System aim to modernize graphics, audio, and package management while emphasizing software freedom. The return of Stallman to the FSF in 2021 caused controversy, highlighting ongoing debates about governance, ethics, and the direction of the movement. -
Microsoft released Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2), allowing users to run GNU/Linux distributions within Windows using a real Linux kernel. This unexpected move showed how far open source had come—even Microsoft embraced it.