computer science

GNU Manifesto

GNU Manifesto is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand GNU Manifesto rather than just read about it. In short: The GNU Manifesto is a call-to-action by Richard Stallman encouraging participation and support of the GNU Project's goal in developing the GNU free computer operating system. The GNU Manifesto was published in March 1985 in Dr.

Key takeaways

GNU Manifesto belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect GNU Manifesto to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of GNU Manifesto from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The GNU Manifesto is a call-to-action by Richard Stallman encouraging participation and support of the GNU Project's goal in developing the GNU free computer operating system. The GNU Manifesto was published in March 1985 in Dr. Dobb's Journal. It is held in high regard within the free software movement as a fundamental philosophical source. The full text is included with GNU software such as Emacs, and is publicly available.

Background Some parts of the GNU Manifesto began as an announcement of the GNU Project posted by Richard Stallman on September 27, 1983, in form of an email on Usenet newsgroups. The project's aim was to give computer users freedom and control over their computers by collaboratively developing and providing software that is based on Stallman's idea of software freedom (although the written definition did not exist until February 1986). The manifesto was written to familiarize more people with these concepts, and to find more support in the form of work, funding, programs and hardware. The GNU Manifesto was published with its title and full written form in 1985 but was updated slightly in 1987.

Summary The GNU Manifesto opens with an explanation of what the GNU Project is, and what is the current, at the time, progress in creation of the GNU operating system. The system, although based on, and compatible with Unix, is meant by the author to have many improvements over it, which are listed in detail in the manifesto. One of the major driving points behind the GNU project, according to Stallman, was the rapid (at the time) trend toward Unix and its various components becoming proprietary (i.e. closed-source and non-libre) software. The manifesto lays a philosophical basis for launching the project, and importance of bringing it to fruition — proprietary software is a way to divide users, who are no longer able to help each other. Stallman refuses to write proprietary software as a sign of solidarity with them. The author provides many reasons for why the project and software freedom is beneficial to users, although he agrees that its wide adoption will make the work of programmers less profitable. A large part of the GNU Manifesto is focused on rebutting possible objections to GNU Project's goals. They include the programmer's need to make a living, the issue of advertising and distributing free software, and the perceived need of a profit incentive.

Inspired by GNU Manifesto Throughout history, the GNU Manifesto has inspired various other UNIX-related manifestos. Based on it, 10 years later, a popular magazine Linux Focus released its manifesto. 20 years later, a popular illustrations publisher has published their Linux developer manifesto.

Illustrations

GNU logo

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with GNU Manifesto

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what GNU Manifesto claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to GNU Manifesto before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about GNU Manifesto ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of GNU Manifesto

In research: GNU Manifesto appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses GNU Manifesto in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: GNU Manifesto is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1985 documents, Copyleft media, Free Software Foundation, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for GNU Manifesto outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study GNU Manifesto in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what GNU Manifesto means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain GNU Manifesto out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is GNU Manifesto in simple terms?

Why does GNU Manifesto matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study GNU Manifesto?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on GNU Manifesto.