"GNU" is pronounced "guh-new" - and "GNU" stands for "GNU's Not Unix".

In other words, the GNU software components, such as the GNU / Linux commands are NOT part of

another very popular (and at times very expensive) operating system called UNIX.

The GNU Project - Where The Linux Commands Came From

Here's what the GNU web site says about the GNU Project (which created the Linux commands):

"The GNU project supports the mission of the Free Software Foundation to preserve, protect and promote the freedom to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer software, and to defend the rights of Free Software users. We support the freedoms of speech, press, and association on the Internet, the right to use encryption software for private communication, and the right to write software unimpeded by private monopolies."

You can go to http://www.gnu.org to learn more about GNU Project.

The GNU / Linux Commands - Clones of UNIX Commands

The GNU / Linux commands are basically "clones" of the UNIX operating system commands. Most of them have the same names - and "for all intents and purposes" work in exactly the same way as UNIX commands - without infringing on the copyright of the UNIX operating system (although this has been hotly disputed over the years).

The Linux OS and the GNU commands that work with it are extremely similar to the UNIX operating system.

People often get the Linux operating system (for free) so that they can learn it, and at the same time learn how to use the UNIX operating system (not always free). They get GNU / Linux to learn UNIX because it is extremely similar to UNIX - and it's Free!

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The Linux Kernel - Does Not Include ANY Linux Commands

Very technically speaking, Linux is just the Linux "kernel" (and doesn't include ANY commands - or ANY other software components). And the Linux kernel provides the common operating system services, like system memory management, and communicating with hardware devices. (More on this later.)

The Linux "kernel" doesn't include ANY commands, and so the GNU Project (primarily sponsored by the Free Software Foundation) created the GNU commands to be able to work with the Linux kernel.

Some of these extremely popular and commonly used Linux commands are: ls (for list), mkdir (used to make a directory), cp (for copy), adduser (used to add a user to the system) and passwd (used to assign a password to a user or change a user's password).

Many people (especially the contributors to the GNU Project and the Free Software Foundation) think that Linux should always be called GNU / Linux because the GNU commands are essential to the use of Linux - and some other people disagree.

Linux Commands Training Tips: Let's face it, just saying "Linux" is way easier than saying "GNU / Linux". And humans like to take shortcuts - so you usually just hear people say "Linux" and not "GNU / Linux".

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Clyde Boom, http://www.iLearnLinux.com

The Easy Linux Training Guy