The GNU/Hurd is a new computer Operating System designed to replace GNU/Linux. The GNU/Hurd adheres to the principles of free software as outlined and upheld by the Free Software Foundation (GNU) and Software in the Public Interest, Inc. (Debian). The Hurd will replace the Linux kernel, and the GNU/Hurd Operating System will use the GNU tools which are part of GNU/Linux.
The Hurd itself is a system of servers that run on top of the GNU Mach microkernel to manage such things as file systems, network protocols, file access, and the other features that are usually managed by the monolithic Unix and Linux kernels.
The Hurd works in different way to Unix/Linux with one of its most important
features being translators. Basically, a translator is a server which
interfaces you with a particular file-system, and GNU/Hurd treats most
things as filesystems which can be accessed by a translator: it does not
matter whether these file-systems are on the local system or on remote
systems. Thus, and for example, there is a ftp translator which allows
access to remote file-systems on a ftp server. (See Basic
Guide to Using Debian GNU/Hurd for more details.)
Debian GNU/Hurd is a distribution of GNU/Hurd which uses the Debian package system and which is being constructed by Debian developers.
At the time of writing (JD 2451532.8758 or December 20 1999 AD) a basic GNU/Hurd system is available which non-developers and non-programmers can install and use and which is reasonably stable.
Since the system is currently in active devlopment, new packages are
being added every month, and while at present GNU/Hurd is usable, there
is at least a year or more of further development required before it possesses
the usability which GNU/Linux has.
To support free software in general and the development of GNU/Hurd in particular. Even those who - like me - are neither developers nor computer programmers can help the development of GNU/Hurd by using it, submitting bug-reports and trying out new packages when they are released.
GNU/Hurd has the potential to be the best computer Operating System
in the world - better than GNU/Linux IMHO - and the more people who install
it, use it and aid its development, the sooner this will happen.
Basic Guide to Using Debian GNU/Hurd
Helping the Debian GNU/Hurd Project
Why Free Software is Important
The GNU Project
Contact: wulstan at lycosmail.com [ To send E-mail replace at with @ ]