Richard Stallman

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Richard Matthew Stallman working on his Lemote Machine

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Richard Matthew Stallman (born March 16, 1953), often known by his initials, RMS, is an American free software movement activist and programmer. He is the founder of the Free Software Foundation (FSF), launching the project in 1985 to develop the GNU operating system, a free software alternative to UNIX. Stallman initiated the GNU Project in 1983 and later established the concept of copyleft (a method for licensing free software), which led to the creation of the GNU General Public License (GPL), one of the most popular free software licenses.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Richard Stallman was born in New York City. From a young age, he showed an interest in technology and mathematics. He attended Harvard University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Physics in 1974. During his time at Harvard, Stallman was a hacker at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, where he became a significant figure in the hacker community.

Career[edit | edit source]

Stallman's career is marked by his commitment to free software. Disenchanted with the shift towards proprietary software in the 1980s, Stallman aimed to create a completely free and open operating system. This led to the inception of the GNU Project in 1983. The project's name, "GNU", is a recursive acronym for "GNU's Not UNIX", reflecting Stallman's goal to create a UNIX-compatible software system that was entirely free.

In 1985, Stallman founded the Free Software Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the free software movement. Under Stallman's leadership, the FSF has been instrumental in the development and promotion of free software and the drafting of licenses that protect software freedom, most notably the GNU General Public License.

Stallman is also known for his contributions to the development of GNU Emacs, the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), and the GNU Debugger (GDB), among other software projects within the GNU ecosystem.

Philosophy[edit | edit source]

Stallman's philosophy centers around the concept of software freedom. He argues that software should be free in the sense that users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change, and improve the software. This philosophy is encapsulated in the four freedoms outlined in the GNU General Public License:

The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose (freedom 0).
The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

Controversies[edit | edit source]

Throughout his career, Stallman has been a polarizing figure. His outspoken nature and firm stance on free software and digital rights have sparked both admiration and criticism. Stallman has been involved in several controversies related to his personal behavior and comments, leading to his resignation from the FSF in 2019. However, he remains an influential figure in the free software community.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Richard Stallman's impact on the software industry and the digital rights movement is significant. His advocacy for free software has influenced the development of numerous free software projects outside of the GNU Project, including the Linux kernel, which, when combined with GNU components, forms a fully free operating system. Stallman's work has also inspired the creation of various free software organizations and initiatives around the world.

Richard Stallman Resources
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