Richard Stallman
- Born:
- March 16, 1953, New York City, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Software Developer, Software Freedom Activist, Computer Programmer
Early Life and Education
- Demonstrated early aptitude for mathematics and programming.
- Graduated from Harvard University with a BA in Physics in 1974.
- Worked at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
Career and Major Achievements
- Initiated the GNU Project in 1983 to create a complete Unix-like operating system composed entirely of free software.
- Founded the Free Software Foundation (FSF) in 1985.
- Authored the GNU General Public License (GPL), a widely used free software license.
- Developed GNU Emacs, a highly extensible text editor.
Notable Works
- Software: GNU Emacs, GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), GNU Debugger (GDB)
- Licenses: GNU General Public License (GPL), GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL)
- Publications: Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman
Legacy and Impact
Richard Stallman's work has been instrumental in the free software movement. He has been a key advocate for software freedom and copyleft, influencing the development and distribution of countless free software projects.
Linus Torvalds
- Born:
- December 28, 1969, Helsinki, Finland
- Nationality:
- Finnish-American
- Profession(s):
- Software Engineer, Kernel Developer
Early Life and Education
- Developed an early interest in computers and programming.
- Studied computer science at the University of Helsinki, graduating with a Master's degree.
Career and Major Achievements
- Created the Linux kernel in 1991, initially as a hobby project.
- Oversaw the development of the Linux kernel, which became the foundation for numerous operating systems, including Android.
- Worked at Transmeta from 1997 to 2003.
- Worked at the Open Source Development Labs (later the Linux Foundation) since 2003.
Notable Works
- Operating Systems: Linux Kernel
- Software: Git (initially)
Legacy and Impact
Linus Torvalds is best known as the creator of the Linux kernel, a cornerstone of modern computing. His work has had a profound impact on the world of technology, powering everything from servers and embedded systems to smartphones. Understanding the context around figures such as Richard Stallman et Linus Torvalds biography, especially their respective roles and contributions, helps to understand the evolution of the open-source movement.