# GNU/Linux? 

By [ibnthami](https://paragraph.com/@ibnthami) · 2023-04-04

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What does GNU mean in Linux?

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/d78085dec9876a9c51dec6a0de8b8b2f9b87f92c21f6e4b133d39490f942cfc8.webp)

GNU's Not Unix

The name “GNU” is a recursive acronym for “**GNU's Not Unix**.” “GNU” is pronounced g'noo, as one syllable, like saying “grew” but replacing the r with n. The program in a Unix-like system that allocates machine resources and talks to the hardware is called the “kernel.” GNU is typically used with a kernel called Linux.

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*Originally published on [ibnthami](https://paragraph.com/@ibnthami/gnu-linux)*