Richard Stallman Receives Prestigious 2001 Takeda Award.Business/Technology Editors TOKYO, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 2001 The Takeda Foundation of Japan has named Richard M. Stallman, president of the Free Software Foundation and founder of the GNU project The development of the GNU operating system, which began in 1984 and continues to be enhanced (see GNU). Initiated by Richard Stallman, the GNU conception of an operating system follows that of Unix, which is more expansive than other operating systems and can include any type of programs , as co-recipient of the 2001 Takeda Award. As part of this honor, Stallman will receive a monetary award of approximately 33 million yen (currently about US $268,000). Dr. Stallman receives this honor for launching the Free Software Movement and leading the development of the GNU gnu (n  ) or wildebeest (wĭl`dəbēst'), large African antelope, genus Connochaetes. operating system operating system (OS)Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. . GNU, started by Stallman in 1984, is a completely Free Software operating system: it gives users the freedom to copy, share, modify and redistribute the software. The Free Software Movement, started along with GNU, advocates and defends these freedoms worldwide. Stallman shares the full 2001 Takeda award of 100 million yen with two other recipients. Ken Sakamura Ken Sakamura (坂村 健 Sakamura Ken receives the award for developing and promoting the TRON architecture, a real-time operating system (operating system) Real-Time Operating System - (RTOS) Any operating system where interrupts are guaranteed to be handled within a certain specified maximum time, thereby making it suitable for control of hardware in embedded systems and other time-critical applications. specification for embedded systems Embedded systems Computer systems that cannot be programmed by the user because they are preprogrammed for a specific task and are buried within the equipment they serve. . Linus Torvalds is honored for his work on the operating system kernel called Linux, which is normally used together with GNU. The GNU/Linux system, which combines GNU and Linux, has over 20 million users worldwide. The Takeda foundation will bestow this year's award in a ceremony in Tokyo on December 4th. In 1990, Stallman was awarded a $240,000 fellowship by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, philanthropic institution founded 1978 by John D. MacArthur (1897–1978), owner of a prominent insurance company and other businesses, and his wife Catherine T. . As with the MacArthur award, Stallman will invest the Takeda award to pay his future living expenses, so that he can work full time promoting software freedom and coordinating the GNU project. Stallman receives no salary nor travel expenses from the FSF FSF - Free Software Foundation and assumes a modest living style to facilitate his continued work championing the cause of free software. About GNU: GNU is a Free Software Unix-like operating system. Development of GNU began in 1984. http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html gives more information about GNU and its history. Some people call the GNU/Linux system "Linux", but this misnomer misnomer n. the wrong name. MISNOMER. The act of using a wrong name. 2. Misnomers, may be considered with regard to contracts, to devises and bequests, and to suits or actions. 3.-1. leads to confusion (people cannot tell whether you mean the whole system or the kernel, one part), and spreads an inaccurate picture of how, when and where the system was developed. Making a consistent distinction between GNU/Linux, the whole operating system, and Linux, the kernel, is the best way to clear up the confusion. See http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html for more explanation. About the Free Software Foundation: The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, promotes computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of Free (as in freedom) Software particularly the GNU operating system and Free Documentation for Free Software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software. Their web site, located at http://www.fsf.org, is an important source of information about GNU/Linux. They are headquartered in Boston, MA, USA. |
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