this post was submitted on 17 Dec 2025
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Free software has some glib naming conventions (feddit.uk)
submitted 1 week ago by flamingos@feddit.uk to c/programmer_humor@programming.dev
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Toot

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[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 55 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Then what does the g in gnu stand for?

[–] Zink@programming.dev 102 points 1 week ago (1 children)

you're not gonna believe this...

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 31 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I’ve got g’news for you…

[–] Zink@programming.dev 7 points 1 week ago

g'news and g'day to you as well, g'lady!

[–] QBertReynolds@sh.itjust.works 33 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think this is sarcasm, but just in case it isn't... GNU is a recursive acronym for "GNU's Not Unix".

[–] whosepoopisonmybuttocks@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

My guess for why they chose the letter g is that gnu can be phonetically the same as just nu, but keeps people from interpreting the name of the project as a dumb spelling of "new".

[–] io@piefed.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 week ago

gnot unix

[–] mech@feddit.org 22 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Gary

[–] cypherix93@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

as in the inventor of chess, THE Gary Chess?

[–] thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 week ago

rival of George Checkers?

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

All the gnus

[–] pmk@piefed.ca 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

gnu

[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Okay but what does the g stand for?

[–] justaman123@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Blue Gnu or Black Gnu?

[–] degen@midwest.social 1 points 1 week ago

Greatsoftware Notwithstanding Unix