Next: What version should I use?, Previous: Who develops Octave?, Up: What is Octave?

### 1.2 Why GNU Octave?

The GNU Project was launched in 1984 to develop a complete Unix-like operating system which is free software: the GNU system.

GNU is a recursive acronym for “GNU's Not Unix”; it is pronounced guh-noo, approximately like canoe.

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is the principal organizational sponsor of the GNU Project.

Octave became GNU Octave in 1997 (beginning with version 2.0.6). This meant agreeing to consider Octave a part of the GNU Project and support the efforts of the FSF. However, Octave is not and has never been developed by the FSF.

For more information about the GNU project, see www.gnu.org.