GNU Core Utilities

The GNU Core Utilities or coreutils is a package of GNU software containing implementations for many of the basic tools, such as cat, ls, and rm, which are used on Unix-like operating systems.

GNU Core Utilities
Developer(s)GNU Project
Stable release
9.4[1] Edit this on Wikidata / 29 August 2023
Repository
Written inC, shell script[2]
Operating systemUnix-like
TypeMiscellaneous utilities
License2007[lower-alpha 1]: GPL-3.0-or-later
2002[lower-alpha 2]: GPL-2.0-or-later
Websitewww.gnu.org/software/coreutils/

In September 2002, the GNU coreutils were created by merging the earlier packages textutils, shellutils, and fileutils, along with some other miscellaneous utilities.[3] In July 2007, the license of the GNU coreutils was updated from GPL-2.0-or-later to GPL-3.0-or-later.[4]

The GNU core utilities support long options as parameters to the commands, as well as the relaxed convention allowing options even after the regular arguments (unless the POSIXLY_CORRECT environment variable is set). This environment variable enables a different functionality in BSD.

See the List of GNU Core Utilities commands for a brief description of included commands.

Alternative implementation packages are available in the FOSS ecosystem, with a slightly different scope and focus, or license. For example, BusyBox which is licensed under GPL-2.0-only, and Toybox which is licensed under 0BSD.

History

In 1990, David MacKenzie announced GNU fileutils.[5]

In 1991, MacKenzie announced GNU shellutils and GNU textutils.[6][7] Moreover, Jim Meyering became the maintainer of the packages (known now as coreutils) and has remained so since.[8]

In 2002, Meyering announced GNU coreutils as a merger of the earlier packages textutils, shellutils, and fileutils, along with some other miscellaneous utilities.[3]

See also

Notes
  1. GPL-3.0-or-later since version 6.10.
  2. GPL-2.0-or-later until version 6.9.

References
  1. Pádraig Brady (29 August 2023). "coreutils-9.4 released [stable]". Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  2. "The GNU Core Utilities Open Source Project on Open Hub: Languages Page". Archived from the original on 2019-03-28. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
  3. Meyering, Jim (2003-01-13). "README-package-renamed-to-coreutils". Archived from the original on 2019-12-25. Retrieved 2018-08-15.
  4. Meyering, Jim (2007-07-23). "COPYING: Update to Version 3". Archived from the original on 2019-12-25. Retrieved 2018-08-15.
  5. "GNU file utilities release 1.0". groups.google.com.
  6. "GNU shell programming utilities released". groups.google.com.
  7. "new GNU file and text utilities released". groups.google.com.
  8. "GNU's Who".
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