Related articles * [Arch Linux](/index.php/Arch_Linux "Arch Linux") * [Core Utilities](/index.php/Core_Utilities "Core Utilities") From [https://www.gnu.org/](https://www.gnu.org/): The GNU Project was launched in 1984 to develop the GNU operating system, a complete Unix-like operating system which is free software—software which respects your freedom. Unix-like operating systems are built from a software collection of applications, libraries, and developer tools—plus a program to allocate resources and talk to the hardware, known as a kernel. [...] The combination of GNU and Linux is the GNU/Linux operating system, now used by millions and sometimes incorrectly called simply “Linux”. The name “GNU” is a recursive acronym for “GNU's Not Unix!” The aim of the GNU Project is to produce a totally free operating system. While the GNU kernel has not reached a stable version, the project has resulted in the creation of many tools that power most Unix-like operating system distributions. [Arch Linux](/index.php/Arch_Linux "Arch Linux") is such a distribution, using GNU software like the [GRUB](/index.php/GRUB "GRUB") bootloader, [Bash](/index.php/Bash "Bash") shell, and numerous other utilities and libraries. ## Contents * [1 The base system](#The_base_system) * [1.1 Kernel](#Kernel) * [1.2 Software collection](#Software_collection) * [2 Development tools](#Development_tools) * [3 Other tools](#Other_tools) * [4 See also](#See_also) ## The base system At the end of the installation process, an Arch system is nothing more than the Linux Kernel, the GNU toolchain, and a few command line tools. The minimal install normally contains the entire [base](https://www.archlinux.org/groups/x86_64/base/) group. ### Kernel While [Hurd](https://www.gnu.org/s/hurd/hurd.html), the GNU Kernel, is under active development, there is not yet a stable version. For this reason Arch and most other GNU based systems use the Linux Kernel. The [Arch Hurd Project](/index.php/Arch_Hurd_Project "Arch Hurd Project") aims to port Arch Linux to the Hurd kernel. ### Software collection * **[GRUB](/index.php/GRUB "GRUB")** — GRUB is the bootloader from the GNU project. [https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/](https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/) || [grub](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=grub) * **[glibc](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/glibc "wikipedia:glibc")** — glibc is GNU's implementation of the C library. Despite its name, it also supports C++ and indirectly other languages. It defines the system calls and other basic facilities such as open, malloc, printf, exit. [https://www.gnu.org/software/libc/](https://www.gnu.org/software/libc/) || [glibc](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=glibc) * **[binutils](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/binutils "wikipedia:binutils")** — It is a collection of binary tools. [https://www.gnu.org/software/binutils/](https://www.gnu.org/software/binutils/) || [binutils](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=binutils) * **[bash](/index.php/Bash "Bash")** — It is an sh-compatible shell that incorporates useful features from the Korn shell (ksh) and C shell (csh). [https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/](https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/) || [bash](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=bash) * **[coreutils](/index.php/Coreutils "Coreutils")** — coreutils provides the basic file, shell and text manipulation utilities of the GNU operating system. [https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/](https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/) || [coreutils](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=coreutils) * **[gzip](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gzip "wikipedia:gzip")** — gzip is both a file format and a software application for compression and decompression. [https://www.gnu.org/software/gzip/](https://www.gnu.org/software/gzip/) || [gzip](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=gzip) * **[tar](/index.php/Tar "Tar")** — It provides the ability to create or decompress tar archives, as well as various other kinds of manipulation. [https://www.gnu.org/software/tar/](https://www.gnu.org/software/tar/) || [tar](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=tar) ## Development tools Though not necessary, users have the option of installing the [base-devel](https://www.archlinux.org/groups/x86_64/base-devel/) group for some software development tools. This group is a requirement for building packages from the [Arch User Repository](/index.php/Arch_User_Repository "Arch User Repository"). Among **base-devel** are several members of the [GNU toolchain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_toolchain "wikipedia:GNU toolchain"), a *"suite of tools used in a serial manner [...] for developing applications and operating systems"*. The key components of this toolchain are: **compilation and build:** [make](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=make) **compiler collection:** [gcc](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=gcc) **linker, assembler and other tools:** [binutils](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=binutils) [w:gold (linker)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gold_(linker) "w:gold (linker)"), [w:GNU Binutils](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Binutils "w:GNU Binutils"), [w:GNU linker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_linker "w:GNU linker") **parser generator:** [bison](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=bison) **macro processor:** [m4](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=m4) [GNU Build System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_build_system "wikipedia:GNU build system") (autotools): **automatically configure source code:** [autoconf](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=autoconf) **automatically create Makefiles:** [automake](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=automake) **library support script:** [libtool](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=libtool) ## Other tools Many other optional GNU tools are available in the [official repositories](/index.php/Official_repositories "Official repositories"): **Desktop environment:** [GNOME](/index.php/GNOME "GNOME") **Full-screen window manager:** [GNU Screen](/index.php/GNU_Screen "GNU Screen") **Partition Manager:** [GNU Parted](/index.php/GNU_Parted "GNU Parted") **Image editor:** [GIMP](/index.php/GIMP "GIMP") **Spreadsheet:** [Gnumeric](/index.php/Gnumeric "Gnumeric") **Widget toolkit:** [GTK+](/index.php/GTK%2B "GTK+") ## See also * [All GNU Packages](https://www.gnu.org/software/software.html#allgnupkgs) - Current GNU projects * [The GNU Manifesto](https://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto) * [Wikipedia:List of GNU packages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GNU_packages "wikipedia:List of GNU packages")