GNU Hurd (usually referred to as the Hurd) is a free software Unix-like replacement for the Unix kernel, released under the GNU General Public License. It has been under development since 1990 by the GNU Project of the Free Software Foundation. It consists of a set of protocols and server processes (or daemons, in Unix terminology) that run on top of the GNU Mach microkernel; together they are intended to form the kernel of the GNU operating system. The Hurd aims to surpass Unix operating systems in functionality, security, and stability, while remaining largely compatible with them. The GNU Project chose the server-client architecture for their own operating system, instead of the traditional Unix monolithic kernel architecture, as it has many superior features..

HURD is a mutually recursive acronym, standing for HIRD of Unix-replacing daemons, where HIRD stands for HURD of interfaces representing depth. It is also a play on the words herd of gnus, reflecting how it works.

• GNU Compiler Collection@ (31)
• Stallman, Richard@ (9)

See also:

• Computers: Software: Operating Systems: Microkernel: Flux-Fluke-Flask (1)
• Computers: Software: Operating Systems: Microkernel: Mach: NeXT (13)
• Computers: Software: Operating Systems: Reflective (0)
• Computers: Software: Operating Systems: Unix: Open Source (5)

• Hurd
  osdata.com
  A basic introduction to the Hurd project.
• Free Software Foundation (FSF), GNU Project
  gnu.org
  Non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating restrictions on copying, redistributing, understanding, and modifying computer programs. GNU Project was begun to develop a complete free Unix-like operating system.
• Hurd hacking guide
  8ung.at
  Offers guidelines on design and implementation of GNU Hurd.