Computer

Chronology

1984 : X Windows, early graphics system for Unix, created by MIT
1985 : GNU Manifesto founded by Richard Stallman. Include freedom to run, to study, to redistribute, to modify and to improve. Include a set of compilers, userspace tools, editors, etc.
1991
- GNU General Public License v2.0 : "The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software"
- Linux, Python
1993 : Debian
1994 : Red Hat
1995
- Apache, Mysql
- GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). Inspired by Photoshop, started at Berkeley. Led to GTK+ being created. Initial cultural pool for GNOME hackers.
- Windows 95
1996
- PostgreSQL
- KDE : First major effort at a coordinated Desktop Project. Based on Qt as widget toolkit, but this was not free software.
1997
- Miguel announces GNOME project. GNOME vs KDE desktop war.
- Massive fight breaks out across the Linux scene. C vs C++; Germany vs America; Corporate vs Hackers; Qt vs GTK+
1998
- Mozilla
- Windows 95 rocketed to take 98% PC market share
2001
- Dotcom bubble burst
- OSX 10.0 released
2004
- Ubuntu : Combined Debian, GNOME and the kernel into a useful and usable product. Focus on users. Drove GNOME 2.x to a dominant position across the Linux ecosystem.
2017
- Ubuntu returns to using GNOME by default.

Jonathan Blandford (July 29, 2017) "A Brief History of GNOME" Manchester : The GNOME Conference GUADEC