GTKFree and open-source cross-platform widget toolkit for creating graphical user interfacesGTK (formerly GIMP ToolKit and GTK+) is a free and open-sourcewidget toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs) targeted at Linux and specifically GNOME (though with some use in other desktop environments). It is licensed under the terms of the GNU LGPL, allowing both free and proprietary software to use it. The GTK team releases new versions on a regular basis.
Desktop environmentIn computing, a desktop environment (DE) is an implementation of the desktop metaphor made of a bundle of programs running on top of a computer operating system that share a common graphical user interface (GUI), sometimes described as a graphical shell. The desktop environment was seen mostly on personal computers until the rise of mobile computing.
Wayland (protocol)Display system intended to replace X11Wayland is a communication protocol that specifies the communication between a display server and its clients, as well as a C library implementation of that protocol. A display server using the Wayland protocol is called a Wayland compositor, because it additionally performs the task of a compositing window manager.
DebianFree general-purpose operating systemOperating systemDebian () is a free, general-purpose operating system developed by the Debian Project, a worldwide volunteer association founded by Ian Murdock on August 16, 1993. It is the second-oldest Linux distribution still being developed (only Slackware is older) and forms the base of many others. It is deployed across servers, personal computers, and embedded devices.
Software repositoryA software repository, or repo for short, is a storage location for software packages. Often a table of contents is also stored, along with metadata. A software repository is typically managed by source or version control, or repository managers. Package managers allow automatically installing and updating repositories, sometimes called "packages".
Lightweight softwareIn computing, lightweight software also called lightweight program and lightweight application, is a computer program that is designed to have a small memory footprint (RAM usage) and low CPU usage, overall a low usage of system resources. To achieve this, the software should avoid software bloat and code bloat and try to find the best algorithm efficiency.
LinuxFamily of Unix-like operating systems that use the Linux kernelOperating systemLinux ( ) is a family of free and open-source softwareUnix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, which was first released on 17 September 1991 by Linus Torvalds.Freedesktop.orgfreedesktop.org (fd.o), formerly X Desktop Group (XDG), is a project to work on interoperability and shared base technology for free-software desktop environments for the X Window System (X11) and Wayland on Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. Although freedesktop.org produces specifications for interoperability, it is not a formal standards body. The project was founded by Havoc Pennington, a GNOME developer working for Red Hat in March 2000.
Free and open-source softwareFree and open-source software (FOSS) is software available under a license that gives users the right to use, share, modify, and distribute the software — modified or not — to everyone and provides the means to exercise those rights using the software's source code. FOSS is an inclusive umbrella term encompassing free software and open-source software.
Unix-likeA Unix-likeoperating system (sometimes referred to as a UN*X,*nix or *NIX) is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, although not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification. A Unix-like application is one that behaves like the corresponding Unix command or shell.
Unix philosophyListen to this article (10 minutes) was created from a revision of this article dated 17 May 2026 (2026-05-17), and does not reflect subsequent edits.( · )The Unix philosophy, originated by Ken Thompson, is a set of cultural norms and philosophical approaches to minimalist, modularsoftware development. It is based on the experience of leading developers of the Unixoperating system.Modular programmingModular programming is a programming paradigm that emphasizes organizing the functions of a codebase into independent modules, each providing an aspect of a computer program in its entirety without providing other aspects. A module interface expresses the elements that are provided and required by the module. The elements defined in the interface are detectable by other modules.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.