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{{Short description|American software company}}
{{refimprove|date=September 2014}}
{{refimprove|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name = Cygnus Solutions
| name = Cygnus Solutions
| logo =
| logo = Cygnus-logo.svg
| slogan =
| fate = Merged with [[Red Hat]]
| fate = Merged with [[Red Hat]]
| successor = [[Red Hat]]
| successor = [[Red Hat]]
| foundation = 1989
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1989}}
| defunct = 2000
| defunct = {{Start date and age|2000}}
| location =
| location =
| industry = [[software|Computer software]]
| industry = [[software|Computer software]]
| key_people = [[John Gilmore (activist)|John Gilmore]], [[Michael Tiemann]], and David Henkel-Wallace
| key_people = [[John Gilmore (activist)|John Gilmore]], [[Michael Tiemann]], and David Henkel-Wallace
| products = Compilers, debuggers, development tools, [[eCos]], [[Cygwin]]
| products = Compilers, debuggers, development tools, [[eCos]], [[Cygwin]]
| num_employees =
| num_employees =
}}
}}
'''Cygnus Solutions''', originally '''Cygnus Support''', was founded in 1989 by [[John Gilmore (activist)|John Gilmore]], [[Michael Tiemann]] and David Henkel-Wallace to provide commercial support for [[free software]]. Its tagline was: ''Making free software affordable''.
'''Cygnus Solutions''', originally '''Cygnus Support''', was founded in 1989 by [[John Gilmore (activist)|John Gilmore]], [[Michael Tiemann]] and David Henkel-Wallace to provide commercial support for [[free software]]. Its tagline was: ''Making free software affordable''.


For years, employees of Cygnus Solutions were the maintainers of several key [[GNU]] software products, including the [[GNU Debugger]] and [[GNU Binutils]] (which included the [[GNU Assembler]] and [[GNU Linker|Linker]]). It was also a major contributor to the [[GNU Compiler Collection|GCC]] project and drove the change in the project's management from having a single gatekeeper to having an independent committee. Cygnus developed [[Binary File Descriptor library|BFD]], and used it to help port GNU to many architectures, in a number of cases working under [[Non-disclosure agreement|non-disclosure]] to produce tools used for initial bringup of [[software]] for a new chip design.
For years, employees of Cygnus Solutions were the maintainers of several key [[GNU]] software products, including the [[GNU Debugger]] and [[GNU Binutils]] (which included the [[GNU Assembler]] and [[GNU Linker|Linker]]). It was also a major contributor to the [[GNU Compiler Collection|GCC]] project and drove the change in the project's management from having a single gatekeeper to having an independent committee. Cygnus developed [[Binary File Descriptor library|BFD]], and used it to help port GNU to many architectures, in a number of cases working under [[Non-disclosure agreement|non-disclosure]] to produce tools used for initial bringup of [[software]] for a new chip design.


Cygnus was also the original developer of [[Cygwin]], a [[POSIX]] layer and the [[GNU]] toolkit port to the [[Microsoft Windows]] [[operating system]] family, and of [[eCos]], an embedded [[real-time operating system]].
Cygnus was also the original developer of [[Cygwin]], a [[POSIX]] layer and the [[GNU]] toolkit port to the [[Microsoft Windows]] [[operating system]] family, and of [[eCos]], an embedded [[real-time operating system]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=A brief history of the Cygwin project|url=https://www.cygwin.com/cygwin-ug-net/brief-history.html|access-date=2021-04-14|website=www.cygwin.com|archive-date=2021-05-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508135245/https://www.cygwin.com/cygwin-ug-net/brief-history.html|url-status=live}}</ref>


In the 2001 documentary film ''[[Revolution OS]]'', Tiemann indicates that the name "Cygnus" was chosen from among several names that incorporated the acronym "GNU". According to [[Stan Kelly-Bootle]], it was recursively defined as ''Cygnus, your GNU Support''.<ref name="Binstock_2014_Farewell">{{cite web|title=Farewell, Devil's Advocate|first=Andrew|last=Binstock|authorlink=Andrew Binstock|date=2014-04-22|publisher=[[Dr. Dobb's Journal]]|url=http://www.drdobbs.com/architecture-and-design/farewell-devils-advocate/240167145?pgno=1|accessdate=2014-05-10}} (NB. The article refers to and cites from [[Stan Kelly-Bootle]]'s original article "FAQs of Life" in the "Devil's Advocate" column of [[UNIX Review]], July 1994, where CYGNUS is recursively defined as "Cygnus, your GNU Support".)</ref>
In the 2001 documentary film ''[[Revolution OS]]'', Tiemann indicates that the name "Cygnus" was chosen from among several names that incorporated the acronym "GNU" such as "magnum", "wingnut", and "lugnut". According to [[Stan Kelly-Bootle]], it was recursively defined as ''Cygnus, your GNU Support''.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.drdobbs.com/architecture-and-design/farewell-devils-advocate/240167145
| title=Farewell, Devil's Advocate
| first=Andrew
| last=Binstock
| date=2014-04-22
| publisher=[[Dr. Dobb's Journal]]
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052803/http://www.drdobbs.com/architecture-and-design/farewell-devils-advocate/240167145
| archive-date=2016-03-04
| url-status=dead
| access-date=2019-08-18}} (NB. The article refers to and cites from [[Stan Kelly-Bootle]]'s original article "FAQs of Life" in the "Devil's Advocate" column of [[UNIX Review]], July 1994, where CYGNUS is recursively defined as "Cygnus, your GNU Support".)</ref>


On November 15, 1999, Cygnus Solutions announced its merger with [[Red Hat]], and ceased to exist as a separate company in early 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.redhat.com/en/about/press-releases/press-cygnusacquisition|title=Red Hat To Acquire Cygnus and Create Global Open Source Powerhouse|website=www.redhat.com|access-date=2017-02-23}}</ref> {{As of|2007}}, a number of Cygnus employees continue to work for Red Hat, including Tiemann, who serves as Red Hat's Vice President of Open Source Affairs, and formerly served as CTO. Red Hat did not maintain the application for registration of the trademark "Cygnus Solutions",<ref>CYGNUS SOLUTIONS, ser. no. [http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=75182378&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=US_REGISTRATION_NO&searchType=statusSearch 75/182,378] (filed October 16, 1996). [[U.S. Patent and Trademark Office]] Trademark Status & Document Retrieval system. Accessed May 7, 2019.</ref> nor the cygnus.com domain.
On November 15, 1999, Cygnus Solutions announced its merger with [[Red Hat]], and it ceased to exist as a separate company in early 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.redhat.com/en/about/press-releases/press-cygnusacquisition|title=Red Hat To Acquire Cygnus and Create Global Open Source Powerhouse|date=November 15, 1999|publisher=[[Red Hat]]|access-date=2019-08-18|archive-date=2017-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223132116/https://www.redhat.com/en/about/press-releases/press-cygnusacquisition|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2007}}, a number of Cygnus employees continue to work for Red Hat, including Tiemann, who serves as Red Hat's Vice President of Open Source Affairs, and formerly served as [[Chief technology officer|CTO]].{{Update inline|reason=outdated, uses present tense, and Tiemann hasn't been with RH since 2022 according to his Linkedin profile|date=March 2024}}



== References ==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{citation | url = https://www.oreilly.com/openbook/opensources/book/tiemans.html | contribution = Future of Cygnus Solutions &mdash; An Entrepreneur's Account | author-link = Michael Tiemann | first = Michael | last = Tiemann | title = Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution | date = January 1999}}.
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* {{citation | url = http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/opensources/book/tiemans.html | contribution = Future of Cygnus Solutions &mdash; An Entrepreneur's Account | authorlink = Michael Tiemann | first = Michael | last = Tiemann | title = Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution | date = January 1999}}.
* {{citation | chapter-url = http://www.toad.com/gnu/cygnus/ | chapter = Marketing Cygnus Support | title = Free Software history | publisher = Toad | date = September 27, 2006}}.
* {{citation | url = http://www.toad.com/gnu/cygnus/ | chapter = Marketing Cygnus Support | title = Free Software history | publisher = Toad}}.


{{Red Hat}}

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[[Category:Red Hat| ]]
[[Category:Free software companies]]
[[Category:Free software companies]]
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[[Category:Red Hat]]
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[[Category:Software companies established in 1989]]
[[Category:Software companies disestablished in 2000]]
[[Category:Software companies disestablished in 2000]]
⚫
[[Category:Software companies established in 1989]]
[[Category:Defunct software companies of the United States]]

Latest revision as of 17:35, 4 April 2024

Cygnus Solutions
IndustryComputer software
Founded1989; 35 years ago (1989)
FounderDavid Henkel-Wallace Edit this on Wikidata
Defunct2000; 24 years ago (2000)
FateMerged with Red Hat
SuccessorRed Hat
Key people
John Gilmore, Michael Tiemann, and David Henkel-Wallace
ProductsCompilers, debuggers, development tools, eCos, Cygwin

Cygnus Solutions, originally Cygnus Support, was founded in 1989 by John Gilmore, Michael Tiemann and David Henkel-Wallace to provide commercial support for free software. Its tagline was: Making free software affordable.

For years, employees of Cygnus Solutions were the maintainers of several key GNU software products, including the GNU Debugger and GNU Binutils (which included the GNU Assembler and Linker). It was also a major contributor to the GCC project and drove the change in the project's management from having a single gatekeeper to having an independent committee. Cygnus developed BFD, and used it to help port GNU to many architectures, in a number of cases working under non-disclosure to produce tools used for initial bringup of software for a new chip design.

Cygnus was also the original developer of Cygwin, a POSIX layer and the GNU toolkit port to the Microsoft Windows operating system family, and of eCos, an embedded real-time operating system.[1]

In the 2001 documentary film Revolution OS, Tiemann indicates that the name "Cygnus" was chosen from among several names that incorporated the acronym "GNU" such as "magnum", "wingnut", and "lugnut". According to Stan Kelly-Bootle, it was recursively defined as Cygnus, your GNU Support.[2]

On November 15, 1999, Cygnus Solutions announced its merger with Red Hat, and it ceased to exist as a separate company in early 2000.[3] As of 2007, a number of Cygnus employees continue to work for Red Hat, including Tiemann, who serves as Red Hat's Vice President of Open Source Affairs, and formerly served as CTO.[needs update]


References[edit]

  1. ^ "A brief history of the Cygwin project". www.cygwin.com. Archived from the original on 2021-05-08. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  2. ^ Binstock, Andrew (2014-04-22). "Farewell, Devil's Advocate". Dr. Dobb's Journal. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2019-08-18. (NB. The article refers to and cites from Stan Kelly-Bootle's original article "FAQs of Life" in the "Devil's Advocate" column of UNIX Review, July 1994, where CYGNUS is recursively defined as "Cygnus, your GNU Support".)
  3. ^ "Red Hat To Acquire Cygnus and Create Global Open Source Powerhouse". Red Hat. November 15, 1999. Archived from the original on 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2019-08-18.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cygnus_Solutions&oldid=1217242580"