GNOME malitere na August 15 1997 site na Miguel de Icaza na Federico Mena dị ka ọrụ ngwanrọ n'efu iji zụlite gburugburu ebe obibi desktọọpụ na ngwa maka ya. E hiwere ya na akụkụ n'ihi na K Desktop Environment, nke na-eto eto na ewu ewu, dabere na Qt wijetị ngwaọrụ nke jiri ikikere ngwanrọ proprietary ruo mgbe mbipute 2.0 (June 1999). N'ọnọdụ Qt, a họọrọ GTK toolkit dị ka ntọala nke GNOME. GTK na-eji GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), ikikere ngwanrọ n'efu nke na-enye ohere ka ngwanrọ jikọtara ya iji ọtụtụ ikikere ikikere, gụnyere ikikere ngwanrọ proprietary. GNOME n'onwe ya nwere ikikere n'okpuru LGPL maka ọba akwụkwọ ya, na GNU General Public License (GPL) maka aha ya. "GNOME" bụ mbido nke GNU Network Environment, na-ezo aka na mbụ Obusym, nke dabere na Qt widget toolkit nke jiri ikikere ngwanrọ proprietary ruo mgbe mbipute 2.0 (June 1999).
LGPL