Operating Systems > Linux and UNIX
Free Software vs OSS
Calum:
it would be called GNU/Hurd, would it not?
i agree with both of you, however void main seems to put it more succinctly. i never thought of it, but of course other *nix systems are not required to call themselves gnu just because they run gnu versions of some utilities, why should linux?
also, the berkeley software stuff did all this 'let's make it free software' stuff off of their own backs and never whined in the slightest about it, so why should the free software foundation get more credit?
the only argument (and unfortunately it is significant) in favour of playing up the GNU thing is making people aware of the free software thing so that the whole movement does not fizzle out and become 'open source' in all its proprietary moneygrabbing glory...
flap:
I'm suggesting that the assumption is that their 'whining' is about credit, rather than altruism. Now I could understand a little selfish indignation on the part of Stallman; having spent 18 years developing an operating system only to not get full recognition would bother most people, but their point is that the problem is with failing to advertise the goal of freedom, not failing to give credit.
voidmain:
And another thing I would like to get straight here. It may not sound like it but I am a HUGE fan of GNU software. Hell, I have been using it for well over 10 years now religiously. I install the GNU file utilities and compiler right off on every UNIX system (AIX, Solaris, etc) that I have administered over the last 10+ years because I think GNU provides superior functionality over the vendor supplied basic UNIX utilities. In fact I also used to install all of the GNU software I could on Windows systems that I used because without GNU, Windows is completely brain dead.
Then the Linux kernel was written which allowed me to use the GNU software on a standalone system. I have no problem calling this system a "Linux" system because the kernel really is the "heart" of the OS. GNU *is* a huge part of the OS but it is a set of utilities and applications that make up the base OS. Sure, if you based it on percentage of code it may be more correct to call it "GNU/Linux" but to me that is just awkward.
And GNU is "more" than just Linux as we mentioned, it's a set of utilities/apps that can run on most any platform. I still beleive it is better to refer to Linux kernel based systems as "Linux". Threads like this are enough to enlighten people about what GNU software is about and their philosophy. I for one will continue to use the term "Linux" when referring to an operating system using the "Linux" kernel along with the GNU software (or any other equivelant software).
KernelPanic:
quote:Originally posted by void main:
And another thing I would like to get straight here. It may not sound like it but I am a HUGE fan of GNU software. Hell, I have been using it for well over 10 years now religiously. I install the GNU file utilities and compiler right off on every UNIX system (AIX, Solaris, etc) that I have administered over the last 10+ years because I think GNU provides superior functionality over the vendor supplied basic UNIX utilities. In fact I also used to install all of the GNU software I could on Windows systems that I used because without GNU, Windows is completely brain dead.
Then the Linux kernel was written which allowed me to use the GNU software on a standalone system. I have no problem calling this system a "Linux" system because the kernel really is the "heart" of the OS. GNU *is* a huge part of the OS but it is a set of utilities and applications that make up the base OS. Sure, if you based it on percentage of code it may be more correct to call it "GNU/Linux" but to me that is just awkward.
And GNU is "more" than just Linux as we mentioned, it's a set of utilities/apps that can run on most any platform. I still beleive it is better to refer to Linux kernel based systems as "Linux". Threads like this are enough to enlighten people about what GNU software is about and their philosophy. I for one will continue to use the term "Linux" when referring to an operating system using the "Linux" kernel along with the GNU software (or any other equivelant software).
--- End quote ---
Me too
flap:
Same here. Unfortunately though, when people read "Linux" in a magazine or newspaper and don't really know what it's about, they're usually not seeing GNU mentioned anywhere.
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