Messages in this thread | | | Date | Sun, 28 Mar 1999 18:06:29 -0600 (CST) | From | Matthew Vanecek <> | Subject | Re: GNU/Linux |
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This is about the silliest thread I have ever seen in the Linux world, on IRC, Newsgroups, mailing lists, or otherwise. Mr. Stallman, we all know and recognize that you have done a great deal of work. Weren't there a couple of awards you have won for that work...?
On Mar, Richard Stallman spewed forth: :: Properly speaking, Linux is the kernel that Linus wrote. He started :: development of the kernel, so naming it is his prerogative. ::
Properly speaking, Linux refers to both the kernel (on this mailing list, especially), and by common useage to the kernel + whatever else it takes to run a computer + all the apps that run on the computer (e.g., "My Linux has Netscape"). This is simply common useage, and is not meant to denigrate GNU in any way. Live with it.
[Snipped a bunch of stuff] bah. Grow up.
:: :: Calling the operating system just Linux confuses most users--anyone :: who doesn't have a real firm understanding of the difference and :: relationship between the whole system and the kernel. These people :: see statements about "Linux", some of which refer to the kernel and :: some of which refer to the whole system, and they don't realize that :: not all the statements are talking about the same thing. ::
That's funny. It only seems to confuse users in your mind. Nobody I've talked to was ever confused in the way you seem to fear so much. Usually, it's "I'm going to install Linux, so I'm getting Redhat" or "Which Linux distribution should I get?". Confusion, perhaps, about which distribution is better (which is almost as silly a topic as is the "GNU/Linux" debate").
In the common world, Linux is Linux, and Linux is a system comprised of Linus's excellent kernel (thank you Linus), and some excellent utilities from the GNU (thank you, Richard), and some excellent programs from XFree86 (Thank you XFree86), and more excellent programs from many, many other developers.
Let's settle on, Linux is an operating system, of which there are several distributions, which uses utilities and programs designed and maintained by thousands of different people, of which GNU is a part. Then, in the OS credits section, we attribute credit and thanks to all the various people who have contributed to the system, for teh work they have done. This would include Richard, of course, and Linus, definitely, as well as a host of other people. Then, each program should have a --version option, so if anyone is interested, they can see who made the program: root:reliant me2v$ ls --version ls (GNU fileutils) 3.16 Oh, look, it's already there! Well, that's one part taken care of. **************************************************************************
To the kernel list: I'm sorry, I know this is off topic, but hearing it from the horse's mouth kind of touched a nerve. Personally, I think this is a childish debate. Whatever the official name is, I really don't care. It will *always* be Linux to me.
-- Matthew Vanecek Studies in Business Computers at the University of North Texas http://www.unt.edu/bcis Visit my Website at http://people.unt.edu/~mev0003 ***************************************************************** For 93 million miles, there is nothing between the sun and my shadow except me. I'm always getting in the way of something...
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