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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