On 20/11/2007, Tim Dobson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Windows is an operating system. GNU is an operating system. > > Ubuntu is a brand name for a particular combination of the GNU/Linux OS > plus other software. Linux is a registered trademark for a kernel. > > If Ubuntu replaced Linux with another kernel, would you expect them to > change their name? The GNU system can support many kernels, including:- > > * Hurd > * Linux > * OpenSolaris > * FreeBSD's kernel > * NetBSD's kernel > > GNU/Linux is the logical name for the GNU system with a Linux kernel. > It's preferred because it does two things - a) Calls attention to the > Free Software and the GNU Project b) Gives familarity with systems that > have a different kernel, such as GNU/Hurd, GNU/OpenSolaris, etc.
First I've never heard (or seen written) GNU/OpenSolaris before today, neither have I seen GNU/*BSD (has anyone applied the GNU toolset to the BSD kernel, and who survived the ensuing licence flame war) . It's certainly not in common usage even when referring to those operating systems. Secondly the reverse is also true, I could take much of the the GNU toolset and replace them whilst still running a Linux system. Does this mean that if, for example I dropped the switched the GNU toolset for the BSD one, I'd have to call the resulting system BSD/Linux?? The easiest way to clear this up is for you to define "Operating System" to me; I don't belive that userland tools are part of an OS, do you? Progress on the Hurd is slow - when there are already several better > working kernels for the GNU system, it is difficult to get a critical > mass of developers to work on another kernel, when there are more > important free software projects to hack on. Also can you define the "GNU system" to me please, is it anything with the GPL attached, or just GCC? Vijay.
