On Sun, Apr 21, 2002 at 01:56:47AM -0400, Derek D. Martin wrote:
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> As we all know, rms started a campaign to get people to call Linux
> systems "GNU/Linux" instead of Linux.  His goal is to improve the
> perceived recognition of the FSF and the GNU Project - a reasonable
> goal.  However I believe this method of achieving that goal is
> misguided, and motivated largely by selfish reasons.  If you were
> swayed by his argument, and have begun to call Linux systems
> "GNU/Linux" then I ask you to reconsider your position.  What follows
> is an essay I wrote in support of that proposition.

[snip]

  Oh, boy!  I think you may have just stirred a hornets nest.  I, for one,
agree with your essay 100%.  What I found to be the most egregious offense
along these lines was one reference I once saw to "Red Hat GNU/Linux."
Now THAT was absurd.
  Incidentaly, someone once took the time to analyze Red Hat Linux (I think
version 6.2) and determined that about 10% of the code (based on lines of
code) was GNU (note: GPL NOT => GNU, necessarily) software.  Significant, yes,
but it turns out that a comparable share of the code was XFree86.  It might
have even been more, I don't recall.  So using RMS's reasoning, we should
really be calling it XFree86/Linux for most cases.  Looking at it that way
makes it all seem rather silly.

-- 
-Paul Iadonisi
 Senior System Administrator
 Red Hat Certified Engineer / Local Linux Lobbyist
 Ever see a penguin fly?  --  Try Linux.
 GPL all the way: Sell services, don't lease secrets

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