On Dec 5, 4:48 am, "Noah Slater" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On 05/12/2007, mike3 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I do not understand why *names* are the > >appropriate place to give credit. What's the reason, anyway? > > For the same reason that calling an Aston Martin DB9 a "Ford VH > platform" would be inaccurate. While the Ford VH platform is used to > make the car, it only comprises a small part of it. >
Why not call it an "Aston Martin DB9/Ford VH", then? <giggle> It seems then there is an alternative (or not?) viewpoint here: the reason for "GNU/Linux" is because the system's _composition_ is mostly of "GNU", not "Linux". Maybe it's better from that view, however the one I was having trouble with was the idea that not calling it "GNU/Linux" is somehow _not giving credit_ to the GNU project, _and_ that the appropriate way to give credit is to put "GNU" in the _name_. Why is that, exactly? Or have I missed something here? > Sure, Linux is the common phrase used to describe the operating > system, but similarly most people say they are browsing the Internet. > Both are technically wrong and as geeks we should be able to > distinguish between common usage and correct usage. > So then why insist that the name used commonly _should_ be GNU/Linux? > Of course, the proper name for the operating system is GNU and Linux > provides one of it's kernels. The combination of these two words is > GNU/Linux. If you used Sun's kernel you would call the system > GNU/Solarix and if you used the BSD operating system (as an > alternative to GNU) you would be running BSD/Solarix. > What about GNU/BSD where you run the GNU stuff with a BSD kernel? Also, what's the rub on "GNU/Hurd" when the Hurd kernel *is* GNU? It should just be "GNU"! > There are many different variations "out there" and they all have > different names. If you're running Debian/Ubuntu/Gentoo/RedHat/Suse > you're probably running a GNU/Linux system. If you're running OS X > then you're technically running a Darwin/XNU system. > So then why not call the MacOS X a Darwin/XNU, then? Is it also possible to make a Darwin/GNU system? > Oh, and the proper thing to say would be "I'm browsing the WWW." > > [1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_DB9 > > -- > Noah Slater <http://bytesexual.org/> > > "Creativity can be a social contribution, but only in so > far as society is free to use the results." - R. Stallman _______________________________________________ gnu-misc-discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnu-misc-discuss
