On 2020-02-03 07:28, Benno Schulenberg wrote:
The second sentence says: "The GNU Project provides a software system..." The word "system" is both too vague and too all-encompassing; it sounds as

It's just missing "operating" in front of it.

if it wants to be a single, massive block of software. I would say that the GNU project "provides software packages...". The second section then
nicely elaborates a bit on this.

The GNU project's goal is in fact to provide a complete operating system;
that's been that way from the beginning.

If the GNU project provides some ad hoc "packages", that implies that
there is some non-GNU system where they have to be installed to be used.

Perhaps a non-free system (where GNU packages can be used due to the GPL
exception for system libraries).

See where that is going?

The third section begins: "Free software extends beyond the GNU Project..." Huh? Vague. Does this want to say that there is also free software that is not part of the GNU project? If yes, then say so. It continues: "which works with companion free software projects that develop key components of the GNU System". Oof... Who are those "companion free software projects"?

This is basically just taking a mile-wide detour around saying "Linux". :)

The kernel is a key component of the GNU system, an the most popular kernel that everyone is using with GNU stuff on it is not part of the GNU project.

Another example: the X Window system.

Another: Apache.

How can such projects "that develop key components of the GNU System" not
be part of the GNU project itself?

Lift up a corner of your glibc, and look underneath.

And then: "The GNU Project aims to extend the reach of free software to
new fields." Huh? What new "fields"? Again: what is the promise here?
Is it that we intend to assimilate everything?

Machine learning, social networking, crytptocurrency, bioinformatics, ...


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