On Sun, 2007-09-09 at 20:12, Richard Stallman wrote: > It makes no sense to consider Linux part of the GNU system. GNU/Linux > systems are useful, and (when they are free) it's a good thing they > exist, but they aren't the GNU system.
Okay, using Linux in any form as part of the GNU System is not an option. Understood. Just out of curiosity, can you explain why it doesn't make sense? In the information I've been able to find out about the GNU Project so far, you say: "Developing a whole system is a very large project. To bring it into reach, I decided to adapt and use existing pieces of free software wherever that was possible. For example, I decided at the very beginning to use TeX as the principal text formatter; a few years later, I decided to use the X Window System rather than writing another window system for GNU." (quoted from http://www.gnu.org/gnu/thegnuproject.html ) The Linux kernel is free software and it's possible to adapt it to work as the kernel of the GNU system. So, when people suggest using Linux within the GNU System, it seems to make sense in the same way that using TeX or the X Window System make sense. I'm assuming there are some unspoken rules concerning when non-GNU free software may be adapted for use within the GNU System. And I assume the Linux kernel fails to meet those rules. If the rules were published and easy to find, such as on a web page about the GNU System, it might result in fewer people making futile suggestions. > Thomas Schwinge has already discussed with us many legal issues > about such wikis. So please don't start another wiki on your own. > That would require having with you the same legal discussion we > have already had with him. Please don't make us duplicate effort. > > Once he has made the right setup, the easiest thing to do is > to use the one wiki site for both topics. Okay, no GNU System wiki. Wikis are extremely efficient tools for online collaboration, so expect more people to request them in the future. If the FSF needs to place certain restrictions on their use, it may make sense to document the requirements and restrictions so future Wikis can be created without causing you a lot of work. -Steve
