On Tuesday 04 August 2009, Luther Woodrum wrote:
> On Mon, 3 Aug 2009, dave shields wrote:
> > I *only* use Ubuntu for one reason. Not because it is the "best"
> > technically -- though I do favor it because it is based on Debian
> > --  but because it has the largest community behind it, and so is
> > the best candidate to make Linux a real contender.
>
> Some of us have to actually write programs and install them in
> commercial servers.  These servers run Linux.  We don't write
> programs to run on windows servers. We don't do windows. However,
> we have to develop and run apps that run 4 cores at 90% on all 4,
> unlike the average user. Ubuntu, the last time I tried it, was a
> pita for development. It didn't even have gcc installed. I had to
> do it myself.
> And the libraries, huh?

If you choose not to install the "develop environment" at install time 
(default) then I believe that's the case.

This differs from Debian, which will install GCC and minimal devel 
libs unless you de-select "standard system" at install time.

I honestly don't know which install behavior is better.

> > Thank goodness Linux came along to keep Unix going. Otherwise we
> > might all be running commercial operating systems today.
>
> Actually, Linux almost killed the unix market. Unix users switched
> to Linux en masse.

Linux wasn't (and isn't) the only such project -- if it weren't for 
Linux then maybe we'd all be running BSD, or Minix, or something else.  
There were (and are) several parallel efforts to create a free Unix 
clone, so I believe we'd be essentially in the same position even if 
the Linux kernel hadn't been brought into existance.

> > But technical merit is not the sole criterion. Were that the case
> > we would all be runing Linux. We need to unite and not keep
> > shooting ourselves in the foot. This, for example, is why I
> > cringe every time I hear the phrase "GNU/Linux" ...

Since a mutually agreed name between Linux and GNU isn't likely, the 
only way I know to give credit to both sides is to call it 
"GNU/Linux".  I agree with you that the naming convention is somewhat 
divisive and unpleasant -- I just don't know anything better to call 
it that respects all concerned -- the name "Linux" is trademarked.

   -- Chris

-- 

Chris Knadle
[email protected]

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