Richard M. Stallman wrote: >*BSD and Linux don't belong in the same list, because *BSD are >operating systems. Linux, however, is just a kernel. If you're >thinking of the operating system in which Linux is used, then what >you've said is an understatement. That system is not just cooperating >with our work, it basically *is* our work. It is a variant of the GNU >system. See http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html for more >explanation.
St. Ignutcious was pissed b/c, he is absolutely correct, the entire Linux thing, especially in the early days, is strictly a GNU system with a Linux kernel. Personally, I think it is very gracious of RMS to even allow Linux to be called GNU/Linux--though still very few people are doing that. One of the things I don't like about the way this forum is set up is that you can't edit what you posted. Running the risk of antagonizing Sun's engineers (again), I want to remind them a very important fact regarding today's Linux. To most end-users, you can replace the kernel (the only thing Linux) from a Linux system with, say, FreeBSD, and no one would notice any difference (it may actually run a little bit smoother. Of course this is an oversimplification, but basically with a well-configured FreeBSD system, most end-users won't notice the difference.) Ditto for many other components. However, there is one component that, if you take it away, the entire Linux "movement", especially in the desktop area, will be set back a good many years (even stopped). This component is OpenOffice.org. The last time I heard, Sun has been shouldering more than 90% of the development burdens. Microsoft generates more profits from Microsoft Office than from everything else combined. OpenOffice.org has matured to such a state that its "status" in the so-called open source world is indeed tantamount to how Microsoft Office stands in the Microsoft world. Novell (SUSE) tried to do away with OpenOffice.org, but in the 08/18/05 release of OpenSUSE 10.0 beta 2, it was quietly put back. Thinking along the line of St. Ignutcious' (that Linux should be called GNU/Linux), perhaps Sun's people should insist that Linux be called Linux/SUN. Of course, this is just joking, no one should even blink about that. This message posted from opensolaris.org _______________________________________________ opensolaris-discuss mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED]
