Orlando Andico <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > I don't think the OS is *just* the kernel (one place where I agree > with M$). And this might sound radical or inflammatory, but personally > I don't think the *kernel* is all that important (!!!) -- you can run > the familiar tools on most any kernel, be it Windows, MacOS X, > Hurd..... and, with the Free *userspace* you can do almost everything. > You're not really losing any freedom.
I agree that the OS is not the kernel. Like I wrote earlier, it is a convienient abstraction, actually convenient enough to argue about. And yes, while there is tremendous user/developer input on the kernel, and just about anyone who can read the docs can compile the kernel easily as an exercise for the machine, the kernel is not important wrt user interaction. > Of course there are notable exceptions -- e.g. it would be very tough > to do a flash-based router with Windows -- but by and large, the OS > kernel is not going to be an issue unless you need something specific, > e.g. drivers not supported by some other kernel. (of course you can > write the drivers yourself if you have the freedom to do so) I'll save this as a good idea. :-) > I agree with your point about giving up freedom. Very Stallman. but as > I said in my earlier post, not everybody can be Stallman. The point of > "having the freedom" as a differentiator between say M$ and Linux or > *BSD is an ethical one. I *don't* think it's a technical one. It seems so. Okay, given we live without the notion of a centralized government, without the notion of rights, without the notion of freedom, then I would just stick with what is commonly practiced. Thus, what is left to choose between PSOS and FOSS? Choice. Unless we don't even enjoy that responsibility. Otherwise, we're dead. -- ZAK B. ELEP <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -- <http://zakame.spunge.org> 1024D/FA53851D 1486 7957 454D E529 E4F1 F75E 5787 B1FD FA53 851D -- Running Debian GNU+Linux testing/unstable. GnuPG signed mail preferred.
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