"H. Peter Anvin" wrote:
>
> Damien Miller wrote:
> >
> > On Sun, 5 Dec 1999, Diego Pons wrote:
> >
> > > > Of course, most Linux people object just as vehemently to the GNU
> > > > people's presumptiveness on this account. I happen to agree with these
> > > > Linux people.
> > >
> > > Would you care to elaborate? I've read GNU's arguments, but you
> > > don't state yours.
> >
> > The counter argument is that Linux (the operating system) is composed
> > of code from many sources: BSD, X, GNU and countless other companies,
> > projects and individuals.
> >
> > Calling the combination GNU/Linux credits the GNU project at the
> > expense of the majority of other contributors. It even manages to put
> > Linux in second place.
> >
>
> The other argument is that it was from the very beginning phrased as a
> demand by the GNU people. This is particularly obnoxious after having
> ignored or even in some case demeaned the Linux people for a while.
> Furthermore, according to Stallman, the documentation format of choice
> for the GNU system is info, whereas it is definitely man pages for Linux
> -- therefore one can reasonably conclude Linux is not the GNU system.
> There are several other examples of the GNU people being actively
> obstructionist.
>
I have no particular interest in defending Stallman. But it seems to me
that an operating environment without the Linux kernel contribution is
more feasible than one without the code contributed by GNU. By that I
mean to say that there is an enormous amount of difficult to replace,
*highly portable* code in Linux that comes from GNU. I can see how the
GNU contributors may feel cheated when all the credit goes elsewhere
in the eyes of the public.
Your argument about info vs. man pages as what defines the OS
as Linux or GNU is borderline silly. In any case it would define Linux
as an AT&T UNIX OS, since they first came up with man pages.
At the end, tribalism aside, both are spectacular efforts and is sad
to see pissing contests spoiling it.
--
Diego Pons
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