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GNU/Linux or Linux alone? |
GNU/Linux |
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42% |
[ 191 ] |
Linux |
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[ 158 ] |
Don't Care |
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[ 101 ] |
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Total Votes : 450 |
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amiatrome Apprentice


Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 180 Location: Campus | Arena Country Club | Home
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:00 pm Post subject: GNU/Linux or Linux alone? |
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GNU/Linux or Linux alone? I am curious about the position Gentooers take.
Here's why it may matter. _________________ blog | homepage | alias | prompts |
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shash Apprentice

Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 220 Location: India
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, it depends - When around people who know that GNU's in there, I omit it. Even otherwise, I just drop it, in casual conversation. It's only when I find someone having a wrong impression (Linux 9, anyone? ).
I think it's technically right, but there's no other real choice - if someone made a BSD base system on top of a Linux kernel or something, it makes more sense, but being just GNU and Linux, there's no real point, except for those who are like I mentioned. |
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codergeek42 Bodhisattva

Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 5142 Location: Anaheim, CA (USA)
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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GNU/Linux _________________ ~~ Peter: Programmer, Mathematician, STEM & Free Software Advocate, Enlightened Agent, Transhumanist, Fedora contributor
Who am I? :: EFF & FSF |
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carbon Guru


Joined: 27 Jun 2003 Posts: 455 Location: New York
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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AFAIK, Linux is the name of the kernel that Linus Torvalds wrote in 1991.
GNU is an organization that develop open source software. Since distributions started to use GNU's softwre to go with the Kernel called Linux, so I guess they should be called GNU/Linux system.
However, people tend to like shorter simpler name, so somehow people started to call their systems a Linux system since the Kernel (seems like the most important part of a system) is called Linux.
That's my understanding and please correct me if I am wrong. _________________ I do what I want, and that's what I do.
GNU World Domination
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Syntaxis Guru


Joined: 28 Apr 2002 Posts: 511 Location: London, UK
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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I tend to just abide by the distro's own choice in the matter. So: Debian GNU/Linux, Gentoo Linux, etc... _________________ The Debian User Forums - help them grow! |
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chunderbunny Veteran


Joined: 31 May 2004 Posts: 1281 Location: 51°24'27" N, 0°57'15" W
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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Linux is just easier to say, GNU/Linux is a horrible name IMO. |
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nightm4re Guru


Joined: 20 Jun 2004 Posts: 519 Location: Providence, RI, USA
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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chunderbunny wrote: | Linux is just easier to say, GNU/Linux is a horrible name IMO. |
i agree. i think it's defintely right to include GNU in it since a lot of it is indeed GNU stuff, but it's mad hard to say. If people ask me what I run, i tell em gentoo. If that leaves them with a puzzled face, just mention linux, and then they'll get it.
Officially tho, def gnu/linux. _________________ Nitrogen - GtkMM based background setter/restorer, please test!
Minuslab | d.minuslab.net |
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reisio Tux's lil' helper


Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Posts: 121
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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officially, GNU/Linux
when I know I'm not talking to idiots, Linux
when I know I'm talking to ignorant people, GNU/Linux |
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skunkworx Guru


Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 420 Location: Planet Houston
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 4:50 pm Post subject: |
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nightmare wrote: | If people ask me what I run, i tell em gentoo. If that leaves them with a puzzled face, just mention linux, and then they'll get it. |
I think this is actually the best answer (or side-step, if you want). Lately, especially after hearing coworkers complain about the "splintering" of Linux and how it will hurt its acceptance, I've decided that it's best just to refer to distributions as if they were separate entities. People have no trouble distinguishing between, for example, Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows Me, so ideally they shouldn't have any trouble with Gentoo, SuSE (and SLES), Red Hat (and Fedora), etc.
"But wait," you might ask, "then what should the all-encompassing equivalent to 'Windows' or 'MacOS' be?" I'm kind of thinking there really isn't one on that level. Each distribution has its own philosophy of doing things, so naming the distribution is about as general as you can get without masking differences that shouldn't be masked. Of course, you can then emphasize that these distributions are in fact built with the same tools, and these tools include the Linux kernel along with software provided by GNU (and BSD and other sources).
But that's too much of answer for what was supposed to be a simple question, isn't it? Eh, I just say "Linux."  _________________ Proud to be a... eh, forget it.
"Everyday is just one day." -- not the Traveling Wilburys |
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pjp Administrator


Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 17115
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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Just Linux. Simply because RMS is militant about GNU/Linux. Linux is easier to say, too.
@ RMS. _________________ I can saw a woman in two, but you won't want to look in the box when I'm through.
For my next trick, I'll need a volunteer. |
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chunderbunny Veteran


Joined: 31 May 2004 Posts: 1281 Location: 51°24'27" N, 0°57'15" W
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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Every time I see "RMS" mentioned I have to remind myself it doesn't stand for "Root Mean Square" |
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Zaphod42 n00b


Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Kanadia
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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Gentoo |
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LucaSpiller Apprentice

Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 188 Location: Censorship Land (aka England)
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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Linux is much easier - and if you are talking to Windosey people they probably won't have a clue what you are on about if you say GNU/Linux, but may understand just Linux.
I think GNU/Linux is just for people who want to be correct about everything they say - for example you aren't going to go around saying Microsoft Windows all the time instead of just Windows (or whatever else you call it ).
Also Linux has been worked on by many thousands (is that a bit exagerated?) of people - it seems a bit unfair that one organisation has its name in the title but everyone else gets left out. |
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Athas Guru


Joined: 04 Sep 2003 Posts: 394 Location: Brøndby, Denmark
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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I always use GNU/Linux when writing, even to the point of calling Gentoo, Gentoo GNU/Linux, even though it's not the correct name. I believe the FSF requires acknowledgement for their technical as well as philosophical contributions. Basically, what we run is really nothing but GNU with a Linux kernel and a swanky package manager.
In speech, though, I merely use "Linux" since saying "GNU/Linux" might instead come off as "GNU Linux," and I believe we can all agree that Linux is not a part of GNU.  _________________ Emacs-optimized danish console keymap - My .emacs
Climacs - next generation Emacs. |
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Stormy Eyes Veteran


Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 1064 Location: Watching God spit-shine my boots.
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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pjp wrote: | Just Linux. Simply because RMS is militant about GNU/Linux. Linux is easier to say, too.
@ RMS. |
Besides, without Linux GNU would still be an OS without a kernel -- or as the HURD passed 1.0 yet? |
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codergeek42 Bodhisattva

Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 5142 Location: Anaheim, CA (USA)
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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Stormy Eyes wrote: | pjp wrote: | Just Linux. Simply because RMS is militant about GNU/Linux. Linux is easier to say, too.
@ RMS. |
Besides, without Linux GNU would still be an OS without a kernel -- or as the HURD passed 1.0 yet? | The Hurd's site said a while back that it is as usable (has the same drivers/device support) as the 2.0 Linux kernel. *shrug*..I can't seem to find it now, and they are migrating to the L4 microkernel it looks like, so we may be in for a longer wait... _________________ ~~ Peter: Programmer, Mathematician, STEM & Free Software Advocate, Enlightened Agent, Transhumanist, Fedora contributor
Who am I? :: EFF & FSF |
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pjp Administrator


Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 17115
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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codergeek42 wrote: | The Hurd's site said | And as we know, you can always trust the manufacturer of a product to be completely honest and upfront.
How large is the HURD userbase? Does it run on 1/4th the amount of systems? _________________ I can saw a woman in two, but you won't want to look in the box when I'm through.
For my next trick, I'll need a volunteer. |
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placeholder Advocate

Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 2500
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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I usually say Linux, but I often write/type it as GNU/Linux. |
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codergeek42 Bodhisattva

Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 5142 Location: Anaheim, CA (USA)
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:02 am Post subject: |
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pjp wrote: | codergeek42 wrote: | The Hurd's site said | And as we know, you can always trust the manufacturer of a product to be completely honest and upfront. | Of course!  _________________ ~~ Peter: Programmer, Mathematician, STEM & Free Software Advocate, Enlightened Agent, Transhumanist, Fedora contributor
Who am I? :: EFF & FSF |
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geniux Veteran


Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 1400 Location: /home
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:16 am Post subject: |
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Linux when I talk about it and GNU/Linux when write/type it. _________________ AMD Athlon64 X2 4200+ AM2
MSI K9N SLI Platinum, Enermax Liberty 500W
1GB RAM Crucial DDR2 667MHz, MSI nVidia 7600GS 256MB
400GB + 250GB Samsung SATAII HDD
Gentoo - BeyondSources 2.6.19-20 |
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steel300 Veteran


Joined: 10 Jul 2003 Posts: 1155
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 1:06 am Post subject: |
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I don't think it matters what you call it. It's still the same thing. |
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Roguelazer Veteran


Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Posts: 1233 Location: San Francisco, CA
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 2:09 am Post subject: |
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Linux. I mean, if we're going to throw in GNU, we might as well throw in every other group that's contributed something. So let's just not and stick to the kernel. Besides, "Linux" is easier to pronounce then "Guh-new Slash Linux" _________________ Registered Linux User #263260 |
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pjp Administrator


Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 17115
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 2:24 am Post subject: |
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Moved from Gentoo Chat. _________________ I can saw a woman in two, but you won't want to look in the box when I'm through.
For my next trick, I'll need a volunteer. |
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j-rock n00b


Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 3:09 am Post subject: |
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Roguelazer wrote: | "Linux" is easier to pronounce then "Guh-new Slash Linux" |
I agree. How about when you talk about cars, do you say ford mustang every time you talk about mustangs. Probably not, you're more likely to just say mustang. People still know what you are talking about.
I would also get annoyed with someone that kept saying GNU/Linux in conversation too. We're geeks, we shorten things by nature. rm || remove.
/rant _________________ Does it also predict tomorrows lottery-numbers? -- Evangelion on The Bible
Reverse jesus crucified the entire roman empire. |
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HydroSan l33t


Joined: 04 Mar 2004 Posts: 764 Location: The Kremlin (aka Canada)
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 3:19 am Post subject: |
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If I were to write a professional article on Linux, I would use GNU/Linux.
If I were talking to anybody, the non-savvy people would know what it is, and the people that do know already know what the GNU is, I would just use 'Linux'.
GNU/* is like adding 'Sir' or "Ma'am' in from of the name. It's formal, but you usually don't use it unless your in a formal setting. _________________ I was a Gangster for Capitalism, by Major General Smedley Butler.
Server status: Currently down, being replaced with fresh install - 20% completed. |
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