this post was submitted on 20 Jun 2023
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    [–] denast@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

    Wasn't it the case that whatever he had at home wasn't supported by UNIX so he rewrote the kernel in order to be able to use it outside of university?

    [–] sorrybookbroke@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

    No he did not, he created linux. What you are referring to as linux is actually gnu/linux or as I have recently taken to calling i-

    [–] Bandicoot_Academic@lemmy.one 1 points 2 years ago

    No, Richard, it's 'Linux', not 'GNU/Linux'. The most important contributions that the FSF made to Linux were the creation of the GPL and the GCC compiler. Those are fine and inspired products. GCC is a monumental achievement and has earned you, RMS, and the Free Software Foundation countless kudos and much appreciation.

    Following are some reasons for you to mull over, including some already answered in your FAQ.

    One guy, Linus Torvalds, used GCC to make his operating system (yes, Linux is an OS -- more on this later). He named it 'Linux' with a little help from his friends. Why doesn't he call it GNU/Linux? Because he wrote it, with more help from his friends, not you. You named your stuff, I named my stuff -- including the software I wrote using GCC -- and Linus named his stuff. The proper name is Linux because Linus Torvalds says so. Linus has spoken. Accept his authority. To do otherwise is to become a nag. You don't want to be known as a nag, do you?

    (An operating system) != (a distribution). Linux is an operating system. By my definition, an operating system is that software which provides and limits access to hardware resources on a computer. That definition applies whereever you see Linux in use. However, Linux is usually distributed with a collection of utilities and applications to make it easily configurable as a desktop system, a server, a development box, or a graphics workstation, or whatever the user needs. In such a configuration, we have a Linux (based) distribution. Therein lies your strongest argument for the unwieldy title 'GNU/Linux' (when said bundled software is largely from the FSF). Go bug the distribution makers on that one. Take your beef to Red Hat, Mandrake, and Slackware. At least there you have an argument. Linux alone is an operating system that can be used in various applications without any GNU software whatsoever. Embedded applications come to mind as an obvious example.

    Next, even if we limit the GNU/Linux title to the GNU-based Linux distributions, we run into another obvious problem. XFree86 may well be more important to a particular Linux installation than the sum of all the GNU contributions. More properly, shouldn't the distribution be called XFree86/Linux? Or, at a minimum, XFree86/GNU/Linux? Of course, it would be rather arbitrary to draw the line there when many other fine contributions go unlisted. Yes, I know you've heard this one before. Get used to it. You'll keep hearing it until you can cleanly counter it.

    You seem to like the lines-of-code metric. There are many lines of GNU code in a typical Linux distribution. You seem to suggest that (more LOC) == (more important). However, I submit to you that raw LOC numbers do not directly correlate with importance. I would suggest that clock cycles spent on code is a better metric. For example, if my system spends 90% of its time executing XFree86 code, XFree86 is probably the single most important collection of code on my system. Even if I loaded ten times as many lines of useless bloatware on my system and I never excuted that bloatware, it certainly isn't more important code than XFree86. Obviously, this metric isn't perfect either, but LOC really, really sucks. Please refrain from using it ever again in supporting any argument.

    Last, I'd like to point out that we Linux and GNU users shouldn't be fighting among ourselves over naming other people's software. But what the heck, I'm in a bad mood now. I think I'm feeling sufficiently obnoxious to make the point that GCC is so very famous and, yes, so very useful only because Linux was developed. In a show of proper respect and gratitude, shouldn't you and everyone refer to GCC as 'the Linux compiler'? Or at least, 'Linux GCC'? Seriously, where would your masterpiece be without Linux? Languishing with the HURD?

    If there is a moral buried in this rant, maybe it is this:

    Be grateful for your abilities and your incredible success and your considerable fame. Continue to use that success and fame for good, not evil. Also, be especially grateful for Linux' huge contribution to that success. You, RMS, the Free Software Foundation, and GNU software have reached their current high profiles largely on the back of Linux. You have changed the world. Now, go forth and don't be a nag.

    Thanks for listening.

    [–] Seven@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

    the power of being ~~poor~~ careful of your spending

    [–] UnfortunateShort@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

    learns under legend who thinks micro kernels are the hot shit

    is too cheap for Unix

    writes monolithic kernel

    kernel becomes one of the most successful ones ever

    "When I Left You, I Was But The Learner. Now, I Am The Maintainer."

    [–] CoolingJam@lemmy.one 1 points 2 years ago
    [–] Wander@yiffit.net 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

    Am I incorrect in thinking that most of the OS is actually GNU?

    [–] CIWS-30@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

    Ah you said it, the Linux version of mentioning "Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker"

    No, I'm sorry, the GNU / Linux version, I mean.

    [–] FrankTheHealer@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago

    Nice attempt at recycling an aged historically inaccurate meme that was on lemmy yesterday

    [–] danieljackson@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

    I know a guy who loved unix in the 80s. He saved everything he had to buy a SunOS machine at home, since he already had one as a workstation at his dayjob. As soon as Linux was semi-"usable" (we're talking about the early 90s), he migrated to it.

    I know how lucky I am to be a 2000s Linux users. But sometimes, I'm kinda envious of this early generation. For example, with this guy I know, his knowledge of legacy unix APIs is insane…

    [–] julianh@lemm.ee 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

    And then created his own version control system because commercial version control was too expensive.

    [–] SomethingBurger@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

    And then created his own diving tracker software because why not.

    [–] MobBarley700@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

    someone should point out to Linus how expensive it is to go to the moon, maybe he can figure something out