just Linux or GNU/Linux?

[emad_ramlawi]

hi i just wana know if we should really give any importance to this matter it seems GNU does care alot and very pissed that linux aint named GNU Linux, so i wana know wat users think about and aint it fair that linus made the kernal and GNU made alot of other important surrounding software that we call it GNU-linux ????

[abyrne]

Hi,

This is a support forum. Could you please post this in the General Chit-Chat forum.

Thanks :KS

[abhilashm86]

yea i agree to your point, GNU was just named in order to differentiate from UNIX because early 1990 UNIX was propriety software.

so when richard stallman went on writing text editor, debugger, c compiler and others ,kernal(heart of os) was written by linus torvalds, so i think it just got named to linux.
this is what i think.

[abhilashm86]

Hi,

This is a support forum. Could you please post this in the General Chit-Chat forum.

Thanks :KS

hey can anyone move it to community forum, please.
It would be a great discussion over there, thanks:)

[emad_ramlawi]

ok i will in 1 min

[Liviu-Theodor]

In short, Richard Stallman uses GNU for the tools/utilities from the operating system, and Linux for the kernel. For more information, try http://www.gnu.org/ and especially the http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html page there.

[emad_ramlawi]

hi i just wana know if we should really give any importance to this matter it seems GNU does care alot and very pissed that linux aint named GNU Linux, so i wana know wat users think about and aint it fair that linus made the kernal and GNU made alot of other important surrounding software that we call it GNU-linux ????

[linux_tech]

GNU mainly applies to Linux systems, because most other Unix style systems do not contain GNU software. If it contains free software then it is called GNU.
http://www.gnu.org/

[abhilashm86]

yea i agree to your point, GNU was just named in order to differentiate from UNIX because early 1990 UNIX was propriety software of At&T.
its GNU/linux only, yea some people call just linux.

so when richard stallman went on writing text editor, debugger, c compiler and others ,kernal(heart of os) was written by linus torvalds, so i think it just got named to linux.

why is exactly name linux, i'm right?

[emad_ramlawi]

i know this is stupid but how the helllll can i delete this thread?????so i can make another 1 at the community forums

[Liviu-Theodor]

i know this is stupid but how the helllll can i delete this thread?????so i can make another 1 at the community forums

You don't move it and you don't need to open another thread. Just wait for someone form the forum staff to see it and will move the thread where it should be, if it is not opened in the appropriate section of the forum.

[abyrne]

i know this is stupid but how the helllll can i delete this thread?????so i can make another 1 at the community forums

You can't delete this thread.
Just copy and paste you thread starting message and make a new thread with it on the Community Forum. Then just put a post on this thread giving a link to the new thread.

[albandy]

Linux: the kernel, only the kernel.
GNU/Linux: all GPL licensed software + the Linux Kernel

[Flimm]

This'll get moved to recurring discussions.
The reason why the Free Software Foundation wants you to use the name GNU/Linux (http://www.gnu.org/gnu/why-gnu-linux.html) instead of just Linux is to promote the ideals the FSF stands for: namely, freedom.

The problem with that is that a lot of enthusiasts start insisting that calling the whole OS Linux is actually incorrect, as Linux is only a kernel, and the whole system should be called GNU/Linux. This is of course nonsense, if this logic were actually applied, we would call the system Sun/Mozilla/Apache/Canonical/GNU/.../.../Linux. The real reason is that the FSF wants the word to get out about freedom. Full stop.

Personnally, I refuse to consistently call the system GNU/Linux, because the name sucks.
GNU/Linux: that's obviously about freedom isn't? GNU stands for GNU's not UNIX, but what's UNIX, and isn't Linux UNIX, or at least UNIX-like? And how are you supposed to pronounce GNU? And doesnt the G at the beginning mean that it's part of GNOME? Is GNOME part of GNU? Am I really supposed to pronounce the slash when I say GNU/Linux? Can't I just be sensible and call it Linux, like everyone else? If I need to refer to the Linux kernel, I'll call it the kernel, like everybody else.

[gn2]

Hmm, reckon this one will soon be in the Recurring Discussions section....

The correct name is GNU/Linux, but in conversation Linux is easier and therefore more common.

[Skripka]

why is exactly name linux, i'm right?

Because Linus Torvalds was writing a unix-like kernel...(Linus +Unix)

The only people who bother typing out GNU/Linux instead of linux are the GNU peoples. The argument came up because linux was originally just a kernel, with the GNU project filling in the remaining bits and pieces...Stallman wanted to call the project "Lignux"...Yea...

[emad_ramlawi]

thnx alot for everything

[Bölvaður]

I always write linux, but when Im speaking I may refer to gnu/linux if it isn't about the kernel.

[cmat]

"GNU slash linux" doesn't flow all to well.

[sarang]

And Tom wrote Foo and **** wrote Bar and Harry wrote Baz. Let's call it Tom **** Harry Linus GNU Linux Baz Bar Foo (tm) Oh yes, Nvidia made some drivers and Microsoft made some fonts and such stuff. Tom **** Harry Linus GNU Nvidia Microsoft Linux Baz Bar Foo (tm). They all want to put their names; all for a Good Cause, obviously.

There exists a place for crediting people, but it is not the name in my opinion.

[Greg]

It's not like they're saying different things.

Linux Is Not UniX vs GNU's Not Unix.

We get it, neither are Unix, so let's just pick one and stick to it. Wait, Linux seems pretty well known already, let's go with that.

[earthpigg]

people that call it "Free Software" tend to call it GNU/Linux.

people that call it "Open Source Software" tend to call it Linux.

people that are indifferent also tend to go with Linux.

there is a minor decade old spat between Free Software advocates and Open Source advocates.

[Maheriano]

What happened to the name afterwards I don't know but it was originally called Linux because that's what they guy who hosted the FTP called the directory it was stored in. Linus originally called it Freax until that point.

[gletob]

If I'm talking about a distribution then I'll say Ubuntu Linux or Fedora Linux

If I'm talking about the kernel or linux in general I'll say GNU Linux

[drascus]

Well let me say first that being an FSF member I am very biased in this issue. I think that it should be said GNU/Linux. however I understand that to each their own on their issue and that not necessarily everyone is going to agree. here is my observation though. If you tend to agree with the members of the open source movement (that is the importace of the technological aspects of computing.) Then you will tend to call it Linux only. If you agree with the Free Software movement (that is Freedom is important above all else) you will tend to call it GNU/Linux. I think it is important to say GNU for the Free Software Reason and also because it gives due credit. I don't generally hassle people to much unless the talk about the FSF and their affiliates and then only refer to it as Linux.

[DMcA]

If I'm talking about the kernel or linux in general I'll say GNU Linux

Surely if you're talking about the kernel then that's the one time you definitely shouldn't say GNU/Linux

[bryonak]

Hello everybody out there using minix -

I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and
professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing
since april, and is starting to get ready. I'd like any feedback on
things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat
(same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons)
among other things).

I've currently ported bash(1.08) and gcc(1.40), and things seem to work.
This implies that I'll get something practical within a few months, and
I'd like to know what features most people would want. Any suggestions
are welcome, but I won't promise I'll implement them :-)

Linus (torvalds@kruuna.helsinki.fi)

PS. Yes - it's free of any minix code, and it has a multi-threaded fs.
It is NOT protable (uses 386 task switching etc), and it probably never
will support anything other than AT-harddisks, as that's all I have :-(.


One year later, the FSF (the organisation behind GNU) adopted Linux as their kernel, because the original HURD kernel was progressing too slowly.

[bapoumba]

Threads merged.

[vaserlan]

hi i just wana know if we should really give any importance to this matter it seems GNU does care alot and very pissed that linux aint named GNU Linux, so i wana know wat users think about and aint it fair that linus made the kernal and GNU made alot of other important surrounding software that we call it GNU-linux ????

I like the term LiGNUx - coz it's only a slight change yet it gives love to Stallman and GNU.

[vaserlan]

One year later, the FSF (the organisation behind GNU) adopted Linux as their kernel, because the original HURD kernel was progressing too slowly.

Coz Hurd was a microkernal and even Stallman has admitted that a microkernal is very hard to debug.