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View Full Version : What's the proper name for Linux


ade234uk
January 29th, 2006, 09:54 AM
What should Linux be reffered as, is it

Linux

OR

Gnu Linux

Reason I ask is that in France I saw a magazine and it said Gnu Linux on the France. Stupid question I know.
tufkakf
January 29th, 2006, 09:59 AM
What should Linux be reffered as, is it

Linux

OR

Gnu Linux

Reason I ask is that in France I saw a magazine and it said Gnu Linux on the France. Stupid question I know.
This is not a stupid question at all. However, discussing it easily leads to holy wars.

From my understanding, people who want to emphasize the contributions of the GNU project to a modern linux distribution, or want to show their commitment to the ideas of the GNU project, call it GNU/Linux. Others just call it Linux, because they either are not commited to theses ideas, or they just don't care and find it silly or to long.

The bottom line, both names are valid, just use the name you prefer and let other people use the name they prefer.
rfruth
January 29th, 2006, 10:02 AM
WIkipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system
calls it 'Linux' so do *I*

OOPS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LINUX
Derek Djons
January 29th, 2006, 12:41 PM
For most people Linux is just 'speaking-language' I've withnessed several Linux fantactics talking for hours attachting all kinds of names and projects to other names and start argueing about it :)
GeneralZod
January 29th, 2006, 01:08 PM
This is not a stupid question at all. However, discussing it easily leads to holy wars.

From my understanding, people who want to emphasize the contributions of the GNU project to a modern linux distribution, or want to show their commitment to the ideas of the GNU project, call it GNU/Linux. Others just call it Linux, because they either are not commited to theses ideas, or they just don't care and find it silly or to long.

The bottom line, both names are valid, just use the name you prefer and let other people use the name they prefer.

I think it depends more on what exactly ones I referring to; if you are referring to a Linux distro with all of the trimmings (including the GNU utils) like, say, Ubuntu, then some people will call it GNU/Linux. However, if you are referring to Linux as in the kernel itself, then the GNU is not used - the kernel is Linux and Linux only.

Edit:

Gah - that's pretty much what that Wikipedia article says - I should probably read threads & links before posting. :/
DiscoKiller
January 29th, 2006, 01:21 PM
Gah - that's pretty much what that Wikipedia article says - I should probably read threads & links before posting. :/

naah dude, that would be like getting a new toy and actually reading the manual b4 u start messing around with (breaking) it. just unheard of.