this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2022
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Linux

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Some come to me and say, "but dude, we should give recognition to the kernel and say GNU/Linux", and I tell them I don't care about the kernel, am not saying GNU/Linux every time, it's way too long and doesn't roll off the tongue. Plus "Linux" sounds nerdy af, like, "blip bop kernel source code 00101000 10100100", while GNU's all about freedom, what really matters, being all like "am not your proprietary crap" repeated ad infinitum through the recursive acronym that is GNU, that's proper big brain stuff right there rather than technical gibberish about a kernel.


This one paragraph abode is very tongue in cheek of course, but I still mean it though.

I've spent a few years arguing for GNU/Linux or even just GNU on reddit, mostly in r/linuxmasterrace, and I was pleased to get quite a few upvotes every now and then, in a place where you can find people that will say things like "I make a point of never saying GNU/Linux, it's called Linuuux!!!111!"

Here's some comments I still can hardly believe got upvoted :

68 points! - https://old.reddit.com/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/d01jb1/richard_stallman_is_giving_a_talk_at_microsoft/ez5tv3t/

35 points! - https://old.reddit.com/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/5vivqm/stallman_id_just_like_to_interject_for_a_moment/de2k344/

13 points! - https://old.reddit.com/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/iyds65/no_richard_its_linux_not_gnulinux/g6enrjc/

14 points! (this copypasta works well it seems) - https://old.reddit.com/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/jh0tb9/the_real_os_king/g9vra1r/

14 points! - https://old.reddit.com/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/bu2yh8/i_use_gnu_btw/ep7hy91/

And many more but with less upvotes or less interesting.

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[–] whou@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 years ago (5 children)

I do agree that the vast majority of distributions made for daily use uses the GNU Core Utils (hard to use most popular software without glibc).

But I'd like to remember that there are more than a handful of Linux distributions we use everyday while forgetting they don't use GNU Software at all.

Take for example Android or distributions used in server/embedded systems like Alpine Linux. The kernel and the Unix-like environment is the core reason people remember them as Linux and not Bionic, BusyBox or musl.

You are still completely right when talking about casual desktop Linux, which the majority of discussions about "Linux" focuses on.

Damn, I want GNU Hurd to be s table soon so I could flex about my GNU system.

Perhaps we could create a c/GNU community?

[–] Armand_Raynal@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Perhaps we could create a c/GNU community?

Yeah maybe, although I guess it will probably be abandoned while everything will be here on c/linux unfortunately.

imo c/linux should rather be called c/GNU/Linux or c/GNU+Linux in the first place, or even better, c/GNU :) And c/Linux would be the lesser one dedicated to kernel-enthusiast :D (I have my own share of fun with this theme I gotta admit, being tongue in cheek a lot, but I really mean it)

[–] erpicht@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 years ago

There is a c/gnu community already, but unlike c/linux, it is not a catch-all for any vaguely technology-related post.

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