this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2024
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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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like what if linux still was open source but had a lot of proprietary dependencies and packages and became more popular and therefore proprietary software came to it?? but it still would let you use any desktop environment and there would be a new proprietary desktop environment which was like gnome but easier

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[–] davel@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 month ago
[–] dharmik@linuxusers.in 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

it’s called macos, and honestly, i’m glad it exists. seeing apple choose a unix-based system is a win. windows is just... not it. it’s nice that macos lets people work in a way that feels closer to linux without needing to dive into the deep end right away. sure, it’s not open like linux, but it’s a step in the right direction for those who want a mix of usability and power.

[–] adrianhooves@lemmy.today 2 points 1 month ago

yep you are right then, actually technically mac os is open... just not all of it!!!

[–] tate@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] muhyb@programming.dev 1 points 1 month ago

I prefer that over NT or Windows.

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 2 points 1 month ago

like what if linux still was open source but had a lot of proprietary dependencies and packages...

At that point, it's not really open source anymore. Once it has proprietary dependencies, it's no longer open.

but it still would let you use any desktop environment and there would be a new proprietary desktop environment which was like gnome but easier

What you're describing is a closed-source version of Pop!_OS with a closed source version of Cosmic, their latest DE still in Alpha.

Businesses and software companies don't make software for operating systems based on their openness or proprietary-ness. They make it based on market share. Your idea would still have to compete with Linux, MacOS, and Windows, and it would have to get a better share of the market than at least Linux before businesses would even bother making software for your closed system.

The reason Linux is as successful as it is, is because it's open, and hobbyists can and do contribute to it for free. When you close that off, you then have to pay for development, and you'll have to overcome the gigantic barrier to entry set up by the likes of Microsoft and Apple.

[–] schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 month ago

any distro except the ones listed here https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.en.html technically already "took" that "route"

[–] 0x0@programming.dev 1 points 1 month ago

Linux does have proprietary blobs, Canonical has signed some NDAs, so not that far off from Android (which is linux-based and certainly has proprietary firmware).

[–] vhstape@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 month ago

macOS, ChromeOS, SteamOS, AWS, Samsung Tizen, literally any embedded device, …

[–] eugenia@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Unlike what people reply here out of ignorance, your thinking is correct, meaning, that Google has already done the hard work to create a TRULY modern OS, with proper usability, security, and yes, a way better compositor than wayland (in fact, android has the best compositor in the world, compared to ANY OS). A properly modified desktop OS based on it (better than Samsung's DeX for example), that is also able to run normal Linux apps, would be a huge winner.

[–] lemmur@szmer.info 1 points 1 month ago

Why do you consider android compositor so good?