Re: [gentoo-dev] Dist name...

[Jean-Michel Smith <jsmith@kcco.com>]

On Wednesday 07 August 2002 01:30 am, Klaus-J. Wolf wrote:
> Mickey Mullin wrote:
> > "Linux," today, really means "GNU/Linux."  I know no one who runs a Linux
> > kernel with MS Visual C++ to compile software.
>
> But there is a way of using the Linux kernel and BSD (also free)
> userland tools. Some folks are working on that.

That seems like an awful lot of work just to avoid typing 4 characters (or 
speaking one syllable alloud).

I still think the best compromise is to have dual official names, or to drop 
Linux from the name entirely.  I.e. ether

Gentoo

OR

Gentoo GNU/Linux concurrent with Gentoo Linux.

Both sides of the debate have valid points.  When I remember to, I tend to 
call it GNU/Linux out of respect for Richard Stallman's contribution 
(contributing 90% of the core operating system is nothing to sneeze at, and 
the plethora of third party stuff running on top of that simply underscores 
the value of that contribution.   Spider's point WRT Python and Gentoo 
specifically is a good one given portage's dependence on it, but as for KDE, 
etc. none of that can even remotely be considered a core part of the 
operating system, so that portion of the argument misses the point entirely 
IMHO) and out of respect for RMSes wishes, but even Richard Stallman makes it 
quite clear that everyone is FREE to do as they wish, and that includes 
disregarding his wishes and calling it "Linux" (he stated that specifically 
in a speech he gave at the University of Chicago regarding Free Software).  
Hardly something a raving fanatic would say, is it?

In the spirit of that Freedom why not accept that kind of compromise (either 
dual naming the distro or dropping the word Linux entirely), and let people 
use whichever name suits them best?  Yes, there will be the zealots (on both 
sides of the argument) who will insist that it is their way or the highway, 
but I think the vast majority of people on either side could live with either 
compromise just fine.

All that been said, whatever the distro is called, I'll call it GNU/Linux when 
I remember, and Linux when I forget (which is probably most common).  Like 
most things, the name isn't nearly as important as the underlying freedom, 
and the whole GNU/Linux v. Linux thing seems to forget that sometimes, much 
like the Republicans do when they try to amend the US constitution to ban 
flag burning, forgetting entirely about the freedoms for which the flag is 
merely a symbol.

Jean.