From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 4.0.0 (2022-12-14) on finch.gentoo.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.2 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_ADSP_NXDOMAIN, DMARC_MISSING,MAILING_LIST_MULTI,NICE_REPLY_A autolearn=unavailable autolearn_force=no version=4.0.0 Received: from pandora.cs.kun.nl (pandora.cs.kun.nl [131.174.33.4]) by chiba.3jane.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 72564AC772 for ; Wed, 25 Sep 2002 03:47:41 -0500 (CDT) Received: from callisto by pandora.cs.kun.nl via callisto.cs.kun.nl [131.174.33.75] with ESMTP for id g8P8leka016830 (8.12.5/3.56); Wed, 25 Sep 2002 10:47:40 +0200 (MET DST) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" From: Paul de Vrieze To: gentoo-dev@gentoo.org Subject: Re: [gentoo-dev] License criteria for Gentoo Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 10:47:39 +0200 User-Agent: KMail/1.4.3 References: <003001c263be$c2e72720$f32e58cf@mia> <1032906460.6423.43.camel@fasty.spidex.com> In-Reply-To: <1032906460.6423.43.camel@fasty.spidex.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message-Id: <200209251047.39859.pauldv@cs.kun.nl> Sender: gentoo-dev-admin@gentoo.org Errors-To: gentoo-dev-admin@gentoo.org X-BeenThere: gentoo-dev@gentoo.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.6 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: Gentoo Linux developer list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: X-Archives-Salt: fb9dfa00-49c7-4c44-9018-a73b264d366d X-Archives-Hash: 2f969a79dd563233277ffdfe19539c79 On Wednesday 25 September 2002 00:27, Greg Corcoran wrote: > On Tue, 2002-09-24 at 04:37, Kevyn Shortell wrote: > > Linux is an operating system, it is a collection of parts. > > I thought Linux was a Kernel. Is this not correct? > Linux is a unix-like kernel The collection of software that RMS wants to see called GNU/Linux is an=20 operating system. While the essence of an operating system is formed by it's kernel, the=20 operating system could not exist without a standard ABI (Application Bina= ry=20 Interface - see gcc-3.x problems), a set of standard libraries (glibc, bu= t=20 multiple are allowed), agreed upon locations of certain critical files, A= =20 standard way to handle authentication (nsswitch/pam/yp). One can make an=20 operating system as big as you want it. Microsoft thinks it is big as all= the=20 graphical user interface is seen as part of the operating system. In the = unix=20 world the graphical user interface is not seen as part of the operating=20 system which allows for different kinds of GUI systems, while the most=20 popular system is X. The question is where do you draw the line. Most peo= ple=20 do agree though that a kernel alone cannot make an operating system, whil= e it=20 is certainly the most important part of it. That's why a lot of people ju= st=20 call the linux-and-gnu based operating system linux. Paul ps. What's in a name? --=20 Paul de Vrieze Junior Researcher Mail: pauldv@cs.kun.nl Homepage: http://www.devrieze.net