On Thu, Aug 04, 2005 at 08:30:05AM +0200, David Kastrup wrote:
> "Richard M. Stallman" <rms@gnu.org> writes:

> >     Linux is not really a program in the usual sense.
> >
> > It is a program, in the usual sense of the word.
> > You must have some unusual sense of the word in mind.
> 
> <URL:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system>
> <URL:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_program>

Lets have a look:

    Operating system
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

    In computing, an operating system (OS) is the system software
    [...]

... well ...

    System software
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

    System software is a generic term referring to any computer
    software whose purpose is to help run the computer system.

... ok, so it's "computer software", now, what's that?

    Computer software
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

    Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more
    computer programs held in the storage of a computer for some
    purpose.

... and here we go, it's a "computer program" (what a surprise) --
your second link.  :)

"program" is a very generic term, and I think it's a pretty strange
idea to pretend it isn't...

btw. I think the word for the kind of program you consider the "usual
sense" would be "application".

cheers
sascha
-- 
Sascha Wilde 
- no sig today... sorry!