From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: "Drew Adams" Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: RE: "MIT/GNU/Linux" Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 00:17:29 -0800 Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1167812341 5330 80.91.229.12 (3 Jan 2007 08:19:01 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 08:19:01 +0000 (UTC) Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Wed Jan 03 09:18:57 2007 Return-path: Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1H21Kl-0004xL-VA for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Wed, 03 Jan 2007 09:18:52 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1H21Kl-0003FR-1g for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Wed, 03 Jan 2007 03:18:51 -0500 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1H21KW-0003Ei-Hs for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Wed, 03 Jan 2007 03:18:36 -0500 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1H21KT-0003Dy-TT for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Wed, 03 Jan 2007 03:18:36 -0500 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1H21KT-0003Dv-M7 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Wed, 03 Jan 2007 03:18:33 -0500 Original-Received: from [141.146.126.228] (helo=agminet01.oracle.com) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA:32) (Exim 4.52) id 1H21KT-0005l6-BW for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Wed, 03 Jan 2007 03:18:33 -0500 Original-Received: from rgmgw1.us.oracle.com (rgmgw1.us.oracle.com [138.1.186.110]) by agminet01.oracle.com (Switch-3.2.4/Switch-3.1.7) with ESMTP id l038IUN5017396; Wed, 3 Jan 2007 02:18:30 -0600 Original-Received: from rcsmt251.oracle.com (rcsmt251.oracle.com [148.87.90.196]) by rgmgw1.us.oracle.com (Switch-3.2.4/Switch-3.1.7) with ESMTP id l0384Kv7016900; Wed, 3 Jan 2007 01:18:30 -0700 Original-Received: from dhcp-amer-csvpn-gw1-141-144-64-56.vpn.oracle.com by rcsmt250.oracle.com with ESMTP id 2331143211167812262; Wed, 03 Jan 2007 01:17:42 -0700 Original-To: "Stefan Monnier" , X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.6604 (9.0.2911.0) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028 Importance: Normal In-Reply-To: X-Whitelist: TRUE X-Whitelist: TRUE X-Brightmail-Tracker: AAAAAQAAAAI= X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:40117 Archived-At: > I believe RMS's use of "GNU" in "GNU/Linux" does not really refer to the > so-called GNU tools, but the GNU project which endeavored, long before it > seemed even remotely possible, to build a 100% Free Software operating > system. To this end, it built tools like gcc, it designed > licenses such as > the GPL, it encouraged other people to release their code under a Free > license, and it kind of brought some sense and long term vision to all the > "free hacking" that was going on piecemeal around the world. Well put. The "GNU = surrounding tools or environment" characterization is too often too prevalent in these discussions. You put it right, IMO. That said, getting people to refer to the OS as "GNU/Linux" might be a losing, though worthwhile, battle, if only because people do take shortcuts in speech. If the OS name were only one or two syllables, the battle would be easier. If "GNU" didn't mean more than just an OS, one might try to push to use just "GNU" instead of "GNU/Linux" - easier to say. If it were used alone as the name for the OS, however, "GNU" would be more general than "GNU/Linux", since, as someone pointed out, a different GNU kernel (e.g. HURD) could be used. GNU/Linux is no doubt the right term for a GNU OS with a Linux kernel, but it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. (I really wanted just to say "attaboy" for what you wrote.)