GNU/Linux or Linux?
Quinta-feira, Julho 19th, 2007Marcel Ribeiro Dantas
<ribeirodantas@slackware-rn.com.br>
GNU/Linux or Linux?
Fifteen years after the release of the GNU/Linux, the users of this operating system still call it ‘Linux’, an incorrect name, which is only a piece of the system.
Linux is a kernel, the nucleus, also called the core of the operating system, which has as function manage the peripherals and the resources of the machine, that is, an essential part of the system. therefore, we can conclude in spite of the justice is not the only reason, is not fair to call all the Operating System like Linux, once that name is only a piece of all.
In this point of discussion, is necessary go back in the history, decade of 80, when Richard Stallman created the GNU Project [2]. The objective of GNU Project, was create a operating system totally free, a system containing only free softwares that does not restrict the users anyway and did not make the users to sign license and terms to do not share these softwares with nobody.
Once the Unix was proprietary and the objective of the GNU Project was to build a operating system totally free, they built several softwares based on the Unix softwares structure, preserving the freedom. Hence GNU is a recursive acronym for GNU is Not Unix.
Knowing the history of GNU Project, you will see years after the start of project (1984), at begins of decade 90, was almost totally finished. All the softwares with the collaboration of people all world have been finished, but still it lacked a part; the kernel. They had started the development of the GNU Hurd, the kernel waited to fill this gap, but the Finland Linus Torvalds filled it relicensing such as free software the kernel Linux, that was published one year before, with a recommendation that it will be used with Operating System GNU.
So, after a question of the justice, the Linux after much time of the beginning of the GNU Project, started to participate of it. Then, GNU is not a part of the Linux, but the Linux is part of the GNU, although this not make much difference.
The problem is that many users have several reasons for to call only Linux, maybe because Linux is minor, more simple to pronounce (is pronounced LI-nux and guh-noo LInux in the case of GNU/Linux), bad faith or only ignorance, because does not know the term. We can see then, more one time, that the correct is to call all the system as GNU/Linux, once we want to refer to all the system, or only Linux if you want to refer just for the kernel.
A bigger problem yet, in this nomenclature, is the disrespect with the various users that worked high in the GNU Project and instead of being recognized equally the developers of the Linux, they are forgotten even though the GNU is bigger than the Linux. If you do not believe what you finished to read, continue reading and will obtain arguments of this affirmation, which include applications such as GNU C Libraries (glibc), GNU Emacs and other. Clicking here you will can obtain access for a list of GNU packages in the tree of packages of Slackware current (A GNU/Linux distribution). The Linux limited itself only as kernel-headers, kernel-modules and kernel-source.
In agreement with the public server of the kernel Linux, the size of the Linux for download is:
linux-2.6.22.tar.gz 08-Jul-2007 23:48 54M (234 MB uncomprenssed)
Using for example the Slackware distribution of GNU/Linux, the size of parcial operating System GNU (all the packages of Project GNU in the Slackware) is:
Operating System GNU (Parcial) 01-07-2007 23:23:00 (1178 MB uncomprenssed)
*: wasn’t calculated the packages in /testing directory.
Then, isn’t necessary to call the Operating System GNU/Linux of only linux, because the Operating System GNU is bigger than Linux (four times bigger, in agreement with data already cited).
I wait that in the end of this article you can to understand why some people call GNU/Linux, other call different names and what means these nomenclatures. Remember that the GNU Project also think about “free speech”, that is, you have all right to call for the name that you want, however if you want to respect for the effort of some people of the world, including Brazilian, does not have bad faith. Call it for the correct name; GNU/Linux.
Copyright 2007 Marcel Ribeiro Dantas
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this entire document without royalty provided the copyright notice, the document’s official URL, and this permission notice are preserved.
http://www.slackware-rn.com.br/~vuln/2007/07/19/gnulinux-or-linux/
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