All in a Name
All in a Name

Dear Linux Magazine Reader,
Sometimes if I hear the same debate long enough, I get this urge to mix it up and send it in a new direction. For instance, what about the long-running feud between GNU founder Richard Stallman and the namers of the system otherwise known as Linux?
The GNU website summarizes the argument as follows:
Just consider: the GNU Project starts developing an operating system, and years later Linus Torvalds adds one important piece. The GNU Project says, "Please give our project equal mention," but Linus says, "Don't give them a share of credit; call the whole thing after my name alone!" [1]
Stallman has a point about the importance of GNU, but his very personalized rhetorical style has the effect of only reaching the people who already agree with him. (It seems quite unlikely that Linus ever said "Don't give them a share of credit: call the whole thing after my name alone!" – which sounds more like something Genghis Khan or Idi Amin would say, but in any case, if he did say it, they should add a footnote with their source. If he didn't say it, it shouldn't be in quotation marks.)
Like many in the software industry, I see the arguments on both sides, but to be honest, I find it really unlikely that the GNU/ formulation will ever catch on. Slashes are just a really inorganic and cumbersome way to name things. If the GNU Project believes they will not be getting the appropriate credit unless their name is integrated into the name of the system (which seems to be what they are saying), they should be arguing for some kind of hybrid, such as:
GNU + Linux = Glunix
Another approach mentioned by the GNU Project is to leave out any mention of Linux completely and just call it "The GNU Operating System," which doesn't really solve anything and actually just applies the same problem in reverse.
Of all the options I've heard, the more general term "The GNU system" seems the most useful as a means for referring to the vast body of free software components and applications Stallman's movement has given to the world. Not that Linux can't be Linux (or BSD, BSD), but in a future of many kernels, GNU will gravitate to a more independent identity as the common denominator.
Consider the following:
- GNU/OpenSolaris – Oracle just bought Sun, which means they just bought Solaris. They currently operate their own Linux distro cloned from Red Hat. They will no doubt continue to support Linux, but you can expect that this association with Oracle will breathe new life into the Solaris scene.
- Debian GNU/kFreeBSD – The BSD-on-Debian concept has been around for years; however, just recently, the Debian team announced new developments in this effort, with the kFreeBSD i386 and AMD64 architectures joining the Debian archive.
- GNU/Mac OS – Projects like Fink and MacPorts are busily porting free software to Mac OS X.
- GNU/Win – I know this looks really weird, but in fact, plenty of free software runs on Windows. The GNU project even has a web page summarizing free software tools for Windows [2].
As the competition among operating systems increases, the public will need a kernel-independent means to refer to this essential collection of free software tools and components, so no matter what happens in the great debate, it seems likely that GNU will continue to remain in the public eye – not just as an idea, but as a name.
Infos
- "Linux, GNU, and Freedom": http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/linux-gnu-freedom.html
- "Free Software Replacements for Proprietary Applications on the Microsoft Windows OS": http://www.gnu.org/software/for-windows.html
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
News
-
An All-Snap Version of Ubuntu is In The Works
Along with the standard deb version of the open-source operating system, Canonical will release an-all snap version.
-
Mageia 9 Beta 2 Ready for Testing
The latest beta of the popular Mageia distribution now includes the latest kernel and plenty of updated applications.
-
KDE Plasma 6 Looks to Bring Basic HDR Support
The KWin piece of KDE Plasma now has HDR support and color management geared for the 6.0 release.
-
Bodhi Linux 7.0 Beta Ready for Testing
The latest iteration of the Bohdi Linux distribution is now available for those who want to experience what's in store and for testing purposes.
-
Changes Coming to Ubuntu PPA Usage
The way you manage Personal Package Archives will be changing with the release of Ubuntu 23.10.
-
AlmaLinux 9.2 Now Available for Download
AlmaLinux has been released and provides a free alternative to upstream Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
-
An Immutable Version of Fedora Is Under Consideration
For anyone who's a fan of using immutable versions of Linux, the Fedora team is currently considering adding a new spin called Fedora Onyx.
-
New Release of Br OS Includes ChatGPT Integration
Br OS 23.04 is now available and is geared specifically toward web content creation.
-
Command-Line Only Peropesis 2.1 Available Now
The latest iteration of Peropesis has been released with plenty of updates and introduces new software development tools.
-
TUXEDO Computers Announces InfinityBook Pro 14
With the new generation of their popular InfinityBook Pro 14, TUXEDO upgrades its ultra-mobile, powerful business laptop with some impressive specs.