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Diffstat (limited to '6.3/gnu')
| -rw-r--r-- | 6.3/gnu | 20 |
1 files changed, 20 insertions, 0 deletions
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@ +I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're refering to as Linux, is +in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. +Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free +component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, +shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined +by POSIX. + +Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, +without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU +which is widely used today is often called Linux, and many of its users are +not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project. + +There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part +of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that +allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. The +kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; +it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is +normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system +is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called Linux +distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux! |