[Fsfe-uk] Re: [Fsuk-manchester] GNU/Linux and free speech

[Tim Dobson]

On 09/01/2008, Dave Page <address@hidden> wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 09, 2008 at 11:45:16AM +0100, Dave Crossland wrote:
> > On 09/01/2008, Dave Page <address@hidden> wrote:
>
> > There are clearly several non-GNU free software operating systems.
> > That has nothing to do with GNU+Linux systems being such, and it being
> > helpful towards the free software movement to call them such.
>
> Not only are there non-GNU free software operating systems, there are
> Linux-based non-GNU operating systems. I'll happily call my desktop,
> server etc. a GNU/Linux system, but to refer to *all* Linux-based
> systems as GNU/Linux, even if they don't use the GNU utilities, is
> incorrect and disingenious.

Sorry Dave, but I disagree with you here. Other than on embedded
devices, routers in particular, but also to some extent the upcoming
OpenMoko Smart Phone frame work, Open Embedded is used to a large
extent, even though most of these platform are used in conjuction with
GNU programs - bash for example.
But out of these circumstances, it is about as unlikly to encounter an
Open Embedded desktop/server as mattl is likly to install vista.

But anyway, you drove the point home yourself; you called
not-really-GNU Linux-based systems "Linux based systems", as opposed
to "Linux" or "Linux Systems"

It is not unheard of for in similar situations when unsure, for
example, in the context of free software handheld OS's, based on a
popular kernel, to refer to the operating system as "based on a linux
kernel", as in the context of FamiliarLinux.

Familiar Linux[1] does not anywhere on it's website or wikipedia page
have anything stated anything about it's tool chain, though a look at
recent changes show it is using OpenEmbedded.

In this situation calling it a "Linux based system", or a "system with
a linux kernel", is a good idea.

-Tim


[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Familiar_Linux

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If each of us have one object, and we exchange them, then each of us
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