this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2023
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Linux

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Which is better: Linux or GNU/Linux (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Harry_h0udini@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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Why Linux is portrayed as a Penguin?

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[–] Lettuceeatlettuce@lemmy.ml 114 points 1 year ago (6 children)

The penguin's name is "Tux" and he's the official Linux mascot.

I think Linus Torvalds picked it a long time ago, he said he wanted something that was non-threatening, so hence the penguin lol.

The debate about Linux vs GNU/Linux imo, is one of the stupidest and pedantic debates I've ever heard. Maybe it mattered 30+ years ago when things were much less developed and only hardcore nerds and programmers used it, but now days it's only important to grognards and neckbeards.

Hot take, but it's like those pretentious music enthusiasts that will argue about what precise genre an artist fits into. "I would say they are post-progressive indie skitzo-pop. No way! They are clearly more neo-grunge sca-punk with post-rock elements" who cares?? Have your ultra-precise categories in your personal music collection all you want, but acting like it's based on some hardcore objective truths of the universe is stupid.

Nobody is confused when I say I run Linux as my OS. Actually, people do get confused but it's not because of GNU/Linux, it's because they haven't ever heard of Linux and thought that Windows and MacOS were the only 2 OSes for computers.

If somebody genuinely pulled an "um, actually" on me for saying Linux vs GNU/Linux, I would scream laugh loudly and then change the subject.

[–] thantik@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

Yeah, but should you pronounce it Gee-en-yoo or Guh-no͞o? Huh? That REALLY tells me where your allegiances lay.

[–] independantiste@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 year ago

I pronounce it GNU

[–] WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 year ago (6 children)

I honestly didn’t know people pronounced it any other way than gee-en-you. It’s in all caps, so I figured you said each letter.

Now that I think more about it though, I don’t know why I assumed that. I don’t say AWOL as ay-doubleyou-oh-el. I don’t say SNAFU as es-en-ay-ef-you.

I’m just going to call it the OS for yaks from now on and never think about it again.

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[–] SheDiceToday@eslemmy.es 5 points 1 year ago

You mean you don't pronounce it "GNU's Not Unix" to all of your compatriots?

[–] Murdoc@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 year ago

Like much of my early language skills, I learned it from Sesame Street:
"Remember: No g-news is good g-news with Gary Gnu!" 😛

[–] jelloeater85@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Holy smokes. 1000x this. You want Linux to be popular, stop gatekeeping it and being a hipster. OSX is a great example of how to make a Unix like OS popular with NORMAL people.

Grandma doesn't care what kernel she's running and ... Hint hint, neither do I. I just want my computer to work and be easy to maintain.

I run Ubuntu, not because it's the best, but became it just works. I might swap to Mint or PopOS, but that takes time out of my life which I'd rather spend coding or working out.

You want Linux to win on the desktop, you have to get manufacturers to make it the default, and good luck getting Dell or HP to change.

Heck most folks don't even own a computer now a days.

Be happy Android won on mobile and Linux won on servers. ❤️

[–] deathmetal27@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

HP released the Dev One laptop running Linux once.

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[–] Ddhuud@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Um actually it's called ska, not sca

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[–] t0m5k1@lemmy.world 36 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Here we go. ...

Linux is the kernel.

Gnu refers to the userland tools.

Many say gnu no longer really applies as the userland tools are provided by more than GNU's specific set.

[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I understand why Stallman wanted us to say GNU/Linux, because his organization needs money and wants its name out there, but that's simply not how things get named in the real world.

First, GNU was always a mouthful. It's always been intentionally pronounced differently from the animal. People prefer names that are not confusing and that don't sound strange.

Second, we don't do the same thing for other operating systems. If you're an illustrator, you don't say that you work on Adobe/Windows or whatever.

Third, GNU/Linux adds nothing interesting over simply "Linux". And in fact, there have been distributions where they avoid GNU tooling due. Everybody still recognizes these as Linux.

[–] MimicJar@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For your second point, do you say that you use Adobe or Windows?

Or how about if I said I made this cool image using Linux? More likely I'd say I used GIMP or ImageMagick or some specific command line tool.

Linux is just the kernel. It's an amazing kernel, but it's only half the story. The tools on top of it are just as important as the kernel. That's the point of saying GNU/Linux is to call out the other half of the whole experience.

The reason GNU/Linux isn't popular to say is that it doesn't provide any real information. "I run Linux" and "I run GNU/Linux" doesn't really tell you anything. "I run Debian", "I run Fedora", "I run Arch BTW", those all tell you something different.

I can't speak to the OS landscape when Linux was released. Maybe saying that you ran GNU/Minix or Bell/Unix or whatever combinations might have existed would have made sense. However at this point it doesn't.

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[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I always pronounced it guh-new as in “Gary Gnu”.

How is it supposed to be pronounced?

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[–] Dirk@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Let me interject for a moment …

[–] SomeBoyo@feddit.de 7 points 1 year ago (3 children)

"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!"

[–] darth_tiktaalik@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

mmm....gnu/pasta. delicious

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[–] fubo@lemmy.world 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why Linux is portrayed as a Penguin?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tux_(mascot)

[–] WalrusByte@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In the uses section, it mentions Tux being shown at the top of the boot sequence for Gentoo.

It's kinda funny because I've been using Gentoo for almost 4 years and never knew that there was one Tux per CPU core until I read this article. That's fun!

Just thought it put out the same number on every system I guess, haha!

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[–] oo1@kbin.social 26 points 1 year ago (3 children)

BTW/Arch

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[–] Presi300@lemmy.world 24 points 1 year ago

I really don't care what ppl call it, I call it "Linux", because saying "GNU/Linux" is really annoying. Also, I like Alpine so yeah I can say that I use "Linux".

[–] grue@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

What's better is GNU. IDGAF if the kernel is Linux or HURD as long as my hardware works, but I do care about preferring copyleft-licensed stuff to permissively-licensed stuff.

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[–] imgel@lemmy.ml 22 points 1 year ago

Both. Richard and Linux paved the way for what all FOSS and the world currently is

[–] TheScaryDoor@startrek.website 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tux_(mascot)

TIL, Linus Torvalds just likes penguins.

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[–] Floey@lemm.ee 9 points 1 year ago

Just go with whatever software distribution you use.

[–] abclop99@beehaw.org 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Systemd/Linux

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[–] PseudoSpock@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Linux/GNU. GNU would never have been widely adopted anywhere without the Linux kernel. Plus, Linux can be made to run with alternatives to GNU. Putting GNU first is putting the cart before the horse.

[–] feanpoli@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 year ago

Actually it might be the opposite, without the GNU initiative, Linus may not have found any interest in developing the Linux kernel. Without the GPL license, the efforts of the GNU community would not have been spent on Linux.

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[–] TheImpressiveX@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

GNU/Linux is the more technically accurate term, but in practice, most people say "Linux" so that others know what they're talking about.

And the reason for Tux is because Linus Torvalds was once bitten by a penguin.

[–] nrabulinski@beehaw.org 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It’s not more accurate with distros like gokrazy, alpine, or chimera which aren’t necessarily based on GNU software (the last of which specifically advertises itself as „non-gnu Linux”)

[–] Adanisi@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Most people don't use them. And nobody is calling them GNU/

[–] CIAvash@beehaw.org 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

GNU+Linux 😀

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[–] chili1553@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

I love them all, man.

[–] raubarno@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

As the others made a good point, Linux is the kernel (program that connects hardware altogether and manages processes). GNU is an organisation beginning in 1983 that made some vital userland programs (Bash, GCC, readline, GNOME, GTK, GIMP, etc.) as a replacement of the proprietary ones found in UNIX and Windows. Linux is created by a Finnish student Linus Torvalds and is not a part of the GNU project but it's been licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), the first free software license.

Linux is used by a lot of companies, and some of the products that have Linux inside refuse to accept the paradigm of software freedom. Examples of this are: Chrome OS, Windows Subsystem for Linux, Google Android and some (but not all) appliances (like routers) that are locked-in and contain proprietary blobs.

Therefore, in technical discussions, I use the word "Linux" to refer to the OS, as "this software is compatible with Linux". But, when I want to stress out software freedom, given a large influence of the GNU project, I say "GNU/Linux".

[–] nrabulinski@beehaw.org 5 points 1 year ago (5 children)

There’s quite a few Linux distributions or whatever you want to call it that aren’t associated with GNU or are not based on GNU software

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[–] QuazarOmega@lemy.lol 5 points 1 year ago

Both, at alternate times to mess with the enemy

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