that old GNU/Linux argument

[Anders Karlsson]

* Gordon Messmer <yinyang at eburg.com> [20080720 22:31]:
> Thomas Cameron wrote:
>>
>> I've never denigrated or minimized GNU's participation in the success of
>> the Linux operating system, or any other operating systems.  No doubt,
>> the GNU bits are of critical import.  But that's not why I commented on
>> this thread.
>>
>> My point is that GNU is only a *part* of that success.
>
> Or Linux is only a *part* of the success of GNU as an operating system.
>
> Bear in mind that GNU was a "big and professional" Free Software  
> operating system before Linus even began work on what would become the  
> Linux kernel.

Bearing that in mind, GNU would operate no system on it's own, as it
had no kernel to operate the system with. And holding HURD up as an
example don't really hold water, considering it's past and present
state.

I'll let you happily argue the toss until the cows come home, but GNU
is in itself not an operating system. It however holds components that
are key and very useful to run on top of an operating system such as
that which we today call Linux in order to generate a useful
combination, or distribution.

Cheers,

/Anders