Foundation. It goes back to the early days, but it is deeper than that.
Linus beat RMS to producing the kernel, but RMS was okay with that. GNU's
problem is that GNU got no respect for its work. They want it to be called
GNU/Linux and not Linux and are quick to point out that Linux refers only to
the kernel.
There is also a problem with different visions between RMS and Linus and
their respective organisations. RMS has no use for anything but free
software (he does not even like the term open source). RMS will take issue
with many things. Linus takes a broader view and is not on a crusade to
change how people think. Linux tries to work with all stakeholders including
OEMs and companies to make Linux work with all hardware. He is not opposed
to proprietary drivers and included binary blobs from them in the kernel.
RMS is opposed to that and if you know RMS he does not mince his words.
Needless to say the men have had their share of disagreements over the
years. Mostly Linus just gets on with things and ignores what RMS says. RMS
can't seem to stop himself from saying whatever is on his mind. It is often
thought provoking and sometimes entertaining, but he is deadly serious when
he speaks.
Linus also got into a disagreement with Andrew Tanenbaum over kernel design.
Tanenbamum is the Minix guy and he said the kernel should be a microkernel
and Linus said it should be monolithic. It developed into a flame war and
Tanenbaum at one time said Linux was obsolete. Ironically Linus and
Tanenbaum get along better than Linus and RMS. Their issue was intellectual
whereas the other is ideological and RMS is not known for his flexibility.
As for the Hurd, it was based on a microkernel and GNU still says it is
being developed and promise to release it. We are still waiting.
Roy
Using Kubuntu 10.10, 64-bit
Location: Canada
On 15 February 2011 07:49, Paul <pfrederick1@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> --- In LINUX_Newbies@yahoogroups.com, "dbneeley" <dbneeley@...> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Linux did not "become a UNIX-like system"--it was designed that way from
> the beginning. The GNU utilities already existed. Linus understood clearly
> that the missing piece of the GNU project was the lack of a kernel, so he
> wrote the Linux kernel with full intention of supporting the GNU stuff that
> already existed. (The GNU people had at that time been working on their
> kernel for some time--which did not appear for some years after Linux did.
> That was called the Hurd, by the way).
>
> I like how you refer to HURD in the past tense. It is still around isn't
> it? Often this bit of history is recounted as Linus stole RMS' thunder by
> releasing a monolithic kernel as opposed to the ambitious microkernel that
> the GNU project was fruitlessly toiling away on.
>
> I've talked to a few people who say the thing actually works today. But I
> haven't heard much beyond that. Theoretically it is a lot more advanced than
> Linux is. Though if it had realized its true potential I'd think I'd have
> HURD about that.
>
> Reading this doesn't give me a high level of confidence:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Hurd
>
> But it is important history to know in order to understand the relationship
> between Linux and GNU. A lot of people do not realize that if it isn't here
> it isn't Linux:
>
> ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/
>
> Also there is the whole distribution confusion issue that stems in some
> part from this as well. Being as any Linux user of any distribution can go
> to the above link download a tarball and build it all Linux distributions
> are capable of what any other can do. Many do lose sight of this fact often
> though.
>
> Now as to why Windows gets more malware than any other OS is simply a
> matter of market share. The largest target is going to draw the most shots.
> And at around 96% market penetration Windows is a juicy target indeed! We'll
> have to see how other platforms fare in the mobile world which is somewhat
> more evenly distributed.
>
> "was HURD" R.I.P. 2011 Even St. IGNUcious says stick a fork in it it's
> done! Proving the point that it is never a good thing to be ahead of your
> time.
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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