Star KDE Goes Cross-Platform, Supports Windows and OS X
Linked by Eugenia Loli-Queru on Wed 23rd Jan 2008 22:08 UTC
KDE The KDE desktop environment is going cross-platform with support for the Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. In addition to porting the core KDE libraries and applications, developers are also porting popular KDE-based software like the Amarok audio player and the KOffice productivity suite.
E-mail Print r 10   70 Comment(s) http://osne.ws/eti
Permalink for comment 297544
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
RE[4]: Cross Platform
by lemur2 on Thu 24th Jan 2008 11:56 UTC in reply to "RE[3]: Cross Platform"
lemur2
Member since:
2007-02-17

If the FSF people tell you to jump from a bridge, I know you would!
I say that because I believe that anyone that falls for the GNU/Linux charade are pretty much followers, little robots, like Moonies in a way.

Every OS has many parts, many components. Just because the GNU libraries were used in Linux, they were also many other contributors to its development, not just GNU.


WTF??

GNU has nothing at all to do with Linux.

Linux is a kernel.
http://kernel.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel

GNU is a whole range of utilities that make up a significant portion of the OS:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Project
http://www.gnu.org/

This is GNU software:
http://directory.fsf.org/GNU/
(Note: there is no claim at all to the Linux kernel being made here).

GNU software makes up approximately 28% of a typical GNU/Linux distribution. The Linux kernel itself is about 3%
http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html

GNU has its own kernel (but no-one uses it much):
http://directory.fsf.org/project/hurd/

There is also such a thing as GNU/Solaris:
http://www.nexenta.org/os

... the point is you can make up a working GNU system without the Linux kernel and still have something useful, but Linux without GNU is nothing.

As you well know, this charade has come about because of the megalomaniac that could not stand Linux success.


Well, everyone is entitled to an opinion, I suppose.

Here is an opposing one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU/Linux_naming_controversy
In the 1991 release notes for versions 0.01 to 0.11 of the Linux kernel (which was not released under the GNU General Public License until version 0.12), Torvalds wrote:

Sadly, a kernel by itself gets you nowhere. To get a working system you need a shell, compilers, a library etc. These are separate parts and may be under a stricter (or even looser) copyright. Most of the tools used with linux are GNU software and are under the GNU copyleft. These tools aren't in the distribution - ask me (or GNU) for more info.


You yourself said: "Every OS has many parts, many components." I agree. I would also point out that in any GNU/linux distribution, the biggest single piece by a long way is the GNU software that is included.

And now for the truly corny bit (which at least has the one redeeming feature that it shows the relative sizes of things):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gnu-and-penguin-color.png

Edited 2008-01-24 12:08 UTC

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 6