[Gllug] Linux or GNU/Linux?

[Nix]

On Mon, 18 Feb 2002, Paul Brazier moaned:
> I reckon in the future Linux could easily fall from prominence and be
> replaced by other free kernels like Hurd for example.

As long as it's vaguely POSIX-like, or has a POSIX emulation layer, it'd
be fairly easy.

If glibc could be ported to it then other than that porting job it
should be very easy.

> (correct me if I'm wrong) you just need a few low-level userspace tools
> specific to the kernel and the existing GNU stuff should work fine as it
> is.

Depends. glibc is portable, but most of the ports have rotted :( if the
new kernel wasn't the Hurd you'd probably need to do some porting work.

> How about "GLFSUG" for the Greater London Free Software Users Group"?

We need a SLUG in there like the lucky Seattleites have got (a suitable
animal for Seattle, I've always thought).

The Greater London Free and Software Libre Users Group. GLFSLUG, and I
hardly had to torment the acronym's expansion at all.

> (don't take this too seriously).

(same here)

> It would be interesing to see whether people use Linux mainly for
> political or technical reasons or somewhere inbetween. I was definitely

I think they're both connected. I started using it for purely technical
reasons (I'd spent all my time trying and failing to make OS/2 look like
Unix, why not use a Unixlike OS instead), but soon realised how useful
it was from a purely technical standpoint to have source (which is all
bound up with the political stuff).

> is just a bonus. Arguably some of the BSD systems are better technically
> but I prefer the GNU definition of "Free".

So do I; I think this is the purely-political reason I use it :)

-- 
`The classical music makes him feel tranquil and loved so he performs
 regularly. What a life for a guy. He gets to make love every day with
 an artificial cow.'

-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at linux.co.uk
http://list.ftech.net/mailman/listinfo/gllug