[Gllug] GLLUG ->Gnu Linux London Users Group

[Dan Kolb]

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On Sunday 17 Feb 2002 20:47 pm, Nick Hill wrote:
> The issue is not about exclusion. It is not a matter of excluding those who
> use operating systems other than GNU or whose kernel is not Linux.

But it is. This is a (GNU/)Linux users group. If someone joined the group and 
asked an innate Windows question, they'd probably be told where to shove 
their Windows recovery CD. As such, general Windows users are excluded from 
the group.

If, for example, someone was to ask a question about FreeBSD, technically 
they'd be off-topic for this group. They may well get their question 
answered, but, still, it'd be OT. If this group was renamed the GNU/Linux 
users group, then, technically, a question from someone using Perl/Linux 
would be off-topic.

> I don't think anyone should be excluded. If they are interested in what we
> are doing, then it should be fine.
>
> However, most of what we discuss is to do with the GNU operating system
> whose kernel happens to be, most of the time, Linux.

*checks latest threads*
Backup recommendations, C library, frozen machine, KDE launch delay, 
security/closing ports, root kits, meta keys, vim keymapping.
Although these may have been discussed in relation to the GNU operating 
system running on a Linux kernel, these could very well have been running 
under any other Unix (or even non-Unix) operating system. Therefore, I 
contest the fact that "most of what we discuss is to do with the GNU 
operating system....."

> It is reasonable, therefore, for the operating system name to be referred
> to, especially since the philosophy which brought us GNU/Linux and has
> given us a free alternative to proprietary software would benefit from such
> simple lip service.

It is certainly reasonable, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen. 
RedHat aren't going to change their product to RedHat GNU/Linux. "RedHat 
Linux" is a brand name. Likewise "SuSE Linux" or "Mandrake Linux" are brand 
names. They're not going to change their product name. I would say that it's 
only a smallish percentage of all the software that is true-GNU software.

> Most of the systems you refer to do use GNU software. I have just logged on
> to a BSD machine which uses bash- an important GNU application. Many of the
> systems you refer to use te GCC compiler. Another core GNU application.

True, and a lot of Windows programs are compiled with Microsoft Visual Basic 
or Visual C++. That doesn't mean that all software has to be called 
Microsoft/$PRODUCT, does it?

Dan
- -- 
dankolb at ox.compsoc.net  
 
- --I reserve the right to be completely wrong about any comments or
  opinions expressed; don't trust everything you read above--  

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