[Wylug-discuss] Interesting view from a Google employee

[Paul Brook]

> "Linux Users can't be trusted to behave if they are taken out into public"
> 
> Ever wondered why Google refuses to reference that Android or Chromebooks
> are Linux-based?
> 
> An interesting answer:
> http://linuxlock.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/happy-sitting-at-kids-table.html

Well, that and the fact that for most practical purposes, Android is almost 
completely different to a conventional Linux system.  It's definitely not a 
"GNU/Linux" system.  One of Google's primary goals for Android was to remove 
all the GNU bits.

Android has its own set of in-kernel APIs, so porting drivers to mainstream 
linux kernels is often nontrivial.  The syscall (userspace to kernel) 
interface is mostly the same, but noone actually uses that directly.  
Applications interface with the C library, which I believe is a BSD derivative 
on Android. I'd say that Debian/FreeBSD is actually closer to what most people 
consider a Linux system - despite not actually containing/using Linux - than 
Android.

The whole point of a Chromebooks is that they're locked down and it really 
doesn't matter what OS it's running.  If you can even tell, then you've 
probably found a bug.

Promoting either as Linux based is IMO not particularly meaningful.  The same 
is true of e.g. most Samsung TVs.  It's similar to saying the [original] XBox 
is windows 2000 based.

Paul