RMS, Free software and the Ubuntu CDs

[Alexander Skwar]

Michael T. Richter wrote:
> On Sun, 2006-02-07 at 00:34 +0100, Daniel Carrera wrote:
>> > So it should, in fact, be
>> > called Xorg/XFree+GNU+Linux.
> 
>> I wouldn't object to your calling it X/GNU/Linux if you want. 
> 
> That's the whole point, however.  You don't particularly care what 
> people call it.  You have your own approach to it and allow others theirs.
> 
> RMS *does* care, however.  He wants everybody to call it GNU/Linux or 
> GNU+Linux

Rightly so, as it was the GNU userland tools (tar, grep, ...) that
were very important to the success of Linux. Not to mention the
Gnu C Compiler, the gcc.

  because he feels pissy over Linus' success and his own
> perceived snubbing.

"because"? You do know that? RMS told you so? Or how do you now?

>  He tries to rationalise it by saying that since 
> "most" of the code is GNU and Linux only fills "a small remaining part" 
> that this is justified because it "recognises the valuable contributions 
> of GNU".

Exactly.

>  Yet, oddly enough, he doesn't seem to think that other 
> valuable contributions -- contributions which are far more valuable in 
> terms of widespread adoption (your average end-user not knowing nor 
> caring what a "grep" or an "awk" is)

"The average Joe" doesn't know about this. That's right. Even more
reason to emphasize the importance of those tools.

> -- should be "recognised" in the 
> name.  So his whole rationalisation falls apart.

It doesn't.

Alexander Skwar
-- 
It seemed the world was divided into good and bad people.  The good ones slept
better... while the bad ones seemed to enjoy the waking hours much more.
		-- Woody Allen, "Side Effects"