John Cornelius wrote:
Gordon Messmer wrote:
Can you cite any consensus based definition of "operating system"
other than what you've provided? I think that the POSIX specification
is generally agreed to be the definition of one operating system
interface, and it includes the shells, editors, compilers, etc that
you've decided aren't part of an operating system.
I suppose that would be because the writers of the POSIX specification
didn't think it through.
That's awfully dismissive of the work done by the people who actually
participated in the design, documentation and implementations of
operating systems.
I think that the GNU developers disagree with you. What makes your
opinion more valid than theirs?
Perhaps they do and they are free to do so but they are incorrect and
your own argument makes the point. You are trying to separate the kernel
(and its related facilities) from the operating system and
Actually, I'm not. I'm arguing that the POSIX specification includes
both kernel, C programming, and user interfaces, and that GNU/Linux
implements (more or less) the POSIX specification while Linux does not.
By POSIX standads, GNU/Linux is an OS as is GNU/kFreeBSD, etc.
GNU is not Linux and Linux is not GNU, it's just an evolution of a
movement started by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie nearly 40 years ago.
Whoda thunk?
I think you're giving Ken and Dennis too much credit.
I do not give Kenny and Denny too much credit, if anything I have not
given them enough credit.
I don't think I was very clear about that statement, so let me rephrase it.
I have never seen any reason to believe that Ken and Dennis have ever
been interested in Free Software. I personally object to the statement
that GNU is an evolution of a movement started by Ken and Dennis because
it implies that they were or are involved in the development of Free
Software. I'd love be shown wrong, as I have a great deal of respect
for their technical achievements, and would only respect them more if
they were a part of the Free Software community.
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