On Mon, Oct 03, 2011 at 01:39:11PM -0600, Aaron Toponce wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 03, 2011 at 12:49:20PM -0500, Derek Martin wrote:
> > > Linux is a kernel, not an operating system.
> >
> > I suggest you not go there (like, ever).  This statement is at least
> > arguably false on several levels, and its truth value really depends
> > on the definitions of some terms that at best have been somewhat fluid
> > over time or variable depending on what "authority" you use...  It's
> > more the matter of religious dogma than technical or literal fact, and
> > practically speaking, it matters not at all... All but the most
> > neophyte of readers (and probably most of those even, I would guess)
> > will understand what was meant.
> 
> Oh brother. This has nothing to do with religious dogma. It's a kernel.
> That's it. It's an operating system kernel. Plain and simple. Read this in
> case you think otherwise:
> 
> https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Linux_kernel

Oh brother indeed.

   "I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big
   and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been
   brewing since April, and is starting to get ready. I'd like any
   feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles
   it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-system (due to
   practical reasons) among other things)."

1. Linus himself calls it an operating system, in that very document
to which you referred.  

2. Multiple learning materials I used as text books in computer sience
and technology classes in college 100 years ago and my own leisure
reading defined the operating system as the kernel.  

3. There exist a whole classification of products which bear the Linux
name which are not just the Linux Kernel, which collectively are
referred to as "Linux" by most of the industry (except for GNU
bigots^H^H^H^H^H^Henthusiasts).  

So again, your statement is at least arguably false, on multiple
levels.  As I said.  You can argue these are all wrong if you want to,
but I can find "legitimate authorities" to refute that as easily as
you can find them to support it.  So again, it's dogma, not fact.
I put "legitimate authorities" in quotes because we have no language
police, other than those self-appointed to the task.  There are no
true bona fide authorities, only historical usage.  Which is fine,
because words obtain their meanings in that fashion.

-- 
Derek D. Martin    http://www.pizzashack.org/   GPG Key ID: 0xDFBEAD02
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