Re: How is linux not an O/S Was: Re: Want to give back to linux?

[William T Wilson]

On Tue, 24 Mar 1998, Douglas F. Elznic wrote:

> How is linux not an OS. I really need to rethink my ideas about
> computers...

It's a matter of which definition of OS you subscribe to.  Some say that
the OS is responsible for mediating the interactions between CPU, RAM, and
peripherals, and providing a set of system calls for programs to interact
with them.  Linux (even the kernel by itself) provides all this.  Others
say that the OS is supposed to include all kinds of other things (user
interface, window system, applets, programming libraries, and so on, which
are typically provided by the distribution under Linux).

The second flavor is typically adhered to by the Microsoft marketing
department.  The rest of the world follows the first definition. 


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