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Date:      Thu, 30 Apr 1998 22:13:39 -0500 (EST)
From:      "John S. Dyson" <toor@dyson.iquest.net>
To:        grog@lemis.com (Greg Lehey)
Cc:        fpawlak@execpc.com, Yves.holzgen@mba.be, freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG, FreeBSD-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: FreeBSD versus LINUX
Message-ID:  <199805010313.WAA02687@dyson.iquest.net>
In-Reply-To: <19980501114959.A26691@freebie.lemis.com> from Greg Lehey at "May 1, 98 11:49:59 am"

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> On Wed, 29 April 1998 at 23:40:10 -0500, Frank Pawlak wrote:
> > On 29 Apr, John Kelly wrote:
> >> On Wed, 29 Apr 1998 19:10:58 +0200, "Yves Holzgen"
> >> <yves.holzgen@mba.be> wrote:
> >>
> >>> We already use LINUX system. What are the main difference between Linux and
> >>> freeBSD ?
> >>
> >
> > ...
> >
> > Linux is a very young clone of SYSV UNIX.  It is not really an
> > operating system, just a kernel.  The libs and other components that
> > make up an operating system come from many developers with out a central
> > centrol mechanism to ensure the quality of the release.  It just the
> > kernel that is controlled by one person.
> 
> I don't know if I like making this distinction.  Lots of the FreeBSD
> supporting software is not under the direct control of the core team
> either (in fact, it's the same software used by Linux).  And the term
> "not an operating system" is misleading.  Many people, including
> myself, consider the kernel to be the operating system, and the rest
> just to be support.
> 
Actually, all of the software as distributed by FreeBSD is under the
FreeBSD's (core, contributors) team control.  We do local mods to
the various utilities as needed, and create an integrated release.
Some of the utility software is encumbered with GPL, but so what?  If
it was a problem for a major class of users in our user base, we would
substitute the offending programs.

Linus seems to have very little to do, other than peripheral
interest with the various GNU tools.  He doesn't release them as part
of Linux.  (RedHat, Debian, Slackware) do release an OS, where they
integrate the pieces.

It is a technical distinction, but Linux is handled as if the kernel
developers were seperate from the rest, and the name "Linux" doesn't
really describe the components in the release.  Okay, what version
of GCC comes with Linux 2.0.31??? :-).

John

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