From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Jun 13 17:34:10 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BC63A16A41C for ; Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:34:10 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from bsilver@chrononomicon.com) Received: from trans-warp.net (hyperion.trans-warp.net [216.37.208.37]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5989743D58 for ; Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:34:09 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from bsilver@chrononomicon.com) Received: from [127.0.0.1] (unverified [65.193.73.208]) by trans-warp.net (SurgeMail 2.2g3) with ESMTP id 12167586 for ; Mon, 13 Jun 2005 13:37:45 -0400 Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v622) In-Reply-To: References: <20050607123103.49021.qmail@web52306.mail.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Message-Id: <2acee80dede7a489d8e8e130f0824ebd@chrononomicon.com> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: Bart Silverstrim Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 13:33:56 -0400 To: FreeBSD Mailing List X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.622) X-Server: High Performance Mail Server - http://surgemail.com X-Authenticated-User: bsilver@chrononomicon.com Subject: Re: Celeron X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:34:10 -0000 On Jun 13, 2005, at 1:12 PM, Nikolas Britton wrote: > On 6/13/05, Andreas Davour wrote: >> On Mon, 13 Jun 2005, Nikolas Britton wrote: >> >>> On 6/7/05, Nosehouse wrote: >>>> Hello FreeBSD :D >>>> A question and I'm out: I have an old pc, running on a 300 MHz >>>> Intel Celeron CPU, on an Intel MOBO. Now, what platform should I >>>> choose from your site: Alpha, i386? And also for and AMD Athlon XP >>>> 2600+ with an Asus A7V600-X, what distribution? >>>> Thanks! >>>> >>>> >>> >>> FreeBSD is an operating system, Linux is a distribution. >> >> Nope. Linux is an operating system kernel, as is FreeBSD. The latter >> also happens to be the name of the operating environment. >> >> SuSE Linux, RedHat Linux or Debian GNU/Linux is distributions. > > When I say "operating system" I mean a "complete system". What good is > a kernel if you have no way to make it do something? Well, technically speaking, it doesn't matter what *you* mean. By the definition, the statement made was true...Linux is the kernel, and Red Hat, SuSE, Debian, etc. are distributions. We have to have standard definitions for specifying what we are talking about or it takes three times longer to communicate what we intend because we're trying to find the common understanding among Larry, Moe, and Curly as to what in h*ll they're talking about. Working in a tech field there's plenty of times where this gets put to the test...hard copy is NOT a floppy disk, a CD disc, or tape, despite the fact that it is a tangible physical object. > You could call GNU/Linux an operating system but I wouldn't, not after > being introduced to an engineered system like FreeBSD. FreeBSD is to > Linux as Gold is to Lead, there very similar but one is worthless. I think the GNU/Linux term is actually supposed to be applied to the Linux kernel with the GNU tools, although it may be applied to just the kernel. Would have to ask Stallman about that. As for the comment about being worthless, to each their own. I'm sure there are a lot of companies and Linux users who would disagree, and I'd be so inclined to disagree as well seeing that I've managed to get plenty of useful tasks done using various flavors of Linux.