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Date:      Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:23:43 -0700
From:      Chad Perrin <perrin@apotheon.com>
To:        freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Current Gentoo user
Message-ID:  <20071213172343.GG11231@demeter.hydra>
In-Reply-To: <20071213085217.GE29386@telos.xk7.net>
References:  <49bf44f10712122100y45f12f77q4ae47f311905be25@mail.gmail.com> <20071213085217.GE29386@telos.xk7.net>

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On Thu, Dec 13, 2007 at 08:52:18AM +0000, Paul Waring wrote:
> 
> Gentoo isn't really an operating system, it's a Linux distribution - the
> only way in which it differs from other distributions (say Debian) is in
> its package management.

I've been running into the notion that Linux distributions aren't
operating systems lately -- two or three times now.  I find this
immensely confusing.  The way things are going, it seems that ultimately
the term "operating system" will never be allowed to apply to anything
that has anything at all to do with the Linux kernel, period.

  1. The kernel isn't an OS (I happen to agree with this one).  It's just
  a kernel, and it takes more than a kernel to make an OS.

  2. The distro isn't an OS (I happen to disagree with this one).  It's
  just a distribution, which, um, differs from an OS in that it, um,
  isn't an OS.

  3. What the heck *is* an OS?

-- 
CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org ]
They always say that when life gives you lemons you should make lemonade. 
I always wonder -- isn't the lemonade going to suck if life doesn't give
you any sugar?



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