Linux is an operating system for all ages

#1

Post by Enindu » Tue, May 05, 2015, 12:53 PM UTC

Linux is an operating system for all ages
zdnet.com

Re: Linux is an operating system for all ages

#2

Post by stymaar » Tue, May 05, 2015, 1:54 PM UTC

So this has to be said again : Linux is NOT an operating system, Linux is a Kernel. Android, Debian and OpenWRT are operating systems. Debian even support other kernels than Linux.

Re: Linux is an operating system for all ages

#3

Post by ExpiredLink » Tue, May 05, 2015, 1:54 PM UTC

The article is out-of-time. The question nowadays is: 'Why didn't Android become a viable OS for desktops and laptops?'

Re: Linux is an operating system for all ages

#4

Post by zxcvcxz » Tue, May 05, 2015, 2:10 PM UTC

Yeah I set up my mom with GNOME 3 on Fedora. All she does is browse the internet and play solitaire. That's pretty much a zero maintenance computer right there.

Somehow they always manage to destroy windows.

Re: Linux is an operating system for all ages

#5

Post by Enindu » Tue, May 05, 2015, 2:21 PM UTC

ExpiredLink wrote: post #3

The article is out-of-time. The question nowadays is: 'Why didn't Android become a viable OS for desktops and laptops?'

Because we have lot of Linux distros lot better than Android. Debian, Arch, Fedora, Ubuntu, etc. BTW, there's is a Linux distro called Android x86 for PCs, based on Android.

Re: Linux is an operating system for all ages

#6

Post by Enindu » Tue, May 05, 2015, 2:22 PM UTC

stymaar wrote: post #2

So this has to be said again : Linux is NOT an operating system, Linux is a Kernel. Android, Debian and OpenWRT are operating systems. Debian even support other kernels than Linux.

Great point BTW. EDIT : May be the writer of this article talking about operating systems based on Linux kernel and he called them all simply Linux as we all do.

Re: Linux is an operating system for all ages

#7

Post by timdiggerm » Tue, May 05, 2015, 2:36 PM UTC

> A friend and I took responsibility to stress the advantages of learning and continuing to use Ubuntu.

As usual, FOSSers confusing ethics & principles with marketing. He's right, but that doesn't make it effective (sadly).

Re: Linux is an operating system for all ages

#8

Post by 5h » Tue, May 05, 2015, 2:45 PM UTC

Totally off topic, but it seems every website I've visited today has had some utterly obnoxious pop up appear when I'm half way through a sentence.

I hope this is a short lived trend.

Re: Linux is an operating system for all ages

#9

Post by badsock » Tue, May 05, 2015, 2:55 PM UTC

stymaar wrote: post #2

So this has to be said again : Linux is NOT an operating system, Linux is a Kernel. Android, Debian and OpenWRT are operating systems. Debian even support other kernels than Linux.

Respectfully, I don't think it needs to said again. This is English - meaning is determined by common usage, and for quite a while now the Linux has meant both the kernel and the OS to almost everyone (disambiguated by calling the former the "Linux kernel" when need be).

Is it logical? Not really. But the horse is well out of the gate at this point.

Re: Linux is an operating system for all ages

#10

Post by oliwarner » Tue, May 05, 2015, 2:58 PM UTC

stymaar wrote: post #2

So this has to be said again : Linux is NOT an operating system, Linux is a Kernel. Android, Debian and OpenWRT are operating systems. Debian even support other kernels than Linux.

If you're going to be pedantic, at least nail it.

Debian (Linux) and OpenWRT are distributions. They're super-sets of applications, the GNU tools and the Linux kernel (or HURD). You only need the last two to form an "operating system".

Android is a little different in that it doesn't sit on a GNU stack. I'm happier calling Android an operating system than I am Debian and OpenWRT.