GNU/Linux naming controversy: Difference between revisions

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| caption2 = Official logo employed by the [[GNU Project]]
| caption2 = Official logo employed by the [[GNU Project]]
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Since the 1990s, there has been ongoing debate over whether [[operating systems]] that use the [[Linux kernel]] in combination with [[GNU]] software should be referred to as ''Linux'' or ''GNU/Linux''.<ref name="Noyes 20122">{{Cite web |last=Noyes |first=Katherine |date=10 May 2012 |title=To GNU or Not to GNU? That Is the Question |url=https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/75073.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717161818/https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/75073.html |archive-date=17 July 2019 |access-date=13 January 2023 |website=www.linuxinsider.com |language=en}}</ref>


Since the 1990s, there has been an ongoing debate whether [[Operating system|computer operating systems]] that use [[GNU]] software and the [[Linux kernel]] should be referred to as "GNU/Linux" or "Linux" systems.<ref name="Noyes 2012">{{Cite web |last=Noyes |first=Katherine |date=10 May 2012 |title=To GNU or Not to GNU? That Is the Question |url=https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/75073.html |access-date=13 January 2023 |website=www.linuxinsider.com |language=en |archive-date=17 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717161818/https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/75073.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Supporters of the term ''Linux'' argue that it is more widely used in the media and by the general public,<ref name="MakeUseOf2">{{Cite news |last=Kurp |first=Abraham |date=July 2008 |title=Learning The Linux Lingo |url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/learning-linux-lingo/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308081934/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/learning-linux-lingo/ |archive-date=8 March 2009 |access-date=10 April 2011 |work=MakeUseOf}}</ref><ref name="OReilly2">{{cite news |last=Siever |first=Ellen |date=June 2005 |title=What Is Linux |url=http://linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2005/10/06/what-is-linux.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060718110305/http://linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2005/10/06/what-is-linux.html |archive-date=18 July 2006 |access-date=10 April 2011 |work=Linux Dev Center |publisher=O'Reilly}}</ref> and that it serves as a practical shorthand for systems that combine the Linux kernel with software from a variety of sources, including the [[GNU Project]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Eckert |first=Jason W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EHLH4S78LmsC&pg=PA33 |title=Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification |publisher=Cengage Learning |year=2012 |isbn=978-1111541538 |edition=Third |place=Boston, Massachusetts |page=33 |access-date=14 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509031220/http://books.google.com/books?id=EHLH4S78LmsC&pg=PA33 |archive-date=9 May 2013}}</ref>


Proponents of the term ''Linux'' argue that it is far more commonly used by the public and media<ref name="MakeUseOf">{{Cite news |last=Kurp |first=Abraham |date=July 2008 |title=Learning The Linux Lingo |work=MakeUseOf |url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/learning-linux-lingo/ |access-date=10 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308081934/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/learning-linux-lingo/ |archive-date=8 March 2009}}</ref><ref name="OReilly">{{cite news | url = http://linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2005/10/06/what-is-linux.html | title = What Is Linux | access-date = 10 April 2011 | last = Siever | first = Ellen |date=June 2005 | work = Linux Dev Center | publisher = O'Reilly |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060718110305/http://linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2005/10/06/what-is-linux.html|archive-date = 18 July 2006}}</ref> and that it serves as a generic term for systems that combine that kernel with software from multiple other sources,<ref>{{ cite book | last = Eckert | first = Jason W. | year = 2012 | title = Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification | edition = Third | publisher = Cengage Learning | place = Boston, Massachusetts | page = 33 | isbn = 978-1111541538 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=EHLH4S78LmsC&pg=PA33 | access-date = 14 April 2013 | quote = The shared commonality of the kernel is what defines a system's membership in the Linux family; the differing [[open-source software|OSS]] applications that can interact with the common kernel are what differentiate [[Linux distribution]]s. | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130509031220/http://books.google.com/books?id=EHLH4S78LmsC&pg=PA33 | archive-date = 9 May 2013 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> while proponents of the term ''GNU/Linux'' note that ''GNU'' alone would be just as good a name for [[GNU variants]] which combine the [[GNU operating system]] software with software from other sources.<ref>{{Cite book|title=How Open is the Future?: Economic, Social & Cultural Scenarios Inspired by Free & Open-source Software|last1=Wynants|first1=Marleen|last2=Cornelis|first2=Jan|date=2005|publisher=Asp / Vubpress / Upa|isbn=9789054873785|pages=71|language=en}}</ref>
Advocates of the term ''GNU/Linux'', including the [[Free Software Foundation]] (FSF) and its founder [[Richard Stallman]], argue that the name acknowledges the contributions of the GNU Project, particularly how the Linux kernel was added on top of the original GNU operating system.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Wynants |first1=Marleen |title=How Open is the Future?: Economic, Social & Cultural Scenarios Inspired by Free & Open-source Software |last2=Cornelis |first2=Jan |date=2005 |publisher=Asp / Vubpress / Upa |isbn=9789054873785 |pages=71 |language=en}}</ref> A few distributions, such as [[Debian]], [[Trisquel]], and [[Parabola GNU/Linux-libre]], use this naming convention.
 
The term ''GNU/Linux'' is promoted by the [[Free Software Foundation]] (FSF) and its founder [[Richard Stallman]]. Their reasoning is that the operating system is seen as a modified version of the GNU operating system. Linux as a kernel is just a part of an operating system, whereas the whole operating system is basically the GNU system.<ref name="linuxandgnu" /><ref name="FAQ" /> Several [[Linux distribution|distributions]] of operating systems containing the [[Linux kernel]] use the name that the FSF prefers, such as [[Debian]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.debian.org/intro/about|title=About Debian|publisher=Debian|access-date=22 February 2017}}</ref> [[Trisquel]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://trisquel.info/|title=Trisquel GNU/Linux|access-date=22 February 2017}}</ref> and [[Parabola GNU/Linux-libre]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parabola.nu/|title=Parabola GNU/Linux-libre|access-date=22 February 2017}}</ref> Others claim that GNU/Linux is a useful name to make a distinction between those and Linux distributions such as [[Android (operating system)|Android]] and [[Alpine Linux]].


== History ==
== History ==
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The kernel officially developed by GNU was called [[GNU Hurd]]. The Hurd followed an ambitious [[microkernel]] design, which proved unexpectedly difficult to implement early on. However, in 1991, [[Linus Torvalds]] independently released the first version of the Linux kernel. Early Linux developers [[porting|ported]] GNU code, including the [[GNU C Compiler]], to run with Linux, while the free software community adopted the use of the Linux kernel as the missing kernel for the GNU operating system. This work filled the remaining gaps in providing a completely free operating system.<ref name="FAQ" />
The kernel officially developed by GNU was called [[GNU Hurd]]. The Hurd followed an ambitious [[microkernel]] design, which proved unexpectedly difficult to implement early on. However, in 1991, [[Linus Torvalds]] independently released the first version of the Linux kernel. Early Linux developers [[porting|ported]] GNU code, including the [[GNU C Compiler]], to run with Linux, while the free software community adopted the use of the Linux kernel as the missing kernel for the GNU operating system. This work filled the remaining gaps in providing a completely free operating system.<ref name="FAQ" />


Over the next few years, several suggestions arose for naming operating systems using the Linux kernel and GNU components. In 1992, the [[Yggdrasil Linux]] distribution adopted the name "Linux/GNU/[[X Window System|X]]". In [[Usenet]] and mailing-list discussions, one can find usages of "GNU/Linux" as early as 1992,<ref>{{ cite newsgroup | url = https://groups.google.com/group/comp.unix.misc/msg/698d1e2b49c5854e | title = Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Alpha release Linux/GNU/X ... | newsgroup = comp.unix.misc | date = 26 November 1992 | author = Jamie Mazer | access-date = 3 February 2008 }}</ref> and of "GNU+Linux" as early as 1993.<ref>{{ cite newsgroup | url = https://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux/msg/dcf89e95ca953b69 | title = The free software myth and the commercial myth | newsgroup = comp.os.linux | date = 18 May 1993 | author = Rodrigo Vanegas | access-date = 3 February 2008 }}</ref> The [[Debian]] project, which was at one time sponsored by the [[Free Software Foundation]], switched to calling its product "Debian GNU/Linux" in early 1994.<ref name="OReilly" /><ref>{{ cite newsgroup | url = https://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.misc/msg/4c19177c383c9b21 | title = Linux/GNU in EE Times | newsgroup = comp.os.linux.misc | date = 12 May 1994 | author = Stephen Benson |message-id= 178@scribendum.win-uk.net | access-date = 31 January 2008 }}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130515213520/https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/File:Official_Debian_Linux_to_GNU_Linux_name_change_announcement.pdf Official announcement of the name change on the debian-announce mailing list]</ref><ref name="rebelcode">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kIU1scm4w6QC&pg=PT100 | title=Rebel Code: Linux And The Open Source Revolution | publisher=[[Basic Books]] | author=Moody, Glyn | author-link=Glyn Moody | year=2002 | isbn=978-0738206707}}</ref>
Over the next few years, several suggestions arose for naming operating systems using the Linux kernel and GNU components. In 1992, the [[Yggdrasil Linux]] distribution adopted the name "Linux/GNU/[[X Window System|X]]". In [[Usenet]] and mailing-list discussions, one can find usages of "GNU/Linux" as early as 1992,<ref>{{ cite newsgroup | url = https://groups.google.com/group/comp.unix.misc/msg/698d1e2b49c5854e | title = Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Alpha release Linux/GNU/X ... | newsgroup = comp.unix.misc | date = 26 November 1992 | author = Jamie Mazer | access-date = 3 February 2008 }}</ref> and of "GNU+Linux" as early as 1993.<ref>{{ cite newsgroup | url = https://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux/msg/dcf89e95ca953b69 | title = The free software myth and the commercial myth | newsgroup = comp.os.linux | date = 18 May 1993 | author = Rodrigo Vanegas | access-date = 3 February 2008 }}</ref> The [[Debian]] project, which was at one time sponsored by the [[Free Software Foundation]], switched to calling its product "Debian GNU/Linux" in early 1994.<ref name="OReilly">{{cite news |last=Siever |first=Ellen |date=June 2005 |title=What Is Linux |url=http://linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2005/10/06/what-is-linux.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060718110305/http://linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2005/10/06/what-is-linux.html |archive-date=18 July 2006 |access-date=10 April 2011 |work=Linux Dev Center |publisher=O'Reilly}}</ref><ref>{{ cite newsgroup | url = https://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.misc/msg/4c19177c383c9b21 | title = Linux/GNU in EE Times | newsgroup = comp.os.linux.misc | date = 12 May 1994 | author = Stephen Benson |message-id= 178@scribendum.win-uk.net | access-date = 31 January 2008 }}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130515213520/https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/File:Official_Debian_Linux_to_GNU_Linux_name_change_announcement.pdf Official announcement of the name change on the debian-announce mailing list]</ref><ref name="rebelcode">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kIU1scm4w6QC&pg=PT100 | title=Rebel Code: Linux And The Open Source Revolution | publisher=[[Basic Books]] | author=Moody, Glyn | author-link=Glyn Moody | year=2002 | isbn=978-0738206707}}</ref>
This change followed a request by Richard Stallman (who initially proposed "LiGNUx," but suggested "GNU/Linux" instead after hearing complaints about the awkwardness of the former term).<ref name="faif2">{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Sam |last2=Stallman |first2=Richard M. |date=2010 |title=Free as in Freedom 2.0 |url=https://static.fsf.org/nosvn/faif-2.0.pdf |publisher=GNU Press |page=151 |isbn=978-0-9831592-1-6 }}</ref> GNU's June 1994 ''Bulletin'' described "Linux" as a "free [[Unix]] system for [[Intel 80386|386]] machines" (with "many of the utilities and libraries" from GNU),<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gnu.org/bulletins/bull17.html | title = GNU's Bulletin, vol. 1 no. 17 }}</ref> but the January 1995 ''Bulletin'' switched to the term "GNU/Linux" instead.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gnu.org/bulletins/bull18.html | title = GNU's Bulletin, vol. 1 no. 18 }}</ref>
This change followed a request by Richard Stallman (who initially proposed "LiGNUx," but suggested "GNU/Linux" instead after hearing complaints about the awkwardness of the former term).<ref name="faif2">{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Sam |last2=Stallman |first2=Richard M. |date=2010 |title=Free as in Freedom 2.0 |url=https://static.fsf.org/nosvn/faif-2.0.pdf |publisher=GNU Press |page=151 |isbn=978-0-9831592-1-6 }}</ref> GNU's June 1994 ''Bulletin'' described "Linux" as a "free [[Unix]] system for [[Intel 80386|386]] machines" (with "many of the utilities and libraries" from GNU),<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gnu.org/bulletins/bull17.html | title = GNU's Bulletin, vol. 1 no. 17 }}</ref> but the January 1995 ''Bulletin'' switched to the term "GNU/Linux" instead.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gnu.org/bulletins/bull18.html | title = GNU's Bulletin, vol. 1 no. 18 }}</ref>


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Modern [[free software]] and [[open-source software]] operating systems are composed of software by many different authors, including the Linux kernel developers, the GNU project, and other vendors such as those behind the [[X Window System]]. Desktop and server-based distributions use GNU software such as the [[GNU C Library]] (glibc), [[GNU Core Utilities]] (coreutils), [[GNU Compiler Collection]], [[GNU Binutils]], [[gzip|GNU gzip]], [[GNU tar]], [[GNU gettext]], [[grep|GNU grep]], [[GNU awk]], [[sed|GNU sed]], [[GNU Findutils]], [[gnupg]], [[libgcrypt]], [[gnutls]], [[GRUB]], [[GNU readline]], [[Ncurses|GNU ncurses]], and the [[Bash (Unix shell)|Bash]] shell.
Modern [[free software]] and [[open-source software]] operating systems are composed of software by many different authors, including the Linux kernel developers, the GNU project, and other vendors such as those behind the [[X Window System]]. Desktop and server-based distributions use GNU software such as the [[GNU C Library]] (glibc), [[GNU Core Utilities]] (coreutils), [[GNU Compiler Collection]], [[GNU Binutils]], [[gzip|GNU gzip]], [[GNU tar]], [[GNU gettext]], [[grep|GNU grep]], [[GNU awk]], [[sed|GNU sed]], [[GNU Findutils]], [[gnupg]], [[libgcrypt]], [[gnutls]], [[GRUB]], [[GNU readline]], [[Ncurses|GNU ncurses]], and the [[Bash (Unix shell)|Bash]] shell.


In a 2002 analysis of the source code for [[Red Hat Linux]] 7.1, a typical [[Linux distribution]], the total size of the packages from the GNU project was found to be much larger than the Linux kernel.<ref>{{cite web | author = David A. Wheeler | url = http://www.dwheeler.com/sloc/redhat71-v1/redhat71sloc.html | title = More Than a Gigabuck: Estimating GNU/Linux's Size | date = 29 July 2002 | quote = the total of the GNU project's code is much larger than the Linux kernel's size. Thus, by comparing the total contributed effort, it's certainly justifiable to call the entire system ''GNU/Linux'' and not just ''Linux''. }}</ref> Later, a 2011 analysis of the [[Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu]] distribution's "Natty" release main repository found that 8% to 13% of it consisted of GNU components (the range depending on whether [[GNOME]] is considered part of GNU), while only 6% is taken by the Linux kernel (9% when including its direct dependencies).<ref name="pedrocr-gnu">{{cite web |url=http://pedrocr.pt/text/how-much-gnu-in-gnu-linux/ |title=How much GNU is there in GNU/Linux? |work=Split Perspective |last=Côrte-Real |first=Pedro |date=31 May 2011}} ([[WP:SPS|self-published]] data)</ref> Determining exactly what constitutes the "operating system" ''per se'' is a matter of continuing debate.<ref name="Noyes 2012" />
In a 2002 analysis of the source code for [[Red Hat Linux]] 7.1, a typical [[Linux distribution]], the total size of the packages from the GNU project was found to be much larger than the Linux kernel.<ref>{{cite web | author = David A. Wheeler | url = http://www.dwheeler.com/sloc/redhat71-v1/redhat71sloc.html | title = More Than a Gigabuck: Estimating GNU/Linux's Size | date = 29 July 2002 | quote = the total of the GNU project's code is much larger than the Linux kernel's size. Thus, by comparing the total contributed effort, it's certainly justifiable to call the entire system ''GNU/Linux'' and not just ''Linux''. }}</ref> Later, a 2011 analysis of the [[Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu]] distribution's "Natty" release main repository found that 8% to 13% of it consisted of GNU components (the range depending on whether [[GNOME]] is considered part of GNU), while only 6% is taken by the Linux kernel (9% when including its direct dependencies).<ref name="pedrocr-gnu">{{cite web |url=http://pedrocr.pt/text/how-much-gnu-in-gnu-linux/ |title=How much GNU is there in GNU/Linux? |work=Split Perspective |last=Côrte-Real |first=Pedro |date=31 May 2011}} ([[WP:SPS|self-published]] data)</ref> Determining exactly what constitutes the "operating system" ''per se'' is a matter of continuing debate.<ref name="Noyes 2012">{{Cite web |last=Noyes |first=Katherine |date=10 May 2012 |title=To GNU or Not to GNU? That Is the Question |url=https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/75073.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717161818/https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/75073.html |archive-date=17 July 2019 |access-date=13 January 2023 |website=www.linuxinsider.com |language=en}}</ref>


On the other hand, some [[embedded systems]], such as [[handheld device]]s and [[smartphone]]s (like Google's [[Android (operating system)|Android]]), [[residential gateway]]s (routers), and [[Voice over IP]] devices, are engineered with space efficiency in mind and use a Linux kernel with few or no components of GNU, due to perceived issues surrounding [[Software bloat|bloat]], and impeded performance.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Torvalds|first=Linus|date=9 January 2002|title=Posting to the glibc mailing list|url=http://ecos.sourceware.org/ml/libc-alpha/2002-01/msg00079.html|access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref> A system running [[μClinux]] is likely to substitute [[uClibc]] for glibc, and [[BusyBox]] for coreutils. Google's Linux-based Android operating system does not use any GNU components or libraries, using Google's own [[BSD licenses|BSD]]-based [[Bionic (software)|Bionic]] C library in place of glibc. The FSF agrees that "GNU/Linux" is not an appropriate name for these systems.<ref name="fsf-faq"/><ref>[[Bradley M. Kuhn]], [http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2009/11/04/android-vs-gnu.html Android/Linux's Future and Advancement of Mobile Software Freedom], blog post (4 November 2009).</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Paul |first=Ryan |url=https://arstechnica.com/open-source/reviews/2009/02/an-introduction-to-google-android-for-developers.ars |title=Dream(sheep++): A developer's introduction to Google Android |publisher=Arstechnica.com |date=23 February 2009 |access-date=22 June 2011}}</ref>
On the other hand, some [[embedded systems]], such as [[handheld device]]s and [[smartphone]]s (like Google's [[Android (operating system)|Android]]), [[residential gateway]]s (routers), and [[Voice over IP]] devices, are engineered with space efficiency in mind and use a Linux kernel with few or no components of GNU, due to perceived issues surrounding [[Software bloat|bloat]], and impeded performance.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Torvalds|first=Linus|date=9 January 2002|title=Posting to the glibc mailing list|url=http://ecos.sourceware.org/ml/libc-alpha/2002-01/msg00079.html|access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref> A system running [[μClinux]] is likely to substitute [[uClibc]] for glibc, and [[BusyBox]] for coreutils. Google's Linux-based Android operating system does not use any GNU components or libraries, using Google's own [[BSD licenses|BSD]]-based [[Bionic (software)|Bionic]] C library in place of glibc. The FSF agrees that "GNU/Linux" is not an appropriate name for these systems.<ref name="fsf-faq"/><ref>[[Bradley M. Kuhn]], [http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2009/11/04/android-vs-gnu.html Android/Linux's Future and Advancement of Mobile Software Freedom], blog post (4 November 2009).</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Paul |first=Ryan |url=https://arstechnica.com/open-source/reviews/2009/02/an-introduction-to-google-android-for-developers.ars |title=Dream(sheep++): A developer's introduction to Google Android |publisher=Arstechnica.com |date=23 February 2009 |access-date=22 June 2011}}</ref>
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In 2010, Stallman stated that naming is not simply a matter of giving equal mention to the GNU Project, saying that because the system is more widely referred as "Linux", people tend to "think it's all Linux, that it was all started by Mr. Torvalds in 1991, and they think it all comes from his vision of life, and that's the really bad problem."<ref name="torvalds-role">{{cite web|date=26 July 2010|title=Richard Stallman talk+Q&A at the useR! 2010 conference (audio files attached)|url=https://www.r-statistics.com/2010/07/richard-stallman-talkqa-at-the-user-2010-conference-audio-files-attached/|work=R-statistics blog}}</ref>
In 2010, Stallman stated that naming is not simply a matter of giving equal mention to the GNU Project, saying that because the system is more widely referred as "Linux", people tend to "think it's all Linux, that it was all started by Mr. Torvalds in 1991, and they think it all comes from his vision of life, and that's the really bad problem."<ref name="torvalds-role">{{cite web|date=26 July 2010|title=Richard Stallman talk+Q&A at the useR! 2010 conference (audio files attached)|url=https://www.r-statistics.com/2010/07/richard-stallman-talkqa-at-the-user-2010-conference-audio-files-attached/|work=R-statistics blog}}</ref>
[[Ariadne Conill]], the developer and security chair of [[Alpine Linux]], has stated that in her opinion GNU/Linux is the correct name when referring to Linux distributions that are based on [[glibc]] and [[coreutils]], such as [[Debian]] and [[Fedora Linux]]. This can be contrasted to other Linux distributions such as Alpine, which instead uses [[musl]] as its [[C library]] and [[BusyBox]] to provide core functionality.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Conill |first=Ariadne |date=30 March 2022 |title=it is correct to refer to GNU/Linux as GNU/Linux |url=https://ariadne.space/2022/03/30/it-is-correct-to-refer-to-gnu/linux-as-gnu/linux/}}</ref>


=== Linux ===
=== Linux ===
Proponents of naming the operating systems "Linux" state that "Linux" is used far more often than "GNU/Linux".<ref name="MakeUseOf" /><ref name="OReilly" />
Proponents of naming the operating systems "Linux" state that "Linux" is used far more often than "GNU/Linux".<ref name="MakeUseOf">{{Cite news |last=Kurp |first=Abraham |date=July 2008 |title=Learning The Linux Lingo |url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/learning-linux-lingo/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308081934/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/learning-linux-lingo/ |archive-date=8 March 2009 |access-date=10 April 2011 |work=MakeUseOf}}</ref><ref name="OReilly" />


[[Eric S. Raymond]] writes (in the "Linux" entry of the [[Jargon File]]):
[[Eric S. Raymond]] writes (in the "Linux" entry of the [[Jargon File]]):

Latest revision as of 04:40, 30 June 2025

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Multiple image Since the 1990s, there has been ongoing debate over whether operating systems that use the Linux kernel in combination with GNU software should be referred to as Linux or GNU/Linux.[1]

Supporters of the term Linux argue that it is more widely used in the media and by the general public,[2][3] and that it serves as a practical shorthand for systems that combine the Linux kernel with software from a variety of sources, including the GNU Project.[4]

Advocates of the term GNU/Linux, including the Free Software Foundation (FSF) and its founder Richard Stallman, argue that the name acknowledges the contributions of the GNU Project, particularly how the Linux kernel was added on top of the original GNU operating system.[5] A few distributions, such as Debian, Trisquel, and Parabola GNU/Linux-libre, use this naming convention.

History

In 1983, Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation, set forth plans of a complete Unix-like operating system, called GNU, composed entirely of free software. In September of that year, Stallman published a manifesto in Dr. Dobb's Journal detailing his new project publicly, outlining his vision of free software.[6][7] Software development work began in January 1984. By 1991, the GNU mid-level portions of the operating system were almost complete, and the upper level could be supplied by the X Window System, but the lower level (kernel, device drivers, system-level utilities and daemons) was still mostly lacking.

The kernel officially developed by GNU was called GNU Hurd. The Hurd followed an ambitious microkernel design, which proved unexpectedly difficult to implement early on. However, in 1991, Linus Torvalds independently released the first version of the Linux kernel. Early Linux developers ported GNU code, including the GNU C Compiler, to run with Linux, while the free software community adopted the use of the Linux kernel as the missing kernel for the GNU operating system. This work filled the remaining gaps in providing a completely free operating system.[8]

Over the next few years, several suggestions arose for naming operating systems using the Linux kernel and GNU components. In 1992, the Yggdrasil Linux distribution adopted the name "Linux/GNU/X". In Usenet and mailing-list discussions, one can find usages of "GNU/Linux" as early as 1992,[9] and of "GNU+Linux" as early as 1993.[10] The Debian project, which was at one time sponsored by the Free Software Foundation, switched to calling its product "Debian GNU/Linux" in early 1994.[11][12][13][14] This change followed a request by Richard Stallman (who initially proposed "LiGNUx," but suggested "GNU/Linux" instead after hearing complaints about the awkwardness of the former term).[15] GNU's June 1994 Bulletin described "Linux" as a "free Unix system for 386 machines" (with "many of the utilities and libraries" from GNU),[16] but the January 1995 Bulletin switched to the term "GNU/Linux" instead.[17]

Stallman's and the FSF's efforts to include "GNU" in the name started around 1994, but were reportedly mostly via private communications (such as the above-mentioned request to Debian) until 1996.[18][19] In May 1996, Stallman released Emacs 19.31 with the Autoconf system target "linux" changed to "lignux" (shortly thereafter changed to "linux-gnu" in emacs 19.32),[20][8] and included an essay "Linux and the GNU system"[21] suggesting that people use the terms "Linux-based GNU system" (or "GNU/Linux system" or "Lignux" for short). He later used "GNU/Linux" exclusively, and the essay was superseded by Stallman's 1997 essay, "Linux and the GNU System".[22]

Composition of operating systems

Modern free software and open-source software operating systems are composed of software by many different authors, including the Linux kernel developers, the GNU project, and other vendors such as those behind the X Window System. Desktop and server-based distributions use GNU software such as the GNU C Library (glibc), GNU Core Utilities (coreutils), GNU Compiler Collection, GNU Binutils, GNU gzip, GNU tar, GNU gettext, GNU grep, GNU awk, GNU sed, GNU Findutils, gnupg, libgcrypt, gnutls, GRUB, GNU readline, GNU ncurses, and the Bash shell.

In a 2002 analysis of the source code for Red Hat Linux 7.1, a typical Linux distribution, the total size of the packages from the GNU project was found to be much larger than the Linux kernel.[23] Later, a 2011 analysis of the Ubuntu distribution's "Natty" release main repository found that 8% to 13% of it consisted of GNU components (the range depending on whether GNOME is considered part of GNU), while only 6% is taken by the Linux kernel (9% when including its direct dependencies).[24] Determining exactly what constitutes the "operating system" per se is a matter of continuing debate.[25]

On the other hand, some embedded systems, such as handheld devices and smartphones (like Google's Android), residential gateways (routers), and Voice over IP devices, are engineered with space efficiency in mind and use a Linux kernel with few or no components of GNU, due to perceived issues surrounding bloat, and impeded performance.[26] A system running μClinux is likely to substitute uClibc for glibc, and BusyBox for coreutils. Google's Linux-based Android operating system does not use any GNU components or libraries, using Google's own BSD-based Bionic C library in place of glibc. The FSF agrees that "GNU/Linux" is not an appropriate name for these systems.[27][28][29]

There are also systems that use a GNU userspace and/or C library on top of a non-Linux kernel, for example Debian GNU/Hurd (GNU userland on the GNU kernel)[30] or Debian GNU/kFreeBSD (which uses the GNU coreutils and C library with the kernel from FreeBSD).[31]

Opinions

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GNU/Linux

The FSF justifies the name "GNU/Linux" primarily on the grounds that the GNU project was specifically developing a complete system, of which they argue that the Linux kernel filled one of the final gaps;[32] the large number of GNU components and GNU source code used in such systems is a secondary argument:

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Other arguments include that the name "GNU/Linux" recognizes the role that the free-software movement played in building modern free and open source software communities,[27] that the GNU project played a larger role in developing packages and software for GNU/Linux or Linux distributions,[22][8] and that using the word "Linux" to refer to the Linux kernel, the operating system and entire distributions of software leads to confusion on the differences about the three. Because of this confusion, legal threats and public relations campaigns apparently directed against the kernel, such as those launched by the SCO Group or the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution (AdTI), have been misinterpreted by many commentators who assume that the whole operating system is being targeted. SCO and the AdTI have even been accused of deliberately exploiting this confusion.[33][34][35]

Regarding suggestions that renaming efforts stem from egotism or personal pique, Stallman has responded that his interest is not in giving credit to himself but to the GNU Project: "Some people think that it's because I want my ego to be fed. Of course, I'm not asking you to call it 'Stallmanix'."[36] In response to another common suggestion that many people have contributed to the system and that a short name cannot credit all of them, the FSF has argued that this cannot justify calling the system "Linux", since they believe that the GNU project's contribution was ultimately greater than that of the Linux kernel in these related systems.[8][24]

In 2010, Stallman stated that naming is not simply a matter of giving equal mention to the GNU Project, saying that because the system is more widely referred as "Linux", people tend to "think it's all Linux, that it was all started by Mr. Torvalds in 1991, and they think it all comes from his vision of life, and that's the really bad problem."[37]

Linux

Proponents of naming the operating systems "Linux" state that "Linux" is used far more often than "GNU/Linux".[38][11]

Eric S. Raymond writes (in the "Linux" entry of the Jargon File):

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When Linus Torvalds was asked in the documentary Revolution OS whether the name "GNU/Linux" was justified, he replied:

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An earlier comment by Torvalds on the naming controversy was:

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The name "GNU/Linux," particularly when using Stallman's preferred pronunciation, has been criticized for its perceived clumsiness and verbosity,[39][40] a factor that Torvalds has cited as the downfall of operating systems such as 386BSD.[41]

The Linux Journal speculated that Stallman's advocacy of the combined name stems from frustration that "Linus got the glory for what [Stallman] wanted to do."[42]

Others have suggested that, regardless of the merits, Stallman's persistence in what sometimes seems a lost cause makes him and GNU look bad. For example, Larry McVoy (author of BitKeeper, once used to manage Linux kernel development) opined that "claiming credit only makes one look foolish and greedy".[43]

Many users and vendors who prefer the name "Linux," such as Jim Gettys, one of the original developers of the X Window System, point to the inclusion of non-GNU, non-kernel tools, such as KDE, LibreOffice, and Firefox, in end-user operating systems based on the Linux kernel:

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See also

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References

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External links

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Official announcement of the name change on the debian-announce mailing list
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Template:Cite mailing list
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". (self-published data)
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Bradley M. Kuhn, Android/Linux's Future and Advancement of Mobile Software Freedom, blog post (4 November 2009).
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Debian GNU/Hurd web page, and GNU Hurd web page. (Accessed June 2013.)
  31. ↑ Debian GNU/kFreeBSD web page (accessed June 2013).
  32. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named linux-and-gnu
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Template:Cite mailing list
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