Talk:Linux/Archive 53

Pronunciation of "Linux"
I know there's a clip of Linus pronouncing "Linux" from 25 years ago, and he pronounces it as " LEE-nuuks", as stated in the lede. He's lost his accent somewhat since then when speaking English and doesn't pronounce it this way anymore.

I'm not saying this is right or wrong, either way, I just find it an interesting question I guess. He invented it, so I guess he gets to call the shots, but is that what he actually meant to say at the time? Valgrus Thunderaxe (talk) 09:26, 24 May 2022 (UTC)


 * The pronunciation keys on Wikipedia are utterly horrendous. I don't understand the rationale for them - Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a dictionary, and the people writing the pronunciation keys don't seem to understand how the English language works. Why include them at all?
 * The entry for Linus Torvalds - like most articles with a pronunciation key - gives a US-centric pronunciation that not only butchers his name, but is also quite different from how people from Commonwealth countries might pronounce his name (my own native pronunciation is /ˈlɪnəs ˈtɔːvɑːldz/). But the pronunciation key for "Linux" pushes a pronunciation that doesn't fit English phonotactics at all. This is completely insane. 126.215.246.227 (talk) 12:38, 4 September 2022 (UTC)

GNU/Linux for distributions using the term
Argument against - "Linux is the WP:COMMONNAME for this subject, and GNU/Linux is a minority POV term that is not used by the majority of reliable sources. (Read the archives and discuss on Talk:Linux if you believe that should be changed.)"

- Aoidh

(See diff)

You wrongly invoked WP:COMMONNAME, this is for titles only, yet you did not change any of the titles - Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre, Trisquel.

GNU/Linux is a minority term because people censor, redact it only to attract newcomers with facilitating, false premises like 'Linux is an operating system'...

The term is NOT a POV, perhaps excepted for people who are from the various FSF chapters - that's a very reductive statement to make, saying anyone saying GNU/Linux is someone trying to impose a vision. GNU/Linux is the name of the operating system for the majority of distributions using the Linux kernel or a derivative one. In these cases it is for Trisquel and Hyperbola - or precedently for Hyperbola.

Only having one article on the 'naming controversy' and not allowing various article to use different terminology accordingly of the context is a vicious circle to make 'GNU/Linux' unpopular, mostly unused in reliable sources.

I am available to converse about this. Innomé (talk) 15:30, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
 * I very specifically did not change any of those titles, because Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre is the common name of that distro. However, I did revert your change to reflect the fact that the WP:COMMONNAME of this article is Linux. Through the lens of Wikipedia's policies and guidelines, GNU/Linux is not the name of the operating system and the overwhelming majority of reliable sources do not use that term. It is a minority POV term because it is used to advance a specific point of view that is very much in the minority with regards to its acceptance and usage by reliable sources. Distros can and do use GNU/Linux within the name of their distro itself and that name should be respected, but outside of that specific distro's name, they are still Linux distributions because that is what reliable sources use to describe what a Linux distribution is; Wikipedia does not refer to them as GNU/Linux distributions because within English-language sources "GNU/Linux distribution" is not the common name. - Aoidh (talk) 16:16, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
 * "Through the lens of Wikipedia's policies and guidelines, GNU/Linux is not the name of the operating system"


 * MOS:Linux was rejected...
 * "It is a minority POV term because it is used to advance a specific point of view that is very much in the minority with regards to its acceptance and usage by reliable sources."


 * GNU/Linux is the name of the operating system used by Trisquel, Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre and more - that is not a personal opinion at ALL, but the official terms for these occurences.
 * The majority of users of Trisquel/Hyperbola/... do use the term GNU/Linux, only a minority use Linux in this precise community.
 * "reliable sources [...] describe what a Linux distribution is"


 * I am certain at least some reliable sources mention the term GNU/Linux, even if possibly aside the use of 'Linux'... You can't censor a term that could be used aside the popular one because its usage is minoritary.
 * "Wikipedia does not refer to them as GNU/Linux distributions because within English-language sources "GNU/Linux distribution" is not the common name."


 * GNU/Linux distribution is a common name for distributions who use this name, it's in the title for Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre, present in Debian's official name, Debian GNU/Linux and much, much more.
 * Linux is even commonly clipped when mentioning the few popular distributions who have Linux in their official name like Arch and Gentoo. It is not so common for people to say the full name of a declared 'Linux distribution' unlike the declared 'GNU/Linux' ones. Innomé (talk) 16:39, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
 * I haven't referred to MOS:LINUX any point because it is neither a policy nor a guideline. I already addressed GNU/Linux as part of distro names, that's a conflation of two different points and I've already addressed that, and you're not adding GNU/Linux to the title of a distro, you're adding it to the phase "Linux distribution", and the title of the distro does not nullify policy on the description of what it is. Users are not reliable sources. It's not censorship to follow WP:DUE, and within that policy GNU/Linux is a minority term that does not warrant over-emphasis. - Aoidh (talk) 16:43, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
 * I see no point in your argumentation; the title already shows 'GNU/Linux', yet for some reason you probably take readers for children who cannot make the connection between GNU/Linux and the distribution concept? 'Linux' is mandatory to explain it clearly?
 * What you say is over-emphasis is barely the introduction briefly mentioning the naming controversy - that's genuinely invisible to unattentive readers as it's written almost(?) as a detail in this blocky introduction. Innomé (talk) 16:49, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
 * the title already shows 'GNU/Linux', yet for some reason you probably take readers for children who cannot make the connection between GNU/Linux and the distribution concept? Yes, that's precisely how I feel about your edits adding "GNU/Linux distribution". - Aoidh (talk) 17:00, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
 * I sincerely appreciate your honesty. Innomé (talk) 17:10, 18 September 2023 (UTC)

Linux
http://distrowatch.com... offers Linux/ Unix products and should have more emphasis on donations...!!! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:1700:9480:EF60:0:0:0:415 (talk) 17:03, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

Linux is an operation system which is free. Most of the distros are free and some are not free 103.83.245.153 (talk) 15:46, 6 May 2022 (UTC)


 * The Linux kernel is free software (GPLv2), but it's just an OS kernel, not a usable full operating system for most purposes. (Some embedded application could conceivably require only the kernel, with some in-kernel application-specific code linked into it, and no userland code or loadable kernel modules.)
 * A Linux distribution adds additional components that result in a system usable for its intended purpose (whether embedded or general-purpose). Some of those components might be present by default; others might be optional.  Some of those components might be free software (whether some version of the GPL, some version of the LGPL, or some version of another free software license), and some might not.  Some distributions have only free-software components; some distributions have mostly free-software components and some optional non-free components; other distributions might have non-free default components.
 * So it's not as simple as you state. Guy Harris (talk) 20:08, 6 May 2022 (UTC)
 * Linux, the kernel, distributed via kernel.org, contains non-free blobs. GNU Linux-libre has those parts removed. 152.208.5.190 (talk) 02:29, 19 May 2022 (UTC)


 * So what? Are you proposing some improvement to the article? Otherwise see WP:NOTFORUM. - Ahunt (talk) 14:43, 19 May 2022 (UTC)
 * I am not the original poster. I merely contributed by doing what I can to correct Guy. Am I not allowed to respond? 152.208.5.190 (talk) 16:45, 19 May 2022 (UTC)
 * Sure you can respond, but this whole thread is non-constructive, as it is not contributing to improving the article, so I will close it. - Ahunt (talk) 17:00, 19 May 2022 (UTC)