GNU/Linux naming controversy

As a GNU / Linux naming controversy is guided between the supporters of the Free Software movement and supporters of the open source camp debate therefore referred, whether operating systems on the

And the

Based, can be described as Linux or GNU / Linux. While most of the shorter term Linux has enforced the name GNU / Linux, for example, by the Debian project, Knoppix, etc..

Background

Under the GNU project around its founder Richard Stallman has already begun in the 1980s with the development of a free operating system, simply called GNU. A kernel, there were not so, first. Only in 1990 started to this end, the development of the GNU Hurd, which, however, was very slow. In 1991, the much faster evolving, but not to the GNU Project belonging Linux kernel. However, a Linux kernel alone is not a useful system, such as Linus Torvalds writes: "Unfortunately, brings a kernel yourself a no further. To get a working system, you need a shell, compilers, libraries, etc. These are separate parts and can be under a stricter ( or loose ) Copyright. Most of the tools that are used with Linux are GNU software [ ... ]. "

Early users of the Linux kernel soon discovered the GNU packages to make it a complete operating system. These users had the Linux kernel as a starting point to which they added packages and thus the resulting system a " Linux system " called. For employees of the GNU project, however, the starting point was the packages from GNU ( programming of the many components of a complete Unix system ), which lacked only a kernel.

Richard Stallman and the GNU Project argue vehemently in favor of using the name GNU / Linux. It is only secondarily about equally to pay two projects in the naming recognition, even to satisfy the egos of the GNU developer; after all, there are users that use the GNU / Linux system without them GNU is a term. Also, a confusion between the system kernel Linux and the entire system GNU / Linux is to prevent, not the primary goal. Rather, it's Stallman and the GNU project primarily concerned that Stallman that he initiated the GNU project and was later founded by him Free Software pursue Foundation specific policy objectives (namely the promotion and dissemination of Free Software ), whereas Torvalds its Linux kernel rather than apolitical understand open source software, without that this should be intrinsically the freedom-fighting, net politics and civil rights aspects of the concept of free software.

Thus, Stallman sees the omission of the "GNU" in GNU / Linux is a risk that the GNU Project is used instead of your own to promote the policy objectives of the open source scene.

For this reason, designate some Linux distributions that can be understood as part of the Free Software movement, their distributions are often called " GNU / Linux" (eg Debian, Ubuntu, gNewSense ), while distributions to which this no value put political commitment, their distributions usually only "Linux" name (eg openSUSE, Ubuntu, Fedora ). This detail is often a good indicator of the general philosophy of a Linux Distribution.Quelle? Thus, in a distributions that are called GNU / Linux, rarely find non-free software packages, such as the Flash plugin or MP3 codecs; many even offer as an alternative to the standard Linux kernel for an underlying elements of unfree version of the Linux kernel, called Linux - libre. In contrast, tend distributions that only refer to themselves as "Linux", often to offer a variety of non-free packages and install them often automatically in its default setting ( for example, Linux Mint). As another example, the distribution Ubuntu, it is noted the integrated Amazon online search for Stallman's opinion is spyware - which betray the ideals of the Free Software Movement.

Linus Torvalds, however, writes: "It does not really matter how people call Linux is as long as the honorary met with whom honor is due (on both sides ). Personally, I will continue to Linux ' say [ ... ] The GNU people tried to call it GNU / Linux, and that's ok. "