6 ms·
The vast majority of what runs on a modern Linux system doesn't come from GNU at all and that percentage is trending down over the years with things like LLVM m
by pedrocr 7y ago
The vast majority of what runs on a modern Linux system doesn't come from GNU at all and that percentage is trending down over the years with things like LLVM making even the last few generally used core pieces replaceable. I don't think there's now anything to stop you from running a fully recognizable Linux distribution without any GNU software at all.
It was a silly argument to be getting into 10 years ago. These days it just seems like trying to take credit for other people's work. I have great respect for the GNU project and the GPL was a great invention that I use when I release stuff. Beating this dead horse just detracts from that.
- michaelmrose 7y agoThe availability of alternatives does little to detract from the utility of what is actually used. Ex gcc
- devit 7y agoglibc and bash are needed to have a traditional Unix-like Linux-based system and I don't think they have any fully compatible replacements (musl and BSD sh aren't).
- figomore 7y agoI think ZSH is a valid alternative to Bash.
- tomnipotent 7y agoOS X Catalina even made ZSH the default.
- saagarjha 7y agoI don’t.
- bashinator 7y agoIIRC, not just a alternative, but a full super-set.
- saagarjha 7y agoNo, Zsh is not a full super-set of Bash.
- int_19h 7y agoTo the extent this is true, it's because other software relies on specific features (and sometimes quirks) of bash and glibc, not because you can't have a workable Unix without them. Which is to say - ironically, these last remaining dependencies wouldn't be there if open standards were followed more rigorously.
- remcob 7y agoAh yes, textbook "Embrace, Extend, Extinguish" strategy. Very ironic that GNU now looks like it's following this pattern (obviously unintentionally).
- new_realist 7y agollvm-libc is in the planning stages.
- chubot 7y agoAlpine Linux and many other distros use musl and busybox (non GNU projects, although busybox is GPL). And I would definitely call them Unix systems, since they run almost all the same software. Although GCC is still a good argument, since very few distros use Clang by default, I think mostly because of the Linux kernel.
- crazypython 7y agoEven macOS runs with GNU Bash.
- saagarjha 7y agoNot for long, most likely.
- wazzaps 7y agoWas replaced with zsh recently
- saagarjha 7y agoBash is still available.
- crazypython 7y agoApple's Command Line Tools installer installs GNU Bash.