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These titles are so confusing. I thought it could run windows applications on Android.
by sexy_panda 5y ago
These titles are so confusing.
I thought it could run windows applications on Android.
- vikramkr 5y agoI think they're just following the naming scheme from WSL
- saghm 5y agoA new name following a confusing scheme is still confusing
- sexy_panda 5y agoI know WSL, but I was still confused. Maybe I'm just tired.
- rsynnott 5y agoThis confusing naming goes back over 20 years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Services_for_UNIX https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Services_for_UNIX
- naikrovek 5y agoit's not confusing, though.
- SahAssar 5y agoI guess they think of it as "[a] windows subsystem for [running] android". Or put in a different way "android running on a windows subsystem".
- tgsovlerkhgsel 5y agoI suspect this is due to trademark laws. I've often seen policies that say "you can write 'yourthing for Trademarked Thing' but not 'Trademarked Thing yourthing'", e.g. when it comes to inofficial clients for a platform. I think they simply applied the same principle here.
- ziml77 5y agoI hadn't thought about that, but it seems likely. I remember when Reddit decided to enforce their IP rights more and forced all applications with Reddit in their to change to something that either didn't use the name Reddit at all or only used it at the end in the form "for Reddit"
- MishaalRahman 5y agoYep, you can read [Google's brand guidelines for Android here.](https://developer.android.com/distribute/marketing-tools/brand-guidelines#brand-android https://developer.android.com/distribute/marketing-tools/bra...) >"Android", or anything confusingly similar to "Android", cannot be used in names of applications or accessory products, including phones, tablets, TVs, speakers, headphones, watches, and other devices. Instead, use "for Android".
- tentacleuno 5y agoWelcome to Hacker News, Mishaal! Glad you made it eventually. :-)
- MishaalRahman 5y agoI'm anywhere Android is being talked about :)
- tyingq 5y agoI think it was called "Windows Subsystem for Linux" because they were originally emulating Linux syscalls (and some other kernel features) with Windows calls in WSL1. Now that WSL2 is all hypervisor-based with VMs, the name doesn't mean anything. But it has some momentum and name recognition, so they stick to it both for WSL, and now WSA.
- agumonkey 5y agoIt's one single quote away from being unambiguous. Windows' Subsystem for <whatever>
- LinAGKar 5y agoThat doesn't explain the order
- tyingq 5y agoWhat order? Do you mean why wasn't it called "Linux Subsystem for Windows" ? I can see that argument.
- DaveFr 5y agoEven better: "Linux Subsystem in Windows".
- meowkit 5y agoSubsystem is specific terminology in the Windows ecosystem. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5792498/what-exactly-is-subsystem https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5792498/what-exactly-is-... Is it clear? No. Is it grammatically fine? Yes. It references the Windows kernel as the core piece here, not the subsystem Source: I work on Windows.
- TowerTall 5y agoIf we rewrite based on the SO answer it could also have been named "Windows Emulation Layer for <whatever>". > Windows starting from NT (NT 3.1) is able to support semantics of different operating systems (or OS families) that existed at that time (1993). Microsoft called them Subsystems (today they would probably call them emulation layers).
- neogodless 5y agoI need a new Windows subsystem. Which Windows subsystem do you need? I need the Windows Subsystem for Android. I'm not away of any Android Subsystems that can run Windows (or Windows applications). But these are Windows subsystems, so that's OK. shrug I personally don't find it confusing. If there was a way to run Win32 applications or Android, it could be Win32 on Android, or the Android Subsystem for Win32 Applications.