We need a term for unixy software distributions, or what is vulgarly called Linux. Ubuntu, Debian, Red Hat, Arch are all "linuxes", but so are Alpine and OpenWr

We need a term for unixy software distributions, or what is vulgarly called Linux. Ubuntu, Debian, Red Hat, Arch are all "linuxes", but so are Alpine and OpenWrt. If you remember early SUSE distributions, they came with binary packages on a CD and no compiler, I would call that also "linux" but only barely. Android is clearly not a "linux". The OS that runs on Quectel cellular modems has a Linux kernel, but unless you gain serial access, there is no "linux". Controversely, I would also say some BSDs and macOS are, in some fashion, a "linux". Like a wooden horse is a horse, but at the same time it of course isn't a real horse. For something to qualify as a "linux" in my mind it needs to run most of the GNU/Linux software I need, with little modification. This can be headless software or GUIs. It uses posix conventions ("/" path separator, "/usr" and so on), and it has development tools preinstalled or one command away. There is a command line, and you can use all the familiar tools like ls or vi. That's why I - half jokingly of course - consider macOS to be a great alternative "linux" (although weirdly locked down, and with a lot of NIH proprietary parts). It's also fun TBH to tease the "I'd like to interject for a moment" crowd :-)