4 ms·

> The system was initially called Freax Maybe it's common knowledge, but first time I've heard that. I wonder how that would have impacted adoption if it had s

> The system was initially called Freax Maybe it's common knowledge, but first time I've heard that. I wonder how that would have impacted adoption if it had stuck?

yubiox 4y ago
Then instead of the linnux and lynux pronunciation confusion we'd have freaks and free-ax.
- bdcravens 4y ago
  Perhaps it was meant to be pronounced like Free Ox, since an ox looks a bit like a gnu (wildebeest)
  - yencabulator 4y ago
    Quite unlikely: > The first releases of Linux used a license that forbade commercial use. Some of the early contributors suggested a change to a free-software license. In the fall of 1991, Richard Stallman visited Finland and I took Linus to a talk given by Stallman. This, the pressure from contributors, and my nagging eventually convinced Linus to choose the GNU GPL license instead, in early 1992.
- gattilorenz 4y ago
  This audio is burned in my memory since I was configuring my SoundBlaster in Red Hat 5.2: https://youtu.be/c39QPDTDdXU https://youtu.be/c39QPDTDdXU
  - jrussino 4y ago
    This just made me realize that even though I pronounce Linux as "Lee-nux" (the same way he does), I always read his name as "Lie-nus" (like the Charlie brown character).
    - rightbyte 4y ago
      His name is pronounced "Lee-nus" in Finnish so I guess it makes sense.
sneed_chucker 4y ago
Hard to say. "Unix" is pronounced like "eunuchs" and yet saw pretty wide adoption. Definitely in a different time and under other circumstances than Linux though.
- jamiek88 4y ago
  Yoo-nicks rather than yoo-nucks surely?
  - pcthrowaway 4y ago
    They're both pronounced "Yoo-nicks"
    - lproven 4y ago
      They really are not, you know.
  - Laaas 4y ago
    Unix: /ˈjuːnɪks/ Eunuch: /ˈjuː.nək/ Presumably the plural form retains the vowel, hence they are just a bit different.
  - housecarpenter 4y ago
    Some accents don't distinguish those two vowels in unstressed positions.
    - jamiek88 4y ago
      Like the Kiwi accent?! Didn't think of that! Thanks.
- aap_ 4y ago
  There's an anecdote that they answered the phone in the UNIX room with "eunuchs room" in a high pitched voice.
meekaaku 4y ago
There is a quote somewhere that says Linus names his programs after himself. Freax for freak, and then later git too. Git means an unpleasant person.
- kragen 4y ago
  people often use 'git' for people they think are unpleasant, but that is in order to insult them — 'git' means 'stupid person', not 'unpleasant person'
  - alexfoo 4y ago
    > 'git' means 'stupid person', not 'unpleasant person' Native English speaker (UK) and I've never heard 'git' used to mean 'stupid person'. I've only ever heard it used to mean 'unpleasant person', generally in the form of "complete git" or "utter git". (Of course, language use can be different in different countries.)

> The system was initially called Freax Maybe it's common knowledge, but first time I've heard that. I wonder how that would have impacted adoption if it had stuck?

yubiox 4y ago

Then instead of the linnux and lynux pronunciation confusion we'd have freaks and free-ax.

bdcravens 4y ago
Perhaps it was meant to be pronounced like Free Ox, since an ox looks a bit like a gnu (wildebeest)
- yencabulator 4y ago
  Quite unlikely: > The first releases of Linux used a license that forbade commercial use. Some of the early contributors suggested a change to a free-software license. In the fall of 1991, Richard Stallman visited Finland and I took Linus to a talk given by Stallman. This, the pressure from contributors, and my nagging eventually convinced Linus to choose the GNU GPL license instead, in early 1992.
gattilorenz 4y ago
This audio is burned in my memory since I was configuring my SoundBlaster in Red Hat 5.2: https://youtu.be/c39QPDTDdXU https://youtu.be/c39QPDTDdXU
- jrussino 4y ago
  This just made me realize that even though I pronounce Linux as "Lee-nux" (the same way he does), I always read his name as "Lie-nus" (like the Charlie brown character).
  - rightbyte 4y ago
    His name is pronounced "Lee-nus" in Finnish so I guess it makes sense.

sneed_chucker 4y ago

Hard to say. "Unix" is pronounced like "eunuchs" and yet saw pretty wide adoption. Definitely in a different time and under other circumstances than Linux though.

jamiek88 4y ago
Yoo-nicks rather than yoo-nucks surely?
- pcthrowaway 4y ago
  They're both pronounced "Yoo-nicks"
  - lproven 4y ago
    They really are not, you know.
- Laaas 4y ago
  Unix: /ˈjuːnɪks/ Eunuch: /ˈjuː.nək/ Presumably the plural form retains the vowel, hence they are just a bit different.
- housecarpenter 4y ago
  Some accents don't distinguish those two vowels in unstressed positions.
  - jamiek88 4y ago
    Like the Kiwi accent?! Didn't think of that! Thanks.
aap_ 4y ago
There's an anecdote that they answered the phone in the UNIX room with "eunuchs room" in a high pitched voice.

meekaaku 4y ago

There is a quote somewhere that says Linus names his programs after himself. Freax for freak, and then later git too. Git means an unpleasant person.

kragen 4y ago
people often use 'git' for people they think are unpleasant, but that is in order to insult them — 'git' means 'stupid person', not 'unpleasant person'
- alexfoo 4y ago
  > 'git' means 'stupid person', not 'unpleasant person' Native English speaker (UK) and I've never heard 'git' used to mean 'stupid person'. I've only ever heard it used to mean 'unpleasant person', generally in the form of "complete git" or "utter git". (Of course, language use can be different in different countries.)