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"Is that running Linux?" is a question that's becoming harder and harder to answer. Have an Android phone? Technically yes. It runs the Linux kernel but not GN
by _ea1k 3y ago
"Is that running Linux?" is a question that's becoming harder and harder to answer.
Have an Android phone? Technically yes. It runs the Linux kernel but not GNU (probably, unless you've installed a layer with gnu).
Have a Chrome OS device? It runs GNU/Linux and most have a user layer that can run Debian.
Have a Windows device? wsl exists and is quite nice. Lots of developers use it.
Is Windows Linux too now?
- nonameiguess 3y agoDon't forget Alpine Linux, which almost everyone will call Linux because it has "Linux" in the name, but also doesn't use GNU, instead running the Linux kernel with musl and busybox as the C library and userspace system utils. It seems technically less "Linux" by this metric than Chrome OS and equal to Android. I don't think this is principled really beyond the fact that Google chose to use different branding whereas FOSS distro vendors actually called what they distributed "Linux." Sort of how Hyenas are phylogenetically feliform but most people consider them dogs.
- tssva 3y ago> Sort of how Hyenas are phylogenetically feliform but most people consider them dogs. Do you have some reference for this? I just did a quick survey of the people in the horse barn I'm typing this from and none of them consider hyenas to be dogs. I imagine some people do consider them to be dogs since in some cases they can have a passing resemblance, but I'm dubious that most people consider them dogs.
- hungryforcodes 3y agoI consider them to be "dog like". Mind you I'm not in a horse barn.
- therapee 3y ago"Is that running Linux?" previously meant "Is that running Linux?" Now, I think most people mean "Is that running something that markets itself as Linux, at it's core?" Even that disambiguation isn't great, though.