7 ms·

Linux is an operating system for all ages

32 points by Enindu 11y ago

stymaar 11y ago
So this has to be said again : Linux is NOT an operating system, Linux is a Kernel. Android, Debian and OpenWRT are operating systems. Debian even support other kernels than Linux.
- Enindu 11y ago
  Great point BTW. EDIT : May be the writer of this article talking about operating systems based on Linux kernel and he called them all simply Linux as we all do.
- badsock 11y ago
  Respectfully, I don't think it needs to said again. This is English - meaning is determined by common usage, and for quite a while now the Linux has meant both the kernel and the OS to almost everyone (disambiguated by calling the former the "Linux kernel" when need be). Is it logical? Not really. But the horse is well out of the gate at this point.
- oliwarner 11y ago
  If you're going to be pedantic, at least nail it. Debian (Linux) and OpenWRT are distributions. They're super-sets of applications, the GNU tools and the Linux kernel (or HURD). You only need the last two to form an "operating system". Android is a little different in that it doesn't sit on a GNU stack. I'm happier calling Android an operating system than I am Debian and OpenWRT.
  - rifung 11y ago
    If Debian is a distribution and Linux is just the kernel, what do you say if you run Debian and people ask what OS you use?
    - patzerhacker 11y ago
      Debian GNU/Linux
    - drhack 11y ago
      The pedantically correct term is "Debian GNU+Linux", I believe.
    - oliwarner 11y ago
      Depends who "people" were. Somebody who knows nothing is going to hear "Debian", somebody with a little more tech in their blood will hear "Debian... Yeah, that's right, Linux" and I'll save the "Debian GNU/Linux" for people trying to make a point about nomenclature. My point wasn't that it's super important you call these things by the right name, it's that you were and you were getting it wrong still.
ExpiredLink 11y ago
The article is out-of-time. The question nowadays is: 'Why didn't Android become a viable OS for desktops and laptops?'
- Enindu 11y ago
  Because we have lot of Linux distros lot better than Android. Debian, Arch, Fedora, Ubuntu, etc. BTW, there's is a Linux distro called Android x86 for PCs, based on Android.
- Zigurd 11y ago
  For the same reason Windows did not become a mainstream OS for tablets and phones. There is a much greater distance between a finger-touch UX and a mouse UX than most people imagine. There is also probably a hardware dimension to the answer: There is a greater distance between a heavy "convertible" part-time touch laptop/tablet-ish device and a real tablet that can be carried like a sheaf of paper than most people appreciate.
zxcvcxz 11y ago
Yeah I set up my mom with GNOME 3 on Fedora. All she does is browse the internet and play solitaire. That's pretty much a zero maintenance computer right there. Somehow they always manage to destroy windows.
- maskedinvader 11y ago
  'Somehow they always manage to destroy windows.' this. Sigh. The number of times I have to clean up all the things she (my mom) manages to install 'tool bars and what not'.
  - smarterchild 11y ago
    Have you tried setting her up with a standard user login by default? I did that with my folks and the number of computer questions seems to have gone way down.
    - noselasd 11y ago
      In addition to that, uBlock/adblock also seems to take care of most toolbar/malware pop ups that parents tend to fall for.
- keithpeter 11y ago
  CentOS would given even longer support! Just add epel and the Nux desktop libraries for multimedia
timdiggerm 11y ago
> A friend and I took responsibility to stress the advantages of learning and continuing to use Ubuntu. As usual, FOSSers confusing ethics & principles with marketing. He's right, but that doesn't make it effective (sadly).
5h 11y ago
Totally off topic, but it seems every website I've visited today has had some utterly obnoxious pop up appear when I'm half way through a sentence. I hope this is a short lived trend.
- ldiracdelta 11y ago
  Adblock extension is pretty awesome. Vastly reduces noise on the web.
keithpeter 11y ago
Anyone in here working in Africa in the kind of project the OA mentions? I'm wondering about bandwidth for updates and installing software. Ubuntu 15.04 is good for 6 months with updates. Debian current stable with a three DVD iso download (and a DVD drive!) would provide access to the whole software repository offline. There is a delta update DVD for each incremental ISO set.

32 points by Enindu 11y ago

So this has to be said again : Linux is NOT an operating system, Linux is a Kernel. Android, Debian and OpenWRT are operating systems. Debian even support other kernels than Linux.

Enindu 11y ago
Great point BTW. EDIT : May be the writer of this article talking about operating systems based on Linux kernel and he called them all simply Linux as we all do.
badsock 11y ago
Respectfully, I don't think it needs to said again. This is English - meaning is determined by common usage, and for quite a while now the Linux has meant both the kernel and the OS to almost everyone (disambiguated by calling the former the "Linux kernel" when need be). Is it logical? Not really. But the horse is well out of the gate at this point.
oliwarner 11y ago
If you're going to be pedantic, at least nail it. Debian (Linux) and OpenWRT are distributions. They're super-sets of applications, the GNU tools and the Linux kernel (or HURD). You only need the last two to form an "operating system". Android is a little different in that it doesn't sit on a GNU stack. I'm happier calling Android an operating system than I am Debian and OpenWRT.
- rifung 11y ago
  If Debian is a distribution and Linux is just the kernel, what do you say if you run Debian and people ask what OS you use?
  - patzerhacker 11y ago
    Debian GNU/Linux
  - drhack 11y ago
    The pedantically correct term is "Debian GNU+Linux", I believe.
  - oliwarner 11y ago
    Depends who "people" were. Somebody who knows nothing is going to hear "Debian", somebody with a little more tech in their blood will hear "Debian... Yeah, that's right, Linux" and I'll save the "Debian GNU/Linux" for people trying to make a point about nomenclature. My point wasn't that it's super important you call these things by the right name, it's that you were and you were getting it wrong still.

ExpiredLink 11y ago

The article is out-of-time. The question nowadays is: 'Why didn't Android become a viable OS for desktops and laptops?'

Enindu 11y ago
Because we have lot of Linux distros lot better than Android. Debian, Arch, Fedora, Ubuntu, etc. BTW, there's is a Linux distro called Android x86 for PCs, based on Android.
Zigurd 11y ago
For the same reason Windows did not become a mainstream OS for tablets and phones. There is a much greater distance between a finger-touch UX and a mouse UX than most people imagine. There is also probably a hardware dimension to the answer: There is a greater distance between a heavy "convertible" part-time touch laptop/tablet-ish device and a real tablet that can be carried like a sheaf of paper than most people appreciate.

zxcvcxz 11y ago

Yeah I set up my mom with GNOME 3 on Fedora. All she does is browse the internet and play solitaire. That's pretty much a zero maintenance computer right there. Somehow they always manage to destroy windows.

maskedinvader 11y ago
'Somehow they always manage to destroy windows.' this. Sigh. The number of times I have to clean up all the things she (my mom) manages to install 'tool bars and what not'.
- smarterchild 11y ago
  Have you tried setting her up with a standard user login by default? I did that with my folks and the number of computer questions seems to have gone way down.
  - noselasd 11y ago
    In addition to that, uBlock/adblock also seems to take care of most toolbar/malware pop ups that parents tend to fall for.
keithpeter 11y ago
CentOS would given even longer support! Just add epel and the Nux desktop libraries for multimedia

timdiggerm 11y ago

> A friend and I took responsibility to stress the advantages of learning and continuing to use Ubuntu. As usual, FOSSers confusing ethics & principles with marketing. He's right, but that doesn't make it effective (sadly).

5h 11y ago

Totally off topic, but it seems every website I've visited today has had some utterly obnoxious pop up appear when I'm half way through a sentence. I hope this is a short lived trend.

ldiracdelta 11y ago
Adblock extension is pretty awesome. Vastly reduces noise on the web.

keithpeter 11y ago

Anyone in here working in Africa in the kind of project the OA mentions? I'm wondering about bandwidth for updates and installing software. Ubuntu 15.04 is good for 6 months with updates. Debian current stable with a three DVD iso download (and a DVD drive!) would provide access to the whole software repository offline. There is a delta update DVD for each incremental ISO set.