[sf-lug] Linux, it's *just* a kernel: Re: (forw) Re: The LUG list is back and just in time... Open Indiana ... Illumos

[Michael Paoli]

Linux - "it's *just* a kernel!"

Debian,
there's darn good reason it's:
Debian GNU/Linux
notably as not to be confused with, e.g.:
Debian GNU/kFreeBSD
Debian GNU/Hurd
...
https://wiki.debian.org/Debian_GNU
https://www.debian.org/ports/

Debian is one of the (relatively few?) distributions that rather
accurately describes itself, notably including key major components,
e.g. see:
https://www.wiki.balug.org/wiki/doku.php?id=balug:cds_and_images_etc
For the "full descriptor" field, for the Debian ISOs, I've generally
taken those straight from the /.disk/info file on those ISOs
(Ubuntu has similar).  Ubuntu, for (mostly?) marketing/branding
purposes, shys away from much mention of Linux or GNU, or Debian, all
of which it's highly dependent upon.  Last I saw of their official
DVDs and jackets, absolutely no mention of Linux, GNU, or Debian anywhere
on there.

Debian calls itself out pretty clearly:
$ lsb_release -d
Description:    Debian GNU/Linux 9.5 (stretch)
$ uname -m
x86_64
$ dpkg --print-architecture
amd64
$

> From: "Rick Moen" <rick at linuxmafia.com>
> Subject: Re: [sf-lug] (forw) Re:  The LUG list is back and just in time...
> Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2018 19:09:33 -0700

> Quoting Bobbie Sellers:
>
>> Thanks to everyone who replied on the list and off the list.
>> I am not running Open Indiana anywhere but was unsure
>> with that Illumos kernel reference.  I did not want to bring
>> a Unix to a Linux meeting.  We have enough fun with the
>> GNU/Linux/and all the other FOSS developers.
>
> Well, if you wish, of course.  But that sounds just a little weirdly
> arbitrary, to me.
>
> But the illumos kernel and surrounding illumos software architecture
> are just another form of *ix, same as the BSDs and Linux.  Nothing
> wrong with it at all.
>
> There's even a distro based on illumos kernel called Dyson
> ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_(operating_system) )
> that's basically the standard Debian userspace running on an illumos
> kernel.  If I sat you down in front of it, you would have a difficult
> time even knowing that wasn't Debian on the Linux kernel.
>
> Personally, I'm not madly in love with the Linux kernel, and certainly
> would move to something like Dyson like a _shot_ if there were ever
> a compelling reason to cease using the Linux kernel.