@newt @hazlin @vokainen099 @fossdd @Inginsub @PurpCat @phnt @SuperDicq >there is no such thing as "wrong" here when everyone fully understands what is actually being referred to.
The very issue is that PEOPLE DO NOT - THEY ACTUALLY THINK LINUX IS AN OS.

>Linux is a family of operating systems. GNU-based systems are a subset of it, albeit a small one.
Linux is a kernel - there are a handful of operating systems that happen to share the same kernel; Android, GNU/Linux, GNU/GNU Linux-libre and BusyBox/Linux (there are a few other small systems that happen use that kernel, but those are too minor to bother mentioning).

For real computers, primarily GNU/Linux is used, for phones primarily Android is used and for routers, primarily BusyBox/Linux is used.

>It's almost always the kernel, sometimes the Linux kernel (when other kernels are mentioned). Linux referring to the OS rather than the kernel is pretty much ubiquitously accepted.
YES, PEOPLE ARE SO CONFUSED THAT THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT LINUX IS ONLY A KERNEL AND THEREFORE THEY ASSUME THAT THE OS IS LINUX AND THAT THE KERNEL IS A SEPARATE PART OF LINUX.

For most OS's, the kernel is developed as a sub-project and doesn't have a particular name, thus the naming is typically; "the OpenBSD kernel" for example.

In GNU's case, another group decided to develop a kernel for GNU and give it a name and of course the most buzzwordy possible name was found and a cult of personality was formed around Linus - Linus+x or the Linux cult was formed - with the goal of assigning credit for "everything Linus has done for us", even though GNU had developed the OS since 1984 and all Linus did was start developing the last needed piece - making GNU/Linux or LiGNUx or just GNU.

The result is as follows;
Reality Proprietary confusion
Linux --> "Linux kernel"
GNU --> "Linux"
GNU/Linux --> "Linux".
GNU/Linux on mobiles --> "Linux phones"
Android --> "That isn't Linux"
Installing GNU on Android --> "Linux on Android"
Installing GNU on Windows without Linux (GNU/kWindows) --> "Windows Subsystem Linux"