Embed Notice

New #blog post: The limited utility of the phrase “GNU/Linux”

Every now and then a fossbro tries to incorrect my terminology and insist I say “GNU/Linux” instead of “Linux”. I wrote this to save myself some time. Instead of engaging with the fossbro, I can just paste this link and wrap up the conversation while they read.

Excerpt:

“A specter is haunting the Linux community. Where lies productive discourse about operating systems, there also lies a danger. For the longer such discourse lasts, the greater the risk that the discourse shall be interrupted by The Interjection: an abomination brandished by a raging fossbro determined to contribute absolutely nothing to the discussion. The standard fossbro interjection begins:

‘I’d just like to interject for a moment. What you’re referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I’ve recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.’

Sensible retorts, such as “Nobody asked you”, “Please leave us alone”, and “Sir, this is a Wendy’s” are useless defenses. Nay, the greatest weapon against misguided pedantry is pedantry itself.

Let’s talk about why not to use the term “GNU/Linux”.