this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2023
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Linux

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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[–] MasterNerd@lemm.ee 217 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Kinda weird that they're calling it an OS, but ig they're just trying to cater to the windows audience

[–] KISSmyOS@lemmy.world 175 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (3 children)

I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Linux is in fact KDE/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, KDE plus Linux.

[–] d_k_bo@feddit.de 100 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're refering to as Windows, is in fact, Adware/NT, or as I've recently taken to calling it, Adware plus NT.

[–] theshatterstone54@feddit.uk 21 points 11 months ago

Adware + New Technology (from the 1990s)

[–] the_post_of_tom_joad@sh.itjust.works 27 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I finally get this reference! I think this could mean im ready to try Linux again

[–] KISSmyOS@lemmy.world 33 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] aberrate_junior_beatnik@midwest.social 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's time to write free software and defend rapists, and I'm all out of programming talent

[–] theshatterstone54@feddit.uk 13 points 11 months ago

Haha (but in all seriousness, his lack of understanding of the issue was embarrassing, even if he did apologise afterwards; it's like Ballmer: everyone remembers him saying "Linux is a cancer", yet nobody remembers him apologising, when he saw Satya Nadella found a way to make money off Linux, rather than look for ways to tear it down as competition). In both cases these men saw that a change in their stance would allow them to achieve their goals (of promoting free software, and making money, respectively) much more easily).

So here you can see me behaving like the average Linux user, hating on Microsoft and being elitist about my distro, and I'm done ranting about M$.

I use Arch BTW.

[–] k_rol@lemmy.ca 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] the_post_of_tom_joad@sh.itjust.works 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] psud@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

You can't say that without explaining the reference. How can they be one of the lucky 10 000 when they still don't get it?

hmm, looks like my link still works... clicking on any of those words should take them to the answer, which is a bit too involved for me to summarize :). if for some reason your client isn't reading it, here's the naked link:

https://wiki.installgentoo.com/index.php/Interjection

[–] troyunrau@lemmy.ca 6 points 11 months ago

What if you're running KDE stuff on *BSD. Or on Windows, for that matter...

(eg: I use Kate on windows as my primary text editor on my work computer...)

[–] killerinstinct101@lemmy.world 48 points 11 months ago (3 children)

KDE neon is what they're selling

[–] glibg10b@lemmy.ml 19 points 11 months ago

Selling as in advertising, I might add. Neon is free

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Neon is more of a testbed than a proper distro (they don't actually even use that word).

Is this "the KDE distro"?

Nope. KDE believes it is important to work with many distributions, as each brings unique value and expertise for their respective users. This is one project out of hundreds from KDE.

[–] rbits@lemm.ee 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's a proper distro, that's just saying it's not THE official one

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Uhm

Is it a distro?

Not quite, it's a package archive with the latest KDE software on top of a stable base. While we have installable images, unlike full Linux distributions we're only interested in KDE software.

https://neon.kde.org/faq#is-it-a-distro

[–] rbits@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago
[–] rwhitisissle@lemmy.ml 0 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Which is....still not an OS. It's a distribution. Specifically, it's a fork of Ubuntu. To reiterate what the OP was saying, they're catering to the Windows audience, who understand the concept of a "new Windows version," but who wouldn't understand the concept of a distribution.

[–] killerinstinct101@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

What exactly is an OS to you? All distros are operating systems because they ship all the tools and utilities need for the system to function (on top of a package manager).

The fact that the KDE devs didn't write that code themselves doesn't disqualify it from being an OS.

[–] rwhitisissle@lemmy.ml 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

An OS is the interface layer between hardware and software. It's the first code that runs after the boot loader, and it exposes an API for syscalls that allow user processes to allocate typically restricted resources, while also tracking and maintaining those allocated resources, doing process scheduling, and a bunch of other critical tasks.

All distros are operating systems because they ship all the tools and utilities need for the system to function

All distros contain operating systems (or, more accurately, kernels), or, rather, are built on top of them. A distribution is a collection of curated software, along with an init system and, for linux, package manager, and, frequently, a particular desktop environment. These pieces of software are, on some level, superfluous. You can have an OS without them. They don't comprise the OS as a distinct conceptual layer of a computer system, of which there is the hardware, operating system, application, and user layers. The operating system is just Linux - because that is the interface layer between the hardware and software.

Saying "all distros are operating systems" is like saying "all cars are engines." It's just wrong. And I don't care what wikipedia has to say about it.

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's actually not even a distro, according to their own description at least

Is it a distro?

Not quite, it's a package archive with the latest KDE software on top of a stable base. While we have installable images, unlike full Linux distributions we're only interested in KDE software.

[–] rwhitisissle@lemmy.ml 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Sounds like a distribution that they don't want to call a linux distribution.

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

They probably feel like the name distribution means more than just slapping a DE on it and basically a PPA. Then again, haven't stopped loads of distros from doing that hah.

Could be another way to discourage people using it as a beginner distro or something.

[–] rwhitisissle@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 months ago

I mean, there's over a thousand linux distributions already and it feels like they just don't want it to be another drop of water in the ocean.

[–] FangedWyvern42@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

I feel like they intended to mention KDE neon (which is the official KDE distro).