Thursday, August 14, 2008

Advisory for newcomers to Linux-Based operating systems



Most people call Linux an operating system when it is just the Kernel of many operating systems. The Kernel is a tiny (8MB) piece of software that allocates resources to all the running processes. Calling Ubuntu "Linux" is not really correct. It's like calling Vista "NT" as that is the Kernel that Vista uses. If there is a problem in Ubuntu or openSuSE etc then you do not say Linux has problems as there is a 99% chance that it is not the "Linux" that is the problem, it's just the software included in the operating system package. Linux should not even be mentioned as part of the operating system as I have never heard people with Vista saying that their computer runs NT. That's why I don't say my computer is running Linux, I say it is running Ubuntu as that is my operating system, not "Linux". People try to call Ubuntu and openSuSE etc "Linux" because that is what they all have in common, the "Linux" Kernel but this is totally wrong calling these operating systems "Linux".

:-)

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