The Hurd

[Werner Koch]

On Tue, 19 Mar 2002 14:51:15 +0100, Frank Heckenbach said:

> Note that I don't deny it. I was just refusing Jeroen' claim that
> "Almost everything was already there *written* by GNU." [emphasis by

Okay.

> me] which is clearly not true. "Collected" or "compiled" would have
> been alright ...

or "used by"

> Exactly. That's why Jeroen's statement '[Linus] only had to write a
> kernel and a few other things. He misnamed this to "Linux" and
> didn't credit GNU.' is also unreasonable. He is talking only about

I heard him speak about the *Linux OS* several times on conferences.

BTW, I also recall that once he proudly presented Linux running
MS-Powerpoint using an early WINE version.

>> The Hurd is based on a lot of research.

> Please don't quote me out of context. My statement clearly referred
> to Jeroen's "history lesson", not to GNU, Linux or the Hurd.

Right, however I can't see what's wrong with Jeroen's history of GNU
and OS kernels except for leaving out that a lot of other kernels used
to be in the works around 1990.

> Yes. I support GNU, I use GNU/Linux on my machines (and sometimes
> work on GNU/Solaris and GNU/IRIX machines ;-). But I think attacking

You will never see a GNU/proprietaryKernel - this is a contradiction
to the goals of the GNU project.  Using GNU/Linux is explicitly giving
Linux credit for helping out with a very usable free kernel and
getting around the bootstrapping problem on how to develop a free OS
using only Free Software.

> Linux (the kernel) for not being called GNU/Linux, like Jeroen did,
> does not help, but hurt the reputation of GNU.

Well, attacking is certainly not a good behaviour in the community.  We
recently made a lot of experience with this ;-).  Suggesting to use
the proper term is what I do.

  Werner