RMS comments: Gnome part of the GNU operating system.
Some interesting comments on the nature of GNOME.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 18:09:17 -0700
From: Rich Cowan <rich@organizenow.net>
To: oc-tec@topica.com
Subject: TEC: Comments on Suggestions for Activist Software Projects
Here are comments from Gnu/Linux originator Richard Stallman on
our efforts and suggestions:
From: Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
Date: Friday, July 21, 2000 7:31 PM
>
> software, that is based on an open source database engine,
> running in a Linux graphical interface such as Gnome.
>
>GNOME is not a "Linux" interface--it has nothing particular to do with
>Linux. GNOME is part of the GNU operating system; it runs on the
>GNU/Linux version of the system, but it will run on the GNU/HURD
>system also.
>
>If someone said that GNOME is a "Linux" interface or that it is for
>"Linux", chances are he's calling the GNU operating system "Linux".
>Many people do that, but it isn't treating us right. We set out in
>1984 to develop a complete free software operating system, called GNU.
>In 1991, GNU was almost finished, lacking only a kernel. Then Linus
>Torvalds wrote his kernel, Linux, which filled the last gap. Adding
>Linux to the almost-finished GNU system produced the free operating
>system that has become popular.
>
>If you call the system "Linux", you're giving him nearly all the
>credit and the GNU Project almost none. Many people do that, and it
>is devastating for us--all the more so because Linus does not share
>and does not advocate our idealistic political views.
>
>So would you please call the system "GNU/Linux"? That way, you would
>give the GNU Project and Linus Torvalds equal billing. See
>http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html for more explanation.
>
>I should also point out that the free software and open source are not
>the same thing. If the GNU Project gets involved in recruiting
>support for these projects, we definitely want them to be free
>software, not just open source. For more explanation of this, see
>http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html.
[Sent via the Organizers' Collaborative Technical Discussion Listserve.]
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