Re: Specification v 0.8
Hi, I think that the LSB mainly concerns with
standardizing the de facto "GNU/Linux" system. And,
that is what the draft specification is doing.
Concerns with FreeBSD shall fall in the domain of Unix
standardization, outside the scope of LSB.
What I am suggestion is just the addition of a single
statement to the LSB spec, say in the introduction
section, saying "this spec is the Linux Standard Base,
and the name "GNU/Linux Standard Base" shall be
equivalent," or something similar. Just a single
statement, the rest of the spec does not need any
changes. Or some language like that, acknowledging
the "GNU/Linux" fraction of the community in some way.
I am sure the smart leaders of the Linux community in
the LSB can find a very good compromise.
Thinking not in black and white but gray scale, one
can see there is some merit in the "GNU/Linux" name.
The LSB spec is the proof. GNUism has shaped the
Linux system significantly. Maybe not in the kernel,
but in the scope of the LSB, the commonly used Linux
system, the user space. This GNUism distinguishes
Linux from, say, FreeBSD, in many ways, whether one
likes or hates it.
Also I am not asking for renaming. LSB is always LSB.
I am suggesting acknowledging an alternative name.
Following Example: Russian Constitution, Article 1,
"The Russian Federation -- Russia shall be a
democratic federal rule-of-law state with the
republican form of government. The names "Russian
Federation" and "Russia" shall be equivalent. "
Thanks for your consideration.
--- Jim Knoble <jmknoble@jmknoble.cx> wrote:
>
> The problem with using the term "GNU/Linux" is the
> (originally quite
> intended) implication that it's a system built
> around the Linux kernel,
> the GNU C library, and other GNU tools.
>
> The Linux Standard Base, however, should be able to
> apply to a system
> that is based around the Linux kernel, a completely
> different C library
> that meets the spec, and completely different tools
> that also meet the
> spec.
>
> In fact, it's possible that systems such as FreeBSD
> would be able to
> meet the LSB spec.
>
> Putting "GNU" in the name of the spec would seem to
> be too narrow. If
> any renaming is necessary, it should be toward
> widening the implied
> coverage rather than narrowing it.
>
> --
> jim knoble | jmknoble@jmknoble.cx |
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