[Tfug] FreeBSD vs. Linux

[Paul Scott]

andy wrote:
> Thanks Predrag, it was no troll, I'm just a fairly new Linux user and
> have heard of BSD, but didn't really know what differentiated it from
> Linux beside being another Unix variation.
>
> Besides, this politics discussion is way past the point of being boring.
>
> I was assuming that Linux was more for the casual user and BSD catered
> to the more technical crowd or hardcore Unix folks. It sounds like from
> your quick rundown that is true.
>
> What did you mean by BSD being a complete operating system vs. Linux
> plus GNU tools? Not sure if I understand.
>   
The FSF (Free Software Foundation) started work on the GNU (Unix
compatible) operating system in 1984.  They had completed all of the
components except for the kernel by the time that Linus Torvalds wrote a
kernel for the x86.  This made a complete Unix compatible OS properly
called GNU/Linux.  Somehow people began to call this Linux instead of
GNU and it's no more possible to reverse this common usage as it is to
reverse the common meaning of hacker to be a programmer with malicious
intent which is not the original meaning of the word.

The fact the so many players have jumped into the assembly process of
the "Linux" OS and forked in different directions has made GNU/Linux
more diverse than the BSDs each of which is controlled by a smaller group.

Paul Scott