Talk:Linux (operating system): Difference between revisions

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imported>Pat Palmer
(yuck to user manual type writing for this article; let's show VISION)
m (Text replacement - "GNU/Linux" to "Linux")
 
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|                abc = Linux
|                cat1 = Computers
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|              status = 2
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|                  by = --[[User:Joshua David Williams|Joshua David Williams]] 13:26, 6 April 2007 (CDT)
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Is anyone else amused about how cautious the first paragraph is? It's like two points of view are both trying to express their arguments in one sentence.  I'd almost say we should just have a minor heading about Linux vs GNU/Linux.  --[[User:Nick Johnson|Nick Johnson]] 11:06, 22 February 2007 (CST)
===Using archive pages automatically===
name the archives Archive 1, 2 etc but with a space between them - they will be recognoized by the following template: <nowiki>{{archive box|auto=long}}</nowiki>
[[User:Robert Tito|Robert Tito]]&nbsp;|&nbsp;<span style="background:grey">&nbsp;<font color="yellow"><b>[[User talk:Robert Tito|Talk]]</b></font>&nbsp;</span> 22:01, 1 May 2007 (CDT) Easy isnt it :)


I wonder if that is not obtained when starting with MIMIX as the start for Linus Torvald's endeavour to create a multipurpose unix version. Put that into historic context to the ''free software'' becoming more popular, resulting in (now) consultancy companies prividing ''free open source linux'' such as Red Hat and the likes. [[User:Robert Tito|Robert Tito]] | [[User talk:Robert Tito|Talk]] 11:12, 22 February 2007 (CST)
:Yes, it is :P Thanks for letting me know about that template :D --[[User:Joshua David Williams|Joshua David Williams]] 22:12, 1 May 2007 (CDT)


I think "Linux" should be about Linux (the thing on kernel.org) and "Linux distribution" should discuss the operating system family &c. I really don't mean to say this in the context of any GNU/Linux name debate (note that I didn't suggest an article named "GNU/Linux distribution"), but the coincidental placement of this comment might make it seem that way. Rather, I think that this is more precise terminology, and that both articles would be able to contain very different sets of information, as a kernel and a family of operating systems are rather different things, even if this family of operating systems is defined by being based around said kernel. --[[User:Raymond Pasco|Raymond Pasco]] 20:59, 28 March 2007 (CDT)
==<big><b>The big re-write</b></big>==
I've begun the big re-write, so don't freak out when you see the article is now a stub :-) I'll try to put all the information back in ASAP, so please bear with me. As a reference, I'm providing a link to the old revision [http://en.citizendium.org/wiki?title=Linux&oldid=100084936 here]. --[[User:Joshua David Williams|Joshua David Williams]] 15:14, 21 April 2007 (CDT)


I agree with Raymond - [[Linux (disambiguation)]] may be necessary, with links to [[GNU/Linux]] and [[Linux Distribution]] in that disambig. article. RMS would have a fit if he saw just Linux as its own, standalone article. --[[User:Eric M Gearhart|Eric M Gearhart]] 11:53, 31 March 2007 (CDT)
:''Linux is an open source operating system. By strict definition, it is rarely seen by the user, because its job is to be a layer between the user environment and the hardware.'' That strict definition should be for the [[Linux kernel]] article, don't you think? [[Linux]] should be the broad general intro. [[User:Stephen Ewen|Stephen Ewen]] 20:32, 23 April 2007 (CDT)


==Too techie still?==
True, but I thought it was important to clarify this to begin with. Perhaps we should move that part to the [[Linux controversy]] subsection of this article? --[[User:Joshua David Williams|Joshua David Williams]] 20:42, 23 April 2007 (CDT)
OK this article has come a long way, however is it too technical? Should we explain what an operating system is on the Linux page? Should we list examples of other OSes such as Windows and Mac OS X? I realize we lean too much toward technical articles sometimes... what can make this more accessible to Joe Schmoe? --[[User:Eric M Gearhart|Eric M Gearhart]] 12:18, 6 April 2007 (CDT)


:I agree completely. I think it'd be a great idea to explain everything in layman's terms, and gradually build the reader's knowledge. Also, perhaps we should use a higher resolution image of Tux (we need to explain that, too), such as [http://www.arabx.com.au/tux/large/tux_giant.png this one]. --[[User:Joshua David Williams|Joshua David Williams]] 12:24, 6 April 2007 (CDT)
==Latest releases==
I agree with Pat that we shouldn't display the latest stable releases. These change fairly often, so the article won't be a credible source for that information. -[[User:Joshua David Williams|Joshua David Williams]] 21:25, 20 April 2007 (CDT)
==about history==
Linux was started in 1991 by a Finnish college student named Linus Torvalds. At the time, the majority of Unix systems were very expensive. The only affordable workstation environment was a proprietary system called Minix. Although the source code was included with this system, the license fee was still a bit pricey, and it was not as good as the systems the workstations in the universities were running. Actually the license for minix was FREE it was developed by a professor at the university where Torvald studied. Torvald used minix as base for linux and expanded it into a networked environment and only later into the open source - where being freely available for universities was his first primary goal. Solid stable and free to use. minix however was a very limited version of the two commercial unixes around (BSD and AT&T).
:monolythic kernels are used by a variety of variations of linux but also microkernel linux/unix are abundant. [[User:Robert Tito|Robert Tito]]&nbsp;|&nbsp;<span style="background:grey">&nbsp;<font color="yellow"><b>[[User talk:Robert Tito|Talk]]</b></font>&nbsp;</span> 21:58, 1 May 2007 (CDT)


::The solution to the resolution problem would be to use a Scalable Vector Graphics (svg)-based image file - its scale is decided by the user (I shoulda thought of that one). I'll try and find a decent one of Tux, that has an acceptable license --[[User:Eric M Gearhart|Eric M Gearhart]] 12:31, 6 April 2007 (CDT)
::Well the Linux kernel may have been written by Torvalds, but the other 80% to 90% of the operating system stems from the [[GNU]] project of [[Richard Stallman]]. The impression that Torvalds did the whole thing should be avoided. Stallman deserves as much credit, if not more. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 17:41, 9 May 2007 (CDT)


:::OK well MediaWiki doesn't like svg files (it says the file is corrput). I guess I'll try and post something under technical issues on the forum asking about this. An SVG is the best way to do this. We'll see what the forum says. --[[User:Eric M Gearhart|Eric M Gearhart]] 12:48, 6 April 2007 (CDT)
Its probably important to mention about Ari Lemmke who was the person who named Linux and who first started the first Linux newsgroup, comp.os.linux<ref>https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/rhasan/linux/</ref>. --[[User:Lal Chandran|Lal Chandran]]


:::According to this [http://forum.citizendium.org/index.php/topic,380.0.html forum post] SVG isn't going to be supported any time soon. Oh well. Leaving the png you uploaded is the best thing to do I spose. --[[User:Eric M Gearhart|Eric M Gearhart]] 14:03, 6 April 2007 (CDT)
== Rewrite needed ==
I rather think this article requires a rewrite - it should perhaps be reduced as to point to the Linux kernel, GNU project and the Linux controversy. Perhaps even better, just point it to the disambiguation page.
Also, I am not too fond of "Unix-like" as an OS family.<br/>
--[[User:Morten Juhl Johansen|Morten Juhl Johansen]] 06:15, 1 August 2007 (CDT)


==we're not a manual==
== Refresh / rewrite needed ==
I really don't like the section on File System, and other parts of this article that read like a technical manual. I don't think the world needs another book describing the gory guts of Linux. Instead, I think we should describe (briefly) what Linux is, when it came about, and what differentiates it from other operating systems (i.e., it's free, it runs on Intel chips like Windows, it runs on cheap hardware, it's like UNIX and lots of people LOVED unix and wanted to continue using it (perhaps rather than learning new stuff? OK, that's low, I know, I know).  Anyway, that's where I think we should be going with this article.  All the old stuff has been written about, on the web, ad nauseum. Just Google file permissions and see what you get![[User:Pat Palmer|Pat Palmer]] 00:45, 7 April 2007 (CDT)
 
I agree with the others who are calling for a rewrite. We should distinguish between the kernel and distributions. I made a small change tonight because Ubuntu Hardy Heron is already old news. But the article needs much more work. I'm willing to schedule some time to collaborate. ''-- [[User:Tim Chambers|Tim Chambers]] 01:12, 12 November 2008 (UTC)''
 
== History ==
Sorry if I went a little long on the history, but I consider it a pretty complete one now (minus refs to be added soon). I think I would like to see the linux page as VERY short page with links to where everything else is. For example, Linux is made of a kernel, compiler, etc.  It is packaged by distributions with [[list of distributions]].  Then move the history to linux_kernel since it has more to do with what Linux actually is over what I think this page should be (what someone new to FOSS would think Linux is: an operating system). If people like the idea and agree with the way I write (see history not this confusing discussions post), I'd be happy to write something up.  If not feel free to digress to before I made the changes.
--[[User:John Altobelli|John Altobelli]] 01:01, 6 March 2009 (EST)

Latest revision as of 08:02, 2 March 2024

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 Definition:  A free and open source operating system kernel designed by Linus Torvalds. The kernel is typically augmented by a plethora of other software, creating a Linux distribution. [d] [e]
Checklist and Archives
 Workgroup category:  Computers [Categories OK]
 Talk Archive:  1, 2, 3  English language variant:  British English

Using archive pages automatically

name the archives Archive 1, 2 etc but with a space between them - they will be recognoized by the following template: {{archive box|auto=long}} Robert Tito |  Talk  22:01, 1 May 2007 (CDT) Easy isnt it :)

Yes, it is :P Thanks for letting me know about that template :D --Joshua David Williams 22:12, 1 May 2007 (CDT)

The big re-write

I've begun the big re-write, so don't freak out when you see the article is now a stub :-) I'll try to put all the information back in ASAP, so please bear with me. As a reference, I'm providing a link to the old revision here. --Joshua David Williams 15:14, 21 April 2007 (CDT)

Linux is an open source operating system. By strict definition, it is rarely seen by the user, because its job is to be a layer between the user environment and the hardware. That strict definition should be for the Linux kernel article, don't you think? Linux should be the broad general intro. Stephen Ewen 20:32, 23 April 2007 (CDT)

True, but I thought it was important to clarify this to begin with. Perhaps we should move that part to the Linux controversy subsection of this article? --Joshua David Williams 20:42, 23 April 2007 (CDT)

Latest releases

I agree with Pat that we shouldn't display the latest stable releases. These change fairly often, so the article won't be a credible source for that information. -Joshua David Williams 21:25, 20 April 2007 (CDT)

about history

Linux was started in 1991 by a Finnish college student named Linus Torvalds. At the time, the majority of Unix systems were very expensive. The only affordable workstation environment was a proprietary system called Minix. Although the source code was included with this system, the license fee was still a bit pricey, and it was not as good as the systems the workstations in the universities were running. Actually the license for minix was FREE it was developed by a professor at the university where Torvald studied. Torvald used minix as base for linux and expanded it into a networked environment and only later into the open source - where being freely available for universities was his first primary goal. Solid stable and free to use. minix however was a very limited version of the two commercial unixes around (BSD and AT&T).

monolythic kernels are used by a variety of variations of linux but also microkernel linux/unix are abundant. Robert Tito |  Talk  21:58, 1 May 2007 (CDT)
Well the Linux kernel may have been written by Torvalds, but the other 80% to 90% of the operating system stems from the GNU project of Richard Stallman. The impression that Torvalds did the whole thing should be avoided. Stallman deserves as much credit, if not more. --Ed Poor 17:41, 9 May 2007 (CDT)

Its probably important to mention about Ari Lemmke who was the person who named Linux and who first started the first Linux newsgroup, comp.os.linux[1]. --Lal Chandran

Rewrite needed

I rather think this article requires a rewrite - it should perhaps be reduced as to point to the Linux kernel, GNU project and the Linux controversy. Perhaps even better, just point it to the disambiguation page. Also, I am not too fond of "Unix-like" as an OS family.
--Morten Juhl Johansen 06:15, 1 August 2007 (CDT)

Refresh / rewrite needed

I agree with the others who are calling for a rewrite. We should distinguish between the kernel and distributions. I made a small change tonight because Ubuntu Hardy Heron is already old news. But the article needs much more work. I'm willing to schedule some time to collaborate. -- Tim Chambers 01:12, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

History

Sorry if I went a little long on the history, but I consider it a pretty complete one now (minus refs to be added soon). I think I would like to see the linux page as VERY short page with links to where everything else is. For example, Linux is made of a kernel, compiler, etc. It is packaged by distributions with list of distributions. Then move the history to linux_kernel since it has more to do with what Linux actually is over what I think this page should be (what someone new to FOSS would think Linux is: an operating system). If people like the idea and agree with the way I write (see history not this confusing discussions post), I'd be happy to write something up. If not feel free to digress to before I made the changes. --John Altobelli 01:01, 6 March 2009 (EST)

  1. ↑ https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/rhasan/linux/
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