Subject: bug#25254: [minor] 'About' page says GuixSD is a "GNU/Linux distribution"

From: Ricardo Wurmus <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2016 12:39:36 +0100

Taylan UlrichBayırlı/Kammer <[email-masked]> writes:

> It would be better to be consistent with the home page and make clear
> that GuixSD is a GNU distribution, with Linux-libre being the default
> kernel for the foreseeable future.
>
> Background: Wikipedia has a policy to call GNU/Linux distributions
> "Linux distribution" because that wrong term is more commonly used by
> the public.  To define GuixSD as a "GNU/Linux distribution" gives them
> in turn justification to define it as a "Linux distribution" instead.

FWIW, I like to call the system just “GNU” and GuixSD a “variant of the
GNU system”.  To me “Linux” is a technical detail that doesn’t need to
be mentioned explicitly each time when speaking to a general audience.
(This can be extended to “variant of the GNU system with Linux” when
needed, or just “GNU with Linux”, which is really close to “GNU+Linux”
or the more ambiguous “GNU/Linux”.)

The name affirms the vision towards which we’re working, and it
acknowledges the concerted effort in getting us so far.  The name is not
about acknowledging *software* as such.

I feel that convincing the current set of Wikipedia editors is a lost
cause.  It looks even worse in the German Wikipedia, where the “article”
on the GNU/Linux naming controversy insinuates that this is primarily
about stroking the egos of rms and the small group of GNU developers.
(I just spent some time submitting some changes to that page.)

I’d be okay with another way to describe what GuixSD is (especially once
we offer an additional image using the Hurd), but I’m also fine with
leaving it as it is.

-- 
Ricardo

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