Re: configure script

[David Kastrup]

ss@janiika.com (Sami Sihvonen) writes:

> (cc: gnu.emacs.bug, rms@gnu.org)
> 
> In article <200206081915.g58JFT128804@aztec.santafe.edu>,
> rms@gnu.org (Richard Stallman) wrote:
> 
> > You can't be "in Linux"; Linux is the kernel, and the kernel does not
> > obey user commands.  You are probably talking to a shell, perhaps
> > Bash, the GNU Shell.  Is that right?  See
> > http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html.
> 
> You mean GNU/Linux, not Linux? :-) Really a shame for GNU/Linux
> and Linus Torvalds that they don't notice all the efforts made
> by GNU-Project and Free Software Foundation.

This is about the most shameless lie and insinuation that I have ever
heard.  Linus Torvalds has always acknowledged the major influence
GNU has had on Linux development.  He did not choose the GPL for
Linux accidentally.  Nobody denies the major contribution of the GNU
project to Linux systems.  Nobody would deny that all available Linux
systems _are_ GNU systems.  But that is no reason to adulterate the
name.  It is the one putting together a system that gets to name it.
A painting is named by painter, not by the paint manufacturer.
Regardless how good or indispensible the paints have been for the
work.

That RMS quite shamelessly tries to hijack _all_ credit he can think
of and feels comfortable with ignoring everybody else's contribution
to Free systems as long as he gets his in, is quite hypocritical.

RMS never had any naming qualms when he subsumed X, or the BSD
networking utilities and stacks, or Mach kernel, or whatever else
into GNU/Hurd.

RMS is not one to pussyfoot around the issue, and has never been
afraid to voice his opinions about matters, even where his views were
quite different from the "establishment".  That is one of his main
strengths.  It is a pity that now that with his help and visions
indeed a Free Software sphere has been established, he does his best
to fight this as well.  I do think he could employ his strengths
for better causes than that.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum
Email: David.Kastrup@t-online.de