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Re: GPLv3 comedy unfolding -- raya's research on "The Four Freedoms"


From: David Kastrup
Subject: Re: GPLv3 comedy unfolding -- raya's research on "The Four Freedoms"
Date: Sat, 07 Oct 2006 13:02:05 +0200
User-agent: Gnus/5.11 (Gnus v5.11) Emacs/22.0.50 (gnu/linux)

Stefaan A Eeckels <hoendech@ecc.lu> writes:

> Chapter 1 of Kernighan and Pike's seminal "The Unix Programming
> Environment" (Copyright © 1984, Prentice-Hall) starts with:
>
> " What is "UNIX"? In the narrowest sense, it is a time-sharing
> operating system kernel: a program that controls the resources of a
> computer and allocates them among its users. It lets users run their
> programs; it controls the peripheral devices (discs, terminals,
> printers and the like) connected to the machine; and it provides a
> file system that manages the long-term storage of information such
> as programs, data and documents.
>
>  In the broader sense, "UNIX" is often taken to include not only the
> kernel, but also essential programs like compilers, editors, command
> languages, programs for copying and printing files, and so on.
>
>  Still more broadly, "UNIX" may even include programs developed by
> you or other users to be run on your system, such as tools for
> document preparation, routines for statistical analysis, and
> graphics packages.
>
>  Which of these uses of the name "UNIX" is correct depends on which
> level of the system you are considering. When we use "UNIX" in the
> rest of this book, context should indicate which meaning is
> implied."
>
> It would seem that what constitutes an "Operating System" has always
> been open to interpretation.

Uh, what?  The quoted section tries defining the term "UNIX", not the
term "operating system".

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum


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