Re: about the GNU promise

[Kaz Kylheku (gnu-misc-discuss)]

On 2020-02-03 07:28, Benno Schulenberg wrote:
> The second sentence says: "The GNU Project provides a software 
> system..."
> The word "system" is both too vague and too all-encompassing; it sounds 
> as

It's just missing "operating" in front of it.

> if it wants to be a single, massive block of software.  I would say 
> that
> the GNU project "provides software packages...".  The second section 
> then
> nicely elaborates a bit on this.

The GNU project's goal is in fact to provide a complete operating 
system;
that's been that way from the beginning.

If the GNU project provides some ad hoc "packages", that implies that
there is some non-GNU system where they have to be installed to be used.

Perhaps a non-free system (where GNU packages can be used due to the GPL
exception for system libraries).

See where that is going?

> The third section begins: "Free software extends beyond the GNU 
> Project..."
> Huh?  Vague.  Does this want to say that there is also free software 
> that
> is not part of the GNU project?  If yes, then say so.  It continues: 
> "which
> works with companion free software projects that develop key components 
> of
> the GNU System".  Oof...  Who are those "companion free software 
> projects"?

This is basically just taking a mile-wide detour around saying "Linux". 
:)

The kernel is a key component of the GNU system, an the most popular 
kernel
that everyone is using with GNU stuff on it is not part of the GNU 
project.

Another example: the X Window system.

Another: Apache.

> How can such projects "that develop key components of the GNU System" 
> not
> be part of the GNU project itself?

Lift up a corner of your glibc, and look underneath.

> And then: "The GNU Project aims to extend the reach of free software to
> new fields."  Huh?  What new "fields"?  Again: what is the promise 
> here?
> Is it that we intend to assimilate everything?

Machine learning, social networking, crytptocurrency, bioinformatics, 
...