Re: [Savannah-hackers] Re: Help wanted (sysadmin work)

[Yaroslav Klyukin]

Sylvain Beucler wrote:

> eg:
> $ grep --version
> grep (GNU grep) 2.5.1
>
> It is not always perfectly clear. CVS is part of the GNU project, but  
> it is not perfectly clear, and not mentioned in the cederqvist.

For instance,

who (sh-utils) 2.0.12
Written by Joseph Arceneaux, David MacKenzie, and Michael Stone.

Copyright (C) 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.


It says Free Software Foundation, but it does not say GNU,
so it's not GNU software, right?

> Also, nothing counts as more than 50% of the OS.
> But I guess GNU represents the principal contributors of the core of  
> the OS, if not of the whole OS (glibc, gcc, grub, Posix commands, etc).

All of that is available in FreeBSD.

> Anyway, the Linux kernel certainly is not the principal contribution in  
> the OS.

It is arguable, but it's not the point.
You just mentioned that nothing counts more than 50%.
Another possibility - is to measure the amount of time a typical user 
(not a tech savvy) uses the software. It's a vague method, as almost 
everybody uses the OS differently, but for the most part I would say
users who just installed it use GUI, which is XWindows system + Windows 
manager. Most used Windows managers that I know of are KDE, GNOME, 
Window Maker and others. Only GNOME is a GNU project. Everything else - 
is not.

BTW all window managers and XWindows system are available in FreeBSD.

> Last, GNU is the only project whose aim is to make a complete operating  
> system. It is also the only project whose aim is to make a completely  
> free operating system, and thus its goals need to be heard.

I agree that goals need to be heard, but I still don't understand the 
methods (renaming a historic name to another one).
It's just I grew up in a country that used to be reigned by czars, then 
communists, and now they call themselves democrats. Each time authority 
changed, cities and streets were renamed, monuments were distroyed. I 
don't believe it's the right way to go. I think that in order to 
progress, things need to be created, not changed.

In order to promote the GNU project, there should be better 
advertisement and propoganda. Most of the communities create their own 
forums, and mailing lists for better communication, which can also 
promote the project and involve more members into it.

DISCLAIMER:
I don't guarantee that I am 100% right in any statements that I make.