Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>
> ____/ Attila on Friday 22 May 2009 08:36 : \____
>
>> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>>
>> Applications That Make (Ubuntu) GNU/Linux a Champion?
>> Wrong!
>> Applications That Make GNU/Linux a Champion?
>> Correct!
>> "Ubuntu has got some excellent FREE applications"
>> Wrong!
>> Gnu/Linux has got some excellent FREE applications.
>> Correct!
>> I get so tired of people confusing a distro with an OS.
>> Oh well...
>> Attila
>
> Yes, I try to avoid the excessive specificity where possible (Ubuntu, GNOME,
> Linux, GNU utilities, FOSS). It deceives people. Maybe that's why many people
> just say "Linux". It does have its merits of consistency and simplicity.
>
In reality, Roy, it's not incorrect to say that Ubuntu has applications,
it certainly has. Let's consider what a distro is:
1. Installable onto at least one architecture without using other code
sources
2. Having a consistent set of kernel, libraries and applications such
that any application in the distro depends only on the distro itself and
nothing 3rd-party
3. Has a single source or repository from which the code can be
obtained
4. Has consistent and clear licensing
Reflecting on this really hard, that seems to be the minimum set,
although I can list a number of nice to haves:
5. Security updates
6. Future releases :-)
7. Development teams & hierarchies
8. Upstreaming of bug-fixes & wishes
9. All GNU GPL compliant
...
and probably some more.
Anyway, my point was, having applications *is* part of the fundamental
definition of a distribution, so it's correct to say that Ubuntu has
certain packages. It might share many of them with other distros, and
it's unlikely that most would be exclusive, but that doesn't make them
less Ubuntu packages.
--
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