GGPL

[CodeRoot]

Well... (imagine it the way Ronald Reagan was famously known for saying it )

I do believe I understand what a thing is getting at...

If you will take a good look around, you will notice that the phrase "General Public License" is (unfortunately) being used in association with [other than FSF/GNU] contexts - particularly with new "GPL" licenses being created - some are related to the FSF/GNU GPL and some are not. It is becoming more "generic"... (sigh) This means that, in time, it will become "diluted" to the point that it will no longer be accepted for the specific definition for which it was originally created... (sigh)

The official name is "GNU General Public License" - which is sometimes shortened to "GNU GPL"...

Therefore, I would suggest that it should be called either "GPL" or "GNU GPL" - and left to each individual to decide. But, understand, "GPL" may or may not be received with the specific interpretation you intended (especially outside of FSF/GNU/Linux forums) - whereas, "GNU GPL" pretty well says it...

[jaboua]

note that in no way do you need to use ANY GNU software to have a complete Linux distro

do you have an example of this ever being done?

Not which I know about, but if you put together freebsd userland, linux kernel, some non-gnu compiler, with some patching to make them work together, and voila you have a working non-gnu distro.

[Cabhan]

But, understand, "GPL" may or may not be received with the specific interpretation you intended (especially outside of FSF/GNU/Linux forums) - whereas, "GNU GPL" pretty well says it...

I must disagree. Those who know what the GPL is will go "Hey! The GPL! That's GNU's thing!" Those who don't know what the GPL is will go "GNU? What the hell's that?"

My point, again, is that anyone who knows what the GNU is will already know "GNU played a part in Linux" or "The GPL was written by GNU", and those who don't know this still won't.

I am happy that GNU played its role in getting my OS to exist. I am happy that I have a C Compiler and Library that allow me to work, and that these are free.

And yet, I can remember this without having "GNU" thrown at me everywhere I turn.

[techieMoe]

Basically, those who care already know. Those who don't care still won't, no matter how many times it's thrown at them.

That about sums up my opinion as well. I kind of get the impression (perhaps mistaken, but it's there) that some people involved with the GNU (Stallman in particular) almost resent Linux because it's taken attention away from their pet project. I wonder what will happen if and when the GNU Hurd Kernel ever gets to a point where it's useful?

Please note, I said SOME folks in the GNU, and the IMPRESSION, I'm not stating irrefutable facts, just a feeling I get. At any rate, I see tacking GNU in front of everything as redundant. As Cabhan said, those you care already know, and you're just going to annoy those that don't. We need to do a lot less annoying if we want the world to take free software as a whole (both GNU and Linux) more seriously. Just my two cents.

[Vergil83]

I kind of get the impression (perhaps mistaken, but it's there) that some people involved with the GNU (Stallman in particular) almost resent Linux because it's taken attention away from their pet project.

I would agree somewhat because that is a very understandable human reaction. Think of something you spent over 10 years working on, you are on the last step and someone else crosses the line in front of you.

For example, think of a hard math problem (or computer programing problem if you will ) that you work and work on. You are so close, you know that with just a little bit more time you will have it. Then someone gives you the answer. Yes you are happy it is done, but you are disappointed you didn't solve it.

Those who know what the GPL is will go "Hey! The GPL! That's GNU's thing!" Those who don't know what the GPL is will go "GNU? What the hell's that?"

That is the point. Not everyone who agrees with the ideas of GNU know what it is yet! Seeing that GNU thing should make people say "GNU what the hell is that?.... I think I will google it and see what it is about. "

I am a case in point. When I first started to use GNU/Linux all those years ago, I had no idea what GNU was. If you would have asked me I would have said "what the animal?".

What I knew about the OS was the "Finish college student, Linus, open source, better software" version of the history and philosophy. It was not until I installed Slackware and started to learn more about GNU/Linux did I start to ask "What is the more detailed history of this OS?" and "What the hell is this GNU thing I keep seeing in front of all these programs?".

The biggest problem I see is not "putting GNU in front of everything", but how GNU is treated. I can't tell you the number of times that GNU is cited like a historical footnote. "Before Linux there was this thing called GNU and it helped Linux create his kernel" . You would think GNU stopped existing in 1993 and everyone joined the Linux team. GNU still exists and is very important at the present.