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Can GNU Ever Be Unix?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the how-much-wood-could-a-woodchuck-chuck dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The question isn't whether Linux can be certified as Unix. At least some distributions no doubt can. But who would pay for it? And is it worth the trouble? Jem Matzan asks these questions on NewsForge, and reminds us that the Open Group, not SCO, owns the Unix trademark,"

14 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. The *real* question is ... by ggvaidya · · Score: 5, Insightful

    can Unix ever be *nix?

    Seriously, for all practical purposes, GNU + Linux is setting the trend now. Ask IBM, Novell, SCO ...

  2. Why? by lphuberdeau · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is there really a good reason why would GNU be considered as UNIX officially? GNU has it's own credibility. What is UNIX anyway? Does anyone have a concrete definition of what UNIX is right now (no historical reasons, not the fact that the filesystem starts with /).

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    1. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Is there really a good reason why would GNU be considered as UNIX officially? GNU has it's own credibility. What is UNIX anyway? Does anyone have a concrete definition of what UNIX is right now (no historical reasons, not the fact that the filesystem starts with /).

      The UNIX specifications (93, 95, 98 and 03) specifically define what can be called a UNIX. Before then (each number is a year btw), I believe all you can do is combine all the generally accepted unix based systems (UNIX, BSD, AmigaOS, Xenix, etc) and accept that there was a time when there was no really accepted 'standard' and everyone just did thngs a similar way

    2. Re:Why? by k4_pacific · · Score: 5, Insightful
      The Unix trademark is allowed on anything that confroms to several standards laid out by the Open Group who owns the Unix trademark. Linux on X86 won't comply becuase some of the errno codes are incorrect, being based on Minix, which also uses incorrect values. GNU/Linux for other platforms could qualify as they are, but again, GNU/Linux seems to be evolving as its own standard which seems to be more widely supported because of the freeness and wide availability of Linux.

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  3. Would have to then be GIU/Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    GNU = GNU's Not UNIX...

    Have to change that to say GIU Is UNIX :p

    1. Re:Would have to then be GIU/Linux by aled · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, no! RMS will tell you it is GNU/Unix.
      Wait... GNU/Unix=GNU is Not Unix/Unix=(GNU is not Unix) is not Unix/Unix... Stack Overflow/Divide Error... my... head... hurts...

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    2. Re:Would have to then be GIU/Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      It is very simple:
      GNU/Unix = Gnu is Now Unix / Unix (using the new expansion of GNU)
      Unix/Unix = 1
      => GNU/Unix -> Gnu is Now.
      Takeover of the world accomplished!

    3. Re:Would have to then be GIU/Linux by xSquaredAdmin · · Score: 5, Funny

      Or...

      GNU/Unix
      = (GNU is not Unix)/Unix
      = GNU is not

      Thus, we can see that if GNU became Unix, GNU would not be. :p

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  4. Who cares? by Fished · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Who cares if Linux is Unix at this point? We are rapidly approaching the point at which UNIX is a Linux-like operating system rather than Linux being a UNIX-like operating system. I'm more or less convinced that proprietary UNIX is dead as a major force in the market. Moving forward, Linux will be setting the agenda and proprietary UNIX will be playing catch up.

    This is particularly evident when you notice that the major improvements in some recent version of Solaris (8 & 9, but not 10 apparently) is to add more open source software and stability improvements.

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  5. Re:Can GNU ever be UNIX? by JeremyR · · Score: 5, Funny

    I suppose that if a certification were awarded, the acronym could be changed to "GNU's Now Unix." :-)

  6. Boy -- talk about your pointless questions... by YankeeInExile · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think it is almost certain that some distro of Linux could easily pass OG's test suite. It is also almost a certainty that FSF/GNU would never opt for it on religious grounds.

    The rest of the thread is now available for stupid /. jokes.

    In Soviet Russia, The Open Group petitions GNU for certification.

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  7. Definition of UNIX: The Open Brand by tepples · · Score: 5, Informative

    UNIX® describes any operating system sold under a brand licensing agreement with the Open Group. This requires the product to pass a checklist that includes certification to the Single UNIX Specification (free reg. req.) on a given set of supported hardware, based in part on product testing, and payment of brand fees pursuant to the Trademark Licensing Agreement (PDF). Often these brand fees are high enough to shut out publishers of low-volume operating system products.

  8. All your Linux Standard Base... by tepples · · Score: 5, Interesting

    GNU/Linux seems to be evolving as its own standard

    And this standard is called LSB.

  9. When GNU = Unix? by .+visplek+. · · Score: 5, Funny

    When GNU is Unix, LAME must be an MP3 encoder and WINE must be an emulator.

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