Is Linux an OS, a kernel or both? (Linux vs GNU/Linux)

Gary explains ... Linus Torvalds vs. Richard Stallman.

"I use Linux as my operating system," I state proudly to the unkempt, bearded man. He swivels around in his desk chair with a devilish gleam in his eyes, ready to mansplain with extreme precision. "Actually", he says with a grin, "Linux is just the kernel. You use GNU+Linux!' I don't miss a beat and reply with a smirk, "I use Alpine, a distro that doesn't include the GNU coreutils, or any other GNU code. It's Linux, but it's not GNU+Linux." The smile quickly drops from the man's face. His body begins convulsing and he foams at the mouth and drops to the floor with a sickly thud. As he writhes around he screams "I-IT WAS COMPILED WITH GCC! THAT MEANS IT'S STILL GNU!" Coolly, I reply "If windows was compiled with gcc, would that make it GNU?" I interrupt his response with "-and work is being made on the kernel to make it more compiler-agnostic. Even you were correct, you wont be for long." With a sickly wheeze, the last of the man's life is ejected from his body. He lies on the floor, cold and limp. I've womansplained him to death.

Great explanation sir. If I remember correctly, the GNU Project wanted to make a whole OS, they just hadn't written the kernel and were using Linux as a stop-gap measure. I don't think they can get out of that now.

Linux kernel (no disputes), Linux OS (may or may not contain GNU tools, and mostly for appliances), Linux distribution (user focussed, and probably contains GNU tools, but not necessarily). Of course, just using Linux as a catchall should be OK to most people outside of the zealots.

I'm going to go Linux for a while, then I might Linux some more tomorrow

You have the unique ability to explain complicated subjects in detail without becoming boring or mundane, a true gift. Thank you!

I just download the Linux Kernel and talk to it. IT WISPERS BACK

I like how Gary made it clear and simple ! Great video 😉

Thanks Gary .. i am tired of explaining it to the people... Now i can refer them to this video

Always enjoying your videos ! I would really want to watch more videos like this one, which explain things that are common knowledge to the professionals but not well known to the normal, uninitiated folks ! Its enjoyable because your videos are easy to understand even to regular people. Don't mind being too much specifically being correct with the language or technicals with your explanations. People like me want to hear explanations that are easy to understand which is right in general. I think you're channel is great in a way similar to the 8-bit guy or the Techquikie channel but in a slightly different area. Keep up with the great videos !

English is evolving, from my experience with learned students of English, I'm confident that your English professor will love to hear of your googling adventures. Linux is used often enough to have acquired several meanings other than just the kernel. I was happy enough using Red Hat Linux, Debian GNU/Linux, though I wonder whether Debian GNU/Apache/OpenSSH/OpenLDAP might not better reflect what's in a release.

Gary! I LOVE THIS VIDEO! What about the GNU tools now available in Windows 10? Why don't we see the FSF pushing an agenda to start calling it GNU/Windows?

Great video! It would be great to dive a little bit deeper in this one. For example what elements of a Distro are part of kernel and what not. Also the different layers of a Linux distribution/flavor.

Another great video Gary, Thanks. for the book recommendation as well thanks again.

I'm really liking your videos :)

Thanks for the clarity, Mr. Sims. I am grateful for the GNU Foundations contributions to the Linux Community. But I agree, that they shouldn't obsess over nor claim ownership of Linux. Linus Torvalds wants to share this great creative space with everybody. And I am also grateful for that.

really good! great explanation Gary! Cheers!!

Alpine Linux can use "uClibc" (so can BusyBox), but it is built by default against "Musl" and so is BusyBox - It was the Alpine distribution that pushed "musl" development, in part because "uclibc" only produces static binaries (all-in-one), as opposed to dynamically linked binaries (at run time)

Nice one Sir!

It takes a pretty good teacher to get stuff like this through my thick skull, but somehow you managed to get it done and it cleared up a lot of confusion I've had every time I mess with a Raspi. Thanks...