Re: uname -s

[Thomas Bushnell, BSG]

Robert Millan <zeratul2@wanadoo.es> writes:

> On Thu, Oct 24, 2002 at 11:05:56AM -0700, Thomas Bushnell, BSG wrote:
> > Robert Millan <zeratul2@wanadoo.es> writes:
> > 
> > > According to documentation of BSD Unix [1], the uname command appeared
> > > in 4.4BSD distribution, and the -s option is suposed to:
> > 
> > Oy, it gets even more confusing.  BSD has always used the term
> > "operating system" to refer to the kernel.  
> 
> heh, then i wonder how did they call the OS. anyway if the docs say
> operating system IMHO this is what we're suposed to print ("do what i say
> not what i do" ;))

They called it the "distribution", as in the "Berkeley Software
Distribution".  Isn't this fun! :)

> > In any case, the output of a GNU/Hurd system on uname should match
> > other GNU systems, and I don't see it as a particularly Hurd-specific
> > issue.
> 
> there's an important difference. "GNU/Hurd" is a more specific way
> to refer to _the_ GNU system, while other GNU systems like GNU/Linux
> are _variants_ of the GNU system.

Sure, but I think practical consistency is important.  I'm happy to
change the thing they way suggested here, but only if it's a change
more general than just us.  Otherwise, we only spread confusion.