this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2024
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Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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The codenames for every major Debian release are named after characters from Pixar's Toy Story franchise. Debian's unstable release is fittingly named after Sid, an unstable character from the Toy Story movies.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 months ago (2 children)

GNU

Which stands for 'GNU is not Unix'. Also 'less' (which is more). Pine is(was) Program for Internet News and Email and the FOSS fork is 'Alpine' or 'Alternatively Licensed Program for Internet News and Email'. And there's a ton more of wordplays and other more or less fun stuff on how/why things are named like they are.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

WINE Is Not an Emulator

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Pine also competed with "elm". And it used the "pico" editor which was replaced by "nano"...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

And pico is short from 'Pine Composer'. Nano was originally called 'tip' (This Is not Pico), but that name was already used by another program. And 'elm' besides being a tree is a short from 'Electronic Mail'.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Developers love nothing more than a pun. 🙂

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

I think that's just their code...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Developers love nothing more than a pun. 🙂