Quote:
Originally Posted by Rekna
I think it is funny that people say it is a new OS when it is really just an extension of linux....
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rekna
... it is a generic term for any OS built upon the linux kernel.
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You're telling me a lot of things I already know, and a few that I've already said.
I'm perfectly aware of the distinction between an application and the operating system it runs on. What I'm confused about is the above; in your first post you seem to be suggesting that because Chrome OS is built on the Linux kernel it is not a new OS. You then refer to it consistently as a new OS and further explain that Linux is a term for 'any OS built on the Linux kernel' (nice Wikipedia quote, by the way -- was there no better description in your text books from all your years of University?)
If Chrome is built on the Linux kernel and we define Linux as 'any operating system built on the Linux kernel' (which, as an aside, is a definiton that is somewhat contentious within the Linux community, although given your professed knowledge and love of Linux I'm sure you already know that) then it follows that Chrome is a new OS.
I guess my question here is, what's funny about that? Google's not hiding the fact that this project is built on Linux, and it fits within Google's established operating methods. Why would they build a new OS from scratch when they can start with a well-established off the shelf kernel that does what they need?
twistedmosaic: Depending on which version of OS X you're running, your Mac is using an operating system built on either the Mach kernel or the Unix kernel. Both are part of the *nix family, but neither one is Linux. Android is built on the Linux kernel and thus could be classified as a Linux distro, but saying that your phone runs Linux is akin to saying that you drive a car when asked for a make and model. The term within most daily contexts is so generic as to be essentially meaningless.