this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2024
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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They've been separate desktop environments from the start. From top to bottom they share nearly nothing. The compositors, window managers, toolkits and shells are all different.
They also are ideologically opposed. If they merged, which direction would they go? The more feature-rich KDE? Or the more streamlined Gnome? Such a merger would lead to infighting and stagnation.
This is before even talking about the actual code underlying both environments.
I think it's better for everyone if they stay as two separate projects.