🚀 go-pugleaf

Robert Sanders (rsanders@mindspring.com) wrote:
: On Thu, 28 Mar 1996 12:49:51 GMT, mayhem@netcom.com (Grok the destroyer) said:

: > 	Linux isn't Unix. Unix is a brand named operating system 
: > currently owned by SCO. SCO and HP are working on its latest version.
: > Linux is a PD operating system. 

: Since you're being a pedant... Linux is not public domain.  It's
: just free.  There's a big difference.

: > But however it's only a 32 bit OS...I wish I had a Dec Alpha :)

: Why?  Do you deal with 64-bit quantities often?  Though it may seem
: far too obvious to be true, moving 64 bits when you only need 32 can
: actually slow you down.

Though this would not be true on for the DEC Alpha or UltraSPARC CPUs, I think
that's his point. There's a very significant difference in performance
between 32- and 64-bit CPUs, though for the DEC Alpha machines you're not
likely to see them operating at their true potential unless you purchase on
of the higher-end models with the better bus (faster, more bandwidth between
CPU and RAM/cache).

Quite right, Linux is not public domain, but copy-lefted (i.e., it is
copyrighted software but licensed under the terms of the GNU Public License
which expressly permits distribution of the software, source code and all,
without fee and prohibits commercial sale of the software(you can, however,
write software that runs under Linux, charge money for it, and through Linux
in for free, or charge a reasonable copying fee)).

:   -- Robert