Names for GNU/Linux that bother you

[diligentcircle]

Last poll, I promise. This time, I want to ask about names for GNU/Linux that bother you, i.e. names you definitely don't want people using to refer to the GNU/Linux system.

The options listed in the first question are:

• "GNU/Linux": Expresses that the system is a combination of the GNU operating system and Linux. Has been misinterpreted by many people (including Linus Torvalds himself) as claiming that GNU "made Linux", perhaps because its most natural pronunciation sounds the same as "GNU Linux".
• "GNU+Linux": Expresses the same thing as "GNU/Linux", but written a different way.
• "Linux/GNU": Expresses the same basic idea as "GNU/Linux", but mentions "Linux" first, perhaps suggesting that Linux is more important than GNU. Also can't easily be misinterpreted the way "GNU/Linux" commonly is, because while many people incorrectly assume that "GNU" is an organization, it is common knowledge that Linux is some sort of software.
• "Linux+GNU": Expresses the same thing as "Linux/GNU", but written a different way.
• "Linux GNU": Expresses that the system is "the Linux variant of GNU", i.e. the GNU system but with Linux as the kernel.
• "LiGNUx": A suggestion made by the FSF in the 1990s which was ultimately rejected. It combines "GNU" and "Linux" into one word.
• "GNU": Omits mention of Linux entirely, suggesting that it is unimportant.
• "Linux": Omits mention of GNU entirely, suggesting that it is unimportant. Currently the most popular name for the system, but rejected by the Free Software Foundation.

The options listed in the second question are:

• "g'noo lin-uks (GNU/Linux)": The most common way people say "GNU/Linux" as well as the most natural way to say it. Unfortunately, it can easily be misheard as "GNU Linux".
• "g'noo slash lin-uks (GNU slash Linux)": Suggested by the FSF to remove the possibility of "GNU/Linux" being misheard as "GNU Linux".
• "g'noo plus lin-uks (GNU+Linux)": An alternative to pronouncing the slash in "GNU/Linux".
• "lin-uks g'noo (Linux/GNU or Linux GNU)": The most natural way to say "Linux/GNU". If it is misheard as "Linux GNU", it wouldn't be as bad as "GNU/Linux" being misheard as "GNU Linux".
• "lin-uks plus g'noo" (Linux+GNU): An alternative to "Linux/GNU" which makes the connection between Linux and GNU unambiguous.
• "g'noo with lin-uks" (GNU with Linux): An alternative to pronouncing the slash in "GNU/Linux".
• "g'noo and lin-uks" (GNU and Linux): An alternative to pronouncing the slash in "GNU/Linux".
• "lin-uks with g'noo" (Linux with GNU): An alternative to "Linux+GNU".
• "lin-uks and g'noo" (Linux with GNU): An alternative to "Linux/GNU".
• "lig-nuks" (LiGNUx): The easiest unambiguous way to say "LiGNUx".
• "g'noo" (GNU)
• "lin-uks" (Linux)

For the second question, I only list correct pronunciations of GNU and Linux. In particular, these are not listed on purpose:

• Anything that says "GNU" as "jee en yoo".
• Anything that says "GNU" as "noo" (without the hard "G").
• Anything that says "Linux" as "lie-nux".
• Anything that says "Linux" as "lee-nux".

 

[_wb_]

In English, I usually pronounce "GNU" as one word, but I also sometimes spell it like you would do with an acronym. That is not incorrect, since GNU is an acronym.

I pronounce "Linux" as "lin-ucks".

In Dutch, I pronounce GNU only as an acronym, and I pronounce "Linux" as "Lee-nuhcks".

 

[ZXDunny]

In English, I usually pronounce "GNU" as one word, but I also sometimes spell it like you would do with an acronym. That is not incorrect, since GNU is an acronym.

I pronounce "Linux" as "lin-ucks".

In Dutch, I pronounce GNU only as an acronym, and I pronounce "Linux" as "Lee-nuhcks".

 

[diligentcircle]

10 votes so far. I've made a spreadsheet in LibreOffice Calc extrapolating acceptance of each term and some graphs showing that:

http://www.datafilehost.com/d/3076b3d5

The graphs as images:

 

[diligentcircle]

13 votes now:

http://www.datafilehost.com/d/a2669e0e

 

[Ziz]

Am I the only one pronouncing Linux Li-nucks? So, that the n goes to the second syllable?

 

[ekianjo]

Am I the only one pronouncing Linux Li-nucks? So, that the n goes to the second syllable?

I think it would sound the same.

 

[diligentcircle]

"lin-uks" is how I chose to render /ˈlɪnəks/. That's how I'm reading "Li-nuks", too. Linus Torvalds said in an interview at one point that he doesn't care how people say "Linus", but "Linux is always /ˈlɪnəks/".

 

[ZXDunny]

"lin-uks" is how I chose to render /ˈlɪnəks/. That's how I'm reading "Li-nuks", too. Linus Torvalds said in an interview at one point that he doesn't care how people say "Linus", but "Linux is always /ˈlɪnəks/".

Yes, but that doesn't stop it sounding retarded - so people will quite rightly ignore what he said and pronounce it properly.

D.

 

[Rockthesmurf]

"lin-uks" is how I chose to render /ˈlɪnəks/. That's how I'm reading "Li-nuks", too. Linus Torvalds said in an interview at one point that he doesn't care how people say "Linus", but "Linux is always /ˈlɪnəks/".

Yes, but that doesn't stop it sounding retarded - so people will quite rightly ignore what he said and pronounce it properly.


D.

This made me chuckle.

 

[Ziz]

Am I the only one pronouncing Linux Li-nucks? So, that the n goes to the second syllable?

I think it would sound the same.

Does Ca-cao and Cac-ao sound the same for you?

 

[PowerGod]

LOL :lol:

 

[levi]

Linus Torvalds is not a character in Peanuts. I say Linux like I say his name, but with an X on the end.