Bonum Certa Men Certa

Losing Sight of GNU? Then Linux Might Be Next...

The brave new world... They called it Linuxworld



Summary: Don't underestimate the attempts to make GNU unnamed and forgotten (many who are misled by the media nowadays call it "Linux"); the next wave of attacks will seek to rebrand "Linux" for monopolies ("clown computing", "systemd", "WSL" and so on)

A LOT of people argued that it was "no big deal" GNU was being called "Linux" and RMS being canceled, demonised, treated as some radical "has been"...



Remember when people spoke about "Free software" and "Open Source" was just some military/intelligence thing? Yes, military. Seems apt; Red Hat's top man claimed to have adopted that term 4 years before it was coined for software.

"Remember when people spoke about "Free software" and "Open Source" was just some military/intelligence thing?"But what many people realised in 2018 is that Linux Foundation types were also replacing Linux with Microsoft (or GitHub) and Linus with Microsoft employees. It's still happening; it's work in progress, so to speak...

We, however, haven't been ignoring it or downplaying it (let alone justifying these regressive changes). Maybe we just write about the "LINUX" aspect somewhat belatedly, seeing how rapidly the coup advanced over the past few months. It's alarmingly fast.

Linus and Richard (RMS) may not be realising just to what degree their problems are shared (as in sharing). There's clearly an attempt to create leadership vacuums, possibly to fill up those newly-created gaps with more Zemlins, replacing "LINUX" with "GAFAM" and telling us that "Open Source" is also an old thing and now we have "Clown Computing" (no source available, it's also permissively licensed, i.e. free labour for proprietary software and surveillance).

"Linus and Richard (RMS) may not be realising just to what degree their problems are shared (as in sharing)."We urge backers of Torvalds' pragmatism to understand (maybe not immediately, maybe overnight or over longer periods of time) that the patterns we see used -- strategically and media-wise -- repeat themselves in GNU and in Linux. They call our leaders "Rude" and "Sexist" and then, if they fail to 'domesticate' (i.e. silence) those leaders, they impose a replacement. One that suits them better...

They just need time and perseverance. Financially they're well equipped and they have the media in their back pockets.

My personal belief has long been that Zemlin was classic and somewhat of a "useful idiot"; knowing that he's barely qualified for the job (his accomplishments are few to none), he'd do anything to keep his position and it's also possible to exploit his technical ignorance to manipulate him. "Open Source loves Microsoft," he said (when people assessed the GitHub takeover). Years prior he compared Microsoft critics to people who kick puppies.

"Remember Yahoo, Nokia and Novell? Yes, Microsoft "loved" those too..."Zemlin isn't the problem (if he went away, another 'Zemlin' would replace him); the problem is his type and his role. He doesn't even use GNU/Linux, so obviously he'd see no problem outsourcing everything to a Microsoft monopoly (GitHub) and promoting Microsoft employees in the Board, the management team, even top kernel roles.

Those who think we're exaggerating... just wait and watch. "Microsoft loves Linux," they say...

Remember Yahoo, Nokia and Novell? Yes, Microsoft "loved" those too...

"We need to slaughter Novell before they get stronger….If you’re going to kill someone, there isn’t much reason to get all worked up about it and angry. You just pull the trigger. Any discussions beforehand are a waste of time. We need to smile at Novell while we pull the trigger."

--Jim Allchin, Microsoft's Platform Group Vice President

Recent Techrights' Posts

Walmart Vizio TVs Scream At Immigrants to Leave America
Reprinted with permission from Ryan Farmer
How Corporations Such as Microsoft Try to Crush Critics and Dissolve Activism
Stay focused
Wikipedia Can Lower Its Hosting Bill by Going More Static, Not Just by Caching, But It Would Not Solve Its Biggest Problems (Bribes and AstroTurfing)
For about 15 years we had a Wiki in this site
Urgent Need for SLAPP Litigation Transparency
Microsofters really want to shut us up
On Shutdowns and 2,000 More Layoffs at Microsoft (10,000 Microsoft Staff May Have Already Been Laid Off in 2025)
Microsoft tries to hide and belittle mass layoffs; its data centre business also flounders, so it issues puff pieces about some anniversary over and over again
Open Source Initiative (OSI) Privacy Fiasco in Detail: A "Deep Dive" Into the Complaint at the California Privacy Protection Agency
There are many facets to it and it may be the first complaint of several
Microsoft Problems in Europe Even Before the Cheeto Tariffs
The case of Romania, Europe's notorious Microsoft fan
Oman in 2025: GNU/Linux Growing to 5%
what can Microsoft do about it except sabotage the PCs?
Microsoft Shares Collapse Again (Down $101), Fifth Round of Microsoft Mass Layoffs in Less Than 100 Days in 2025
disaster
 
Links 08/04/2025: Microsoft Shrinking, Oracle's Clown Computing Cracked
Links for the day
Stolen Credit Card and LinkedIn. DHS Spies on Immigrant Social Media.
Reprinted with permission from Ryan Farmer
At 50, Microsoft Has Over 100 Billion Dollars in Debt and Less Than 25% "Market Share" (Windows)
statCounter basically sees less than a quarter of Web requests coming from Windows
linuxhint.com Died 12 Months Ago (After Adopting Image Slop)
Zombie sites
LLM Slop Will Eventually Stop Due to High Costs, Worse Training Sets (Polluted Models Ingesting Their Own Junk), and No Real Returns
This too shall pass
Courage is Contagious
I became a witness to acts of great courage from EPO examiners
Gemini Links 08/04/2025: Gabbro 0.1.4 and Disillusioned With Social Control Media
Links for the day
Microsoft Windows in Jordan: From 99% Down to 10%
This is becoming more "normal"
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, April 07, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, April 07, 2025
Gemini Links 07/04/2025: Stock Market, Galène, and DMT Entities
Links for the day
During the Weekend We Said Fedora DEI Requires Proprietary Software, Now the Chat About It Is No Longer Accessible Over the Open Web
is this just a coincidence and an habitual change in Element?
Links 07/04/2025: US Measles Fatalities and China Launches HDMI and DisplayPort Alternative
Links for the day
Links 07/04/2025: More Cuts to Science Funding, Snail-speed Internet in Germany
Links for the day
Gemini Links 07/04/2025: Leasehold and Safe Gifts
Links for the day
In Some Countries, Laptops and Desktops Become a Dying Breed (Even Before Tariffs), Windows Has Nowhere to Go
expect more GNU/Linux on new and existing laptops
When the Credibility or 'Quality' of Clients Ceases to Matter, It's About Helping Rich Companies Like Microsoft Censor Critics (No Matter the Risks)
Bad ideas typically result in undesirable outcomes
UAE: GNU/Linux and Android at Record Levels, Windows at New Lows and Falling Below Apple
Even iOS is measured as bigger than Windows this month
Links 07/04/2025: Reddit Occupied (Social Control Media Controlled by Oligarchy), Demise of Globalisation Ongoing
Links for the day
Windows Has Fallen to All-Time Lows in Switzerland Since GNU Celebrated 40th Anniversary (GNU’s 40th Birthday in Biel, Switzerland)
GNU/Linux has been doing well in Switzerland
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, April 06, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, April 06, 2025
Links 07/04/2025: Leaving Gemini/smolweb and Mastodon Migrations
Links for the day
In Iraq, Windows 3.1 (Percent)
There's also zero
One Person's Take on Jef Spaleta, the New Fedora Project Leader
"With a little searching, I wonder what else may be found regarding Microsoft."
Links 06/04/2025: Flood, Cool Gemini Capsule, and Long Form
Links for the day
Links 06/04/2025: Science, Politics, and Pricier Goods
Links for the day
LLM Slop Has Virtually Killed unixmen.com and Many Other Sites
There's no longer any incentive to write real articles in there
Sharp Declines for Microsoft Windows in Bangladesh (Pop. ~175,000,000), Big Gains for GNU/Linux
Microsoft Windows has been having a really hard time in poor countries
Links 06/04/2025: Fake Reviews, Privatisation Heists, and "AI" as Smokescreen for Impoverishing Humans
Links for the day
Taking a Moral Stand Against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and the Worst Offenders/Facilitators
Any other stance would sidle with moral depravity or moral hazard
Links 06/04/2025: Many New Acts of Repression and Elements of Financial Depression
Links for the day
In Qatar GNU/Linux Rose From Under 1% to Over 4% in Two Years (or Over 5% If Counting ChromeOS)
It's a big improvement compared to what we saw last year
LLM Scrapers Are a Nuisance, But They're Also a Reminder It's Time to Make Your Site Static
Perhaps the best protection is the ability to endure surges
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, April 05, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, April 05, 2025
Links 06/04/2025: Attacks on Education, Fake Patents, and Fake (Illegal) Patent Courts
Links for the day
France: Apple and Microsoft Down, GNU/Linux Up to New Record Levels
How will tariffs against France impact things in the coming months?