What you’re refering to as Windows, is in fact, GNU/Windows, or as I’ve recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Windows. Windows is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another closed component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.

Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called “Windows”, and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.

There really is a Windows, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Windows is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine’s resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Windows is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Windows added, or GNU/Windows. All the so-called “Windows” distributions are really distributions of GNU/Windows.

  • silly goose meekah@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I hate windows as much as the next linux user but I have to admit windows has been very stable for me despite having uptimes in the months with my work laptop.

    • ForgottenUsername@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Your preaching to the wrong crowd.

      No Linux user is gonna go “perhaps your right, I should switch to windows for its stability”

      You’ve had your work laptop run well for a few months with your on off daily usage. I’m sure there’s many ppl here with various distros running for years without a single reboot.

      Personally I have one running as a mediaserver that hasn’t been offline in two years, and I’m sure that that’s young in this forum.

      • silly goose meekah@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        I don’t expect anyone to switch to windows, I’m just saying this myth about windows being unstable does not align with my experiences at all. I haven’t even seen a blue screen since windows 7. All the weird behavior I encountered was fixed by replacing hardware, and without reinstalling windows. Sure, linux might run even longer without rebooting, but saying windows can’t go past 2 days is just a gross exaggeration.

        • ForgottenUsername@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          I literally turned on my work laptop yesterday and it blue screened on boot. (Win10). Didn’t even get an uptime of 5 minutes. Its not a myth that windows is unstable (in comparison with Linux and macOS).

          And B. Take a joke, clearly my initial post is taking the piss. Windows is less stable than Linux, simply a fact. Hence the comment so people can have a laugh.