[galkk]

Given that the kernel will/could expect to work without the programs, more or less, why it isn't Linux/GNU then.

Linux is a kernel, the rest are just a programs.

[SanderNL]

The programs do the useful work, the rest is just the kernel.

[jcelerier]

if you use WSL1 you have all of GNU and zero Linux for instance

[type0]

that's why it should have been called GSW (GNU system for Windows)

[edgyquant]

But the GNU stuff sits on top of WSL which implements(ed) Linux system calls.