[kragen]

did they implement the linux system call interface or come up with their own? how linux-compatible is it? it must be pretty complete if it can run firefox

[nolist_policy]

> We're creating Serpent OS, an independent Linux distribution built from the ground up to look after itself.

[kragen]

where did you get that text? the page linked doesn't say "linux" anywhere

[1oooqooq]

...there's an "about" link at the top...

[yjftsjthsd-h]

I'm pretty sure it is a Linux distro, if slightly unusual userspace.

[kragen]

why are they calling it an os then? cosplaying arnold kling?

[akovaski]

Its fairly common to refer to Linux distros as an OS, or even include OS in the distro name (Pop!_OS, NixOS, CentOS). Linux is the kernel, and disros add stuff to make a functional operating system.

[randkyp]

It's a trademark thing; there are some prerequisites and manual approval involved before you get to officially name your distro "[Distro Name] Linux".

https://www.linuxfoundation.org/legal/the-linux-mark

[kragen]

that's not much of an excuse for pretending to have written an os; the only real requirement in https://www.linuxfoundation.org/legal/sublicense-agreement is that you acknowledge that linus torvalds owns the linux trademark

[gertop]

ChromeOS

SteamOS

PopOS

ElementaryOS

EndeavourOS

ZorinOS

CentOS

SerpentOS

Cosplayers, all of them!

[written-beyond]

MacOS

[dpassens]

MacOS is not a Linux distribution, though.

[Vinnl]

Well why are they calling it an OS then!

[kragen]

macos is an actual operating system, a variant of mach

[nequo]

It is true that macOS is a bad example here because it is not using a Linux kernel.

But Apple also names operating systems that use the same kernel different "OSes": iOS and iPadOS share a kernel with macOS, and for all I can tell, so do watchOS and tvOS.

An operating system consists of both a kernel and a userland. The Linux kernel by itself does not make an OS. I think this makes it legitimate to call CentOS, NixOS, SerpentOS, iOS, watchOS, etc., OSes.

[written-beyond]

Without being too pedantic, MacOS was to Unix what ChromeOS/AndroidOS is to Linux so I stand by my comment.

[HeckFeck]

I'd like to interject for a moment...

[exe34]

I love that you don't even need to write the rest of the comment! I bet even LLMs know where you were going :-)