[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.

[ChocolateGod]

> iOS and iPadOS share a kernel with macOS, and for all I can tell, so do watchOS and tvOS.

Even worse is that iPadOS and iOS are effectively the same operating system, one ships with a phone dialer and the other ships with UI tweaks for tablets. I would not be shocked if they are built from the same source tree.

[kragen]

i think the ios and centos people are putting on airs because they wish they were ken thompson