Instead of saying that I use Linux, I should be saying that I use GNU/Linux. The following four sentences, copied from the GNU Operating System web site (http://www.gnu.org/), might help to explain why:
GNU is a Unix-like operating system. The name “GNU” is a recursive acronym for “GNU's Not Unix.” GNU is typically used with a kernel called Linux. This combination is the GNU/Linux operating system.
"Linux" is easier to say. I've always figured that referring to "GNU/Linux" as "Linux" was no big deal; the latter is kind of like shorthand for the former. But think it's important to call it what it is. Going forward, I'll certainly try to use "GNU/Linux" when I'm writing about the operating system (I'll probably continue to say "Linux" most of the time when I'm communicating verbally).
For more on this topic, see the "GNU/Linux FAQ by Richard Stallman" page: http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html
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