this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2024
52 points (96.4% liked)
Linux
48658 readers
531 users here now
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
Rules
- Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
- No misinformation
- No NSFW content
- No hate speech, bigotry, etc
Related Communities
Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
This reminds me of the (probably apocryphal) Mozart quote where a student asked him to teach them how to write a symphony, and was told "start with something more simple and short, for one instrument". The student complained "but you have been writing symphonies since you were a child!". The reply: "yes, but I didn't have to ask how".
The application of this idea here is that for someone to know the requirements for their system to the degree that they can really be sure that the most typical suggestions are not sufficient for them, they probably have to understand how the kernel handles swap and RAM to an extent that they don't really need to ask this question.
People are very ready to assume that their system is way out of the ordinary, but it probably isn't.