Is Linux Unix? (KDE)

[Ted Goranson]

Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote on 5/30/04:
>Release 10, currently in beta release, comes with the GNU software
>integrated into it, to the point that CDE, the desktop manager included
>with Solaris since it's early releases, has been replaced with KDE, a
>desktop manager developed under Linux.
>
>So while the kernel is different, the differences between distributions of
>Linux and UNIX are becomming smaller and smaller.

I wonder about whether KDE or Gnome is winning the popularity race. 
At one point, it was Gnome in large part because of its selection by 
Red Hat. These days it seems to be KDE. At least the coolest programs 
appear as KDE. Is there a site that tracks and comments on this?

On the other matter, I am moving toward having both a Darwin Unix and 
a Linux on my Macs, in fact on my PC as well.

This business of differences among kernels is non-trivial I think. 
Though most people just will want something that works (devices and 
applications), there is a fundamental difference between what Apple 
has done with xnu and Linus is doing with Linux (his kernel). That 
difference (state interrupts at the microkernel level) is exploitable 
by clever programmers like those behind Quicktime Server and now 
Xsan. Ordinary kernels are simpler and faster, but I want to be at 
least ready and knowledgeable about this.

Best, Ted
-- 
Ted Goranson
Advanced Enterprise Research Office