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I did NOT know this! ... until now :)


Naim89
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At the risk of sounding like a very inexperienced newbie, and please forgive me if you knew this already, but...

 

Why do Windows and Linux use the SAME shell? Or at least seem to use it?

 

Open up a terminal window in linux and type "cp --help". You get instructions on how to use it, and even an E-mail address to e-mail bug information.

 

Now, in Windows, open up a command prompt. Type "cp --help". You get EXACTLY the same thing. Even the same E-mail address. Even the same "This is free software" and the "GNU" speech.

 

Am I missing something here or is something very very wrong? Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions, or maybe I'm on completely the wrong track - and if I am misguided then someone guide me in the right direction - but if I'm not ...

Edited by Naim89
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Was it a GNU email address? I'd be surprised if MS ripped off GNU when there are BSD licensed implementations available. Also, MS did license Unix from SCO, so it has distribution rights to SysV implementations, too. Not that I expect BSD and SysV implementations of cp to differ.

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Bastards! Ah well, It was expected!

 

I've been using Linux since September 2004 (as it says in my signature) and I became interested in it because I liked the way that all the programs and the kernel itself is free software (free as in having the ability to view and modify the source code). Having Windows on a computer is like having a car that cannot have its tyres changed or its windscreen replaced, and doing so would result in the car manufacturer at your tail! It's your computer, you bought it - so why can't you control it the way you want it to be?

 

In fact, I've nearly moved to linux full time - the only thing that is stopping me is the lack of gaming support in Linux - I love playing halo on Windows but it seems virtually impossible to play on Linux, even with Wine or Cedega.

 

EDIT: Yeah, it was the same one (bug-coreutils@gnu.org).

Edited by Naim89
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naim: are you sure you have a stock Windows install? If I try that on Windows XP here at my non-MDK work, I get:

 

C:\Documents and Settings\awilliamson>cp --help

'cp' is not recognized as an internal or external command,

operable program or batch file.

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C:\Documents and Settings\Default>cp --help

'cp' is not recognized as an internal or external command,

operable program or batch file.

 

C:\Documents and Settings\Default>

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