GNU C library 2.16 released [LWN.net]

GNU C library 2.16 released

Posted Jul 1, 2012 16:11 UTC (Sun) by scientes (guest, #83068)
Parent article: GNU C library 2.16 released

> "and most systems with the Linux kernel. "

Like the line I pointed out in the GTK+ release, this one also seems like it should be dropped. While glibc remains the best C library out there, there *are* a great number of Linux kernel devices running android, that are *not* using it.

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GNU C library 2.16 released

Posted Jul 1, 2012 18:16 UTC (Sun) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link]

And don't forget routers with uClibc-based firmware! It's hard to say how many of them out there, but this number is probably larger then number of GLibC-based systems (but probably smaller then number of Android-based systems).

GNU C library 2.16 released

Posted Jul 2, 2012 17:19 UTC (Mon) by drag (subscriber, #31333) [Link]

If you define 'most' by 'what C library is used by the largest number of computers running Linux', which would be the common use of the term.

It may not be true anymore.

The best guess for numbers of Android devices out there is by people activating their Google Apps (which is separate from Android OS proper) with Google. Which is about 1,000,000 per day.

Then there are any number of embedded devices using Android. Previously Linux + Java was the premier embedded development stack for embedded development with Linux, but I am sure that has already been eclipsed by people moving to Android, since it's very similar and you don't have to deal with the crap Oracle inflicts on java customers.

Traditionally speaking embedded use of computers have always dwarfed the use of computers in the enterprise or at home.

So it's a tough call to make.

I expect, not counting Linux embedded, that Android sales within a week outstrip the total number of Linux desktop/workstation users currently in existence. And within a month or two the new users of Android outstrip Linux usage in enterprise servers. Maybe. Just guestimating.

But all in all it is clear that running away from GNU politics and completely abandoning all pretense of using the traditional Linux distribution model was a HUGE win for Google and all Android developers in a very practical manner.

And before we get all equivocating about what is 'Linux' and how Android isn't really 'Linux', keep in mind that the GNU folks have always maintained a strict definition of Linux as a 'kernel'. A kernel that Android certainly uses.