GNOME and/or systemd

The matrix reports what currently works where, but includes columns for OSes which the first document explicitly asserts that GNOME is not intended to be portable to those OSes. So nothing in that matrix is an affirmative statement.

The WhatWeRelease states "This effort focuses on a tightly-integrated desktop environment based on the GNOME Shell running on a GNU-based operating system with a Linux kernel. Above all else, our interest is to create a cohesive product. Uses of our technologies in other environments are welcome, but are considered secondary concerns."

The current controversy shows that the naive reading of that cited text is wrong. A secondary concern, but one for which use is welcome, does not get cut off absolutely by a hard Linux-specific dependency.

If the document carries any weight, then a hard Linux dependency is not allowed by the release team and they simply won't include components which have that dependency. If it doesn't carry weight, it's a meaningless sop. If it carries weight, but is open to reinterpretation which completely reverses the words, then techs in the GNOME project can never again complain about politicians and how they twist the language. :)

If that document carried the weight which, I infer, you assert it does (by your posting it) then there wouldn't be a LWN article because there wouldn't be controversy.