From: bowman@montana.com   
      
   On Mon, 2 Feb 2026 20:50:44 -0500, c186282 wrote:   
      
   > On 2/2/26 09:50, Rich wrote:   
   >> Steve Hayes  wrote:   
   >>> On Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:42:08 +0000, Richard Kettlewell   
   >>>  wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>> Steve Hayes  writes:   
   >>>>> The Natural Philosopher  wrote:   
   >>>>>> On 19/01/2026 04:10, c186282 wrote:   
   >>>>>>> I know some here HATE Python ... but it really IS almost   
   >>>>>>> infinitely useful these days. The look and feel is sort of BASIC,   
   >>>>>>> sort of FORTRAN, sort of Pascal++.   
   >>>>>>> It Just Works.   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> I've not used any of those languages in decades, either.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> I've played with Python, BASIC and Pascal.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> The thing I don't understand about Python is why it is so popular   
   >>>>> when it is an interpreted rather than a compiled language, so it   
   >>>>> can't produce stand-alone programs.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> That’s debatable, but either way, most people don’t care about that   
   >>>> enough to impact language choice.   
   >>>   
   >>> So do all versions of Linux come with a built-in Python interpreter?   
   >>   
   >> No version of Linux includes any built-in languages (unless you   
   >> consider the fancy bpf code a "language").  "Linux" is just the kernel,   
   >> nothing more.   
   >>   
   >> Most Linux **distributions** include Python (and a whole host of other   
   >> languages) in their repositories that one can install on one's system.   
   >   
   >    Strictly speaking, correct.   
   >   
   >    However who the fuck uses the bare kernel ? The world works with   
   >    distros - and they all contain GCC at minimum, now also Python.   
      
   Pedants will be pedantic. It's usually followed by a rant about GNU/Linux.   
   The unicorn called GNU/Hurd isn't mentioned very often. The FSF isn't   
   enthused about the one distro that might sort of work.   
      
   "The Free Software Foundation can't recommend Debian GNU/Hurd or the Arch   
   distribution; we must suppose that they don't meet our freedom standards   
   any more than Debian GNU/Linux and the Arch distribution based on the   
   Linux kernel do. Likewise we have not evaluated other GNU/Hurd   
   distributions in regard to ethical criteria. Please visit http://   
   www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html to learn what   
   those standards are."   
      
   https://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/hurd/running/distrib.html   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)