....speaking of distribution names...
Posted Nov 16, 2003 9:41 UTC (Sun) by
frazier (guest, #3060)
In reply to:
....speaking of good distribution names... by coriordan
Parent article:
Sun's Linux desktop off to flying start (Register)
How to pronouce?
I'd suspect g-n-user-linux? (or guh-nooser-linux? first one sounds better)
...and there's my point in a nutshell. Even the people who get the whole 'GNU' factor aren't at home with this name at a glance. Some of the users this is potentially targeted towards (migrating from proprietary OSs) don't get the GNU at all. 'gnUserLinux' does not bring home the "GNU", nor does it make for a decent general name. Call it "User GNU/Linux", call it "Mainstream GNU/Linux", call it whatever, but please spare the world a gnUserLinux or UserLiGNUx. If you want to sneak a GNU in there to avoid GNU/Linux name confusion with people going "is this Linux or not", consider something like "MagnumLinux".
Debian handles the GNU/Linux issue very well, and heck, has a pronouncable name too ("Debian"). The homepage reads:
Debian is a free operating system (OS) for your computer. An operating system is the set of basic programs and utilities that make your computer run. Debian uses the Linux kernel (the core of an operating system), but most of the basic OS tools come from the GNU project; hence the name GNU/Linux.
A weak name will hurt adoption, more than it should, unfortunately. In a corportate environment things have to marketed to management like anything else. This is easier to accomplish with a more accessable name.
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