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....speaking of distribution names...

....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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....speaking of distribution names...

Posted Nov 16, 2003 10:20 UTC (Sun) by coriordan (guest, #7544) [Link]

How about: GoLinux! (gnu on linux)

"User GNU/Linux" might be untrademarkable, since all three words are either in common use or already trademarked. I don't know.

I think g-n-user-linux is good though. The capital U should stop people calling it guh-nooser-linux.

It's certainly not easy to find a catchy name with gnu and linux in it. Debians approach is very good indeed.

GoLinux!

Posted Nov 16, 2003 14:53 UTC (Sun) by vblum (guest, #1151) [Link]

Nice! And it's even a recursive acronym (Gnu's not Unix on Linux! ???)

....speaking of distribution names...

Posted Nov 16, 2003 16:21 UTC (Sun) by vblum (guest, #1151) [Link]

oh well .... no. 82 on the distributions page ...

....speaking of distribution names...

Posted Nov 16, 2003 22:41 UTC (Sun) by frazier (guest, #3060) [Link]

I like GoLinux... ...easy to pronounce, easy to remember. An excellent idea.

As was mentioned, there's a Go!Linux at #82 on the LWN distributions list, but it looks dead.

Here's what http://www.golinux.de says translated to English via Babelfish:

Welcomely on the Website by Helmut Franz

This side is operated privately and contains no commercial interests. It is at present still present in the structure.

If you want to step with me into contact, for this the email address helmut.franz@accendo.de is to you at the disposal.

Far contact contacts find you under the menu option contact

In a nutshell, there's no active Go!Linux there. The LWN description for Go!Linux says:
Comes with PC!Linux magazine. German.
GoLinux is being used as a migration-related resource from tux.org. http://www.golinux.ch/ is a small resource looking independent of tux.org and Go!Linux.

The worst thing I've run across so far about GoLinux is GoLinux.com which is a souless links page but does have links to Linux stuff which may or may not make it fair game under the guidelines of Linux International.

I like the GoLinux name. If GoLinux.com could be secured and whatever naming conflicts could be resolved (not sure about the domain but given the nature of the active GoLinux sites I can see that being a doable task) that would be a nice, marketable, pronounable, usable, GNUable name.

I've obtained blessing for a now long defunct Linux name from LI in the past... ...Jon "Maddog" Hall was great to work with. Don't know exactly what their policy is on situations like GoLinux.com above, though.

If anything else, there's gotta be another name out there (rememberable, readily pronouncable, internally marketable to non-technical people without them thinking "how good can something be with a name like that?"). GoLinux is short, memorable, positive, and easily said. These are good things.

....speaking of distribution names...

Posted Nov 16, 2003 23:37 UTC (Sun) by frazier (guest, #3060) [Link]

Along the lines of GoLinux would be GoldLinux (GNU On Linux Distribution).

The .com, .net, .org domains are there, too. A quick Google shows a lack of conflicts, there's Accelerated-X Summit Line DX - Gold Edition Linux Demos and there appears to be a discontinued or renamed web hosting product from Intuity Networks called GoldLinux.

Not as catchy as GoLinux in my book, but certainly usable, pronouncable, and might be a reasonable candidate for a sanctioned trademark from Linux International (of course, that's up to them as the agent of the Linux Trademark). On the surface there appears to be few if any current uses of the name.

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