Re: New year, new name!

[taylanbayirli@gmail.com (Taylan Ulrich Bayırlı/Kammer)]

Bruno Félix Rezende Ribeiro <oitofelix@gnu.org> writes:

> Em Mon, 05 Jan 2015 09:40:48 -0500
> Felipe López <felipe.lopez@openmailbox.org> escreveu:
>
>> I still think that calling the Guix distro "GNU" would have been
>> better, and I don't see how calling it "Guixotic - the reference
>> distribution of GNU" is any different from calling it "GNU", since
>> saying "the reference distro" implies the same issues RMS and others
>> saw in calling the distro "GNU".
>
> I agree.  In fact calling it "GNU's reference distribution" could even
> worsen the problems seen by RMS, because of the explicit goal
> attributed to the distribution of being used as a canonical template.
> To me the purpose of the GNU project is more ethical and symbolic than
> technical: to provide the mythical --- entirely free --- GNU system
> and not necessarily to make a distribution for technical reference.
> IMHO, the GNU project is missing the point.
>
> Needless to say, I'll continue to call it simply "GNU".  I invite
> everyone else to do the same.  Given that the GNU+Linux operating
> system has gotten the wrong name "Linux" by habit and popularity,
> maybe we could make "Guixotic" (or whatever) get the right name "GNU"
> by a similar practice.

When "GNU" refers exactly to that partially intangible system you
describe, which is found not only in concrete distributions but also in
Apple OS X and Android, then we need a separate name to refer to this
concrete distribution.

There seems to be agreement on that this name will be de-emphasized
--used as kind of a technical code name only-- in contrast to all the
"brand" names such as Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, etc..  So we will say that
we use GNU, and that it's Guixotic will be a technical detail.

There's still the danger that, since most GNU/Linux discussion happens
in technically savvy circles, people will most often use this technical
code name, so it will look like a brand name to onlookers of such
discussions.  I think it's our responsibility to be careful about this
danger and clarify as often as needed, but I don't see us getting around
giving *some* concrete name, that isn't "GNU", to the distribution.

Hope this perspective helps. :-)

Taylan