A guided tour of some notable and peculiar Linux distributions
One Wild Ride
© Lead Image © Jan Will, 123RF.com
Linux distributions proliferate like butterflies. Linux Magazine went hunting for some strange and particularly surprising specimens.
Even if the syntax suggests otherwise, the name of the classic Linux tool awk does not stand for awkward, and it isn't even a reference to the bird known as the Auk, but rather, the name is derived from the names of its authors, Alfred Aho, Peter Weinberger, and Brian Kernighan. Cryptic names are a long-established Unix tradition [1].
Developers often believe the names of their tools are self-explanatory, or they think the name is not of interest to the users anyway. Many developers of the 500+ Linux distributions worldwide clearly subscribe to this school of thought [2] (Figure 1). Even several very early Linux distros bore cryptic abbreviations (LSD, LST, DLD) or really curious names like Yggdrasil (Figure 2).
It isn't difficult to see that humor is a primary motivation for much of the naming that happens around Linux. The Open Source community loves to rebel against the kitschy conventions of market-speak that dominate commercial software companies, with names that seem slightly satirical or, at least, summon up images and associations that would make a marketer cringe.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
There's a New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle is a Linux AI assistant that can work with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.