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(→‎Release Notes: put field changes in release notes based on feedback.)
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Note: Fedora is made of people! When used by itself, the term "Fedora" refers to the Fedora Project. When referring to our work, please use either a specific name like <i>Fedora Workstation</i>, <i>Fedora CoreOS</i>, or <i>Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop</i>; or use <i>Fedora Linux</i> to refer to the OS distribution as a whole.
Note: Fedora is made of people! When used by itself, the term "Fedora" refers to the Fedora Project. When referring to our work, please use either a specific name like <i>Fedora Workstation</i>, <i>Fedora CoreOS</i>, or <i>Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop</i>; or use <i>Fedora Linux</i> to refer to the OS distribution as a whole.


To help emphasize this preferred naming, the field <tt>NAME</tt> in the file <tt>/etc/os-release</tt> is changing from "Fedora" to "Fedora Linux". This field is meant for <i>display</i> use. The field <tt>ID</tt> is meant for scripted use, and will remain <tt>fedora</tt>. Please check your scripts to make sure they are using the proper value.
To help emphasize this preferred naming, the field <tt>NAME</tt> in the file <tt>/etc/os-release</tt> is changing from "Fedora" to "Fedora Linux". This field is meant for <i>display</i> use. The field <tt>ID</tt> is meant for scripted use, and will remain <tt>fedora</tt>. Please check your scripts to make sure they are using the proper field.
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Revision as of 14:22, 10 March 2021

"Fedora Linux" in /etc/os-release

Summary

"Fedora" is the name of our project. Our general-purpose Linux distribution is "Fedora Linux". Let's refer to it that way in the OS itself.

Owner

  • Email: mattdm At fedoraproject.org (bugzilla: mattdm AT redhat.com)


Current status

  • FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
  • Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
  • Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

This change isn't big — it is simply expanding

  • NAME=Fedora to NAME="Fedora Linux" and
  • PRETTY_NAME="Fedora Linux [##] ([edition or spin])

in the file /etc/os-release.

The short identifier ID=fedora will remain the same, so scripted interactions should be unaffected.


Feedback

Benefit to Fedora

The distinction between our project and our output is important, because as a project and a community we are more than the bits we produce — and, we produce more things (including software bits!) from that included in the Fedora Linux distribution.

We make EPEL, ELN, and thousands of packages in Copr. These are all part of Fedora — but aren't Fedora Linux. We also make artwork, music, documentation, videos, websites, tools, and more. These things too are part of our project, but aren't part of the Fedora Linux distribution. The habit of calling just one thing we make "Fedora" makes it hard to talk about the project and all of the things we do within our mission.

Of course, years of colloquial usage can't be changed overnight, but changing the place where we officially identify the operating system name is an important start. Rather than a big education campaign, let's fix our own usage and go from there.

Scope

  • Proposal owners: Will submit a PR for the fedora-release package.
  • Other developers: Should be no impact, but may need to update any scripts using NAME instead of ID.

To review and accept the PR when ready.

  • Policies and guidelines: This change itself does not represent a change to policies, but it's good to consider where usage can be changed in existing documents.
  • Trademark approval: Not required. Note that this has been cleared by Fedora Legal.
  • Alignment with Objectives: No specific objective but aligns with a Council goal.

Upgrade/compatibility impact

Updated systems will get the new /etc/os-release file and will see changes in the text-mode login prompt and in places like "OS Name" in the About panel in GNOME.


How To Test

1. Update to test version of Fedora 35

2. Observe name change in /etc/os-release

3. Optionally, observe name change in GNOME Settings, text-mode login screens, neofetch, etc.

It would also be useful to test any third-party software which may mistakenly look at NAME instead of ID.

User Experience

Users will see the distribution referred to as "Fedora Linux" rather than just "Fedora".

Dependencies

None.


Contingency Plan

  • Contingency mechanism: Change owner or release engineering will revert the change to fedora-release
  • Contingency deadline: Decision should be made at beta, but in the unlikely event of disaster this could be reverted right up until the last minute.
  • Blocks release? No.

Documentation

Fedora is made of people! When used by itself, the term "Fedora" refers to the Fedora Project. When referring to our work, please use either a specific name like Fedora Workstation, Fedora CoreOS, or Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop; or use Fedora Linux to refer to the OS distribution as a whole.

Release Notes

Note: Fedora is made of people! When used by itself, the term "Fedora" refers to the Fedora Project. When referring to our work, please use either a specific name like Fedora Workstation, Fedora CoreOS, or Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop; or use Fedora Linux to refer to the OS distribution as a whole.

To help emphasize this preferred naming, the field NAME in the file /etc/os-release is changing from "Fedora" to "Fedora Linux". This field is meant for display use. The field ID is meant for scripted use, and will remain fedora. Please check your scripts to make sure they are using the proper field.