Changes/Fedora Linux in os-release

"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

• Name: Matthew Miller

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

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora Linux 35
• Last updated: 2021-03-02

• 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.

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. When the Fedora Project produced Fedora Core and Fedora Extras, this was easy (and even reflected in the logo from that time. Merging those artifacts (and getting rid of the community barriers they represented!) was good... but getting into the habit of calling the combined result just "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.

• Release engineering: #Releng issue number

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.

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.