The name "ProteanOS" has been selected.
The rest of this page is kept only for reference and historical purposes.
This distribution still lacks a name. This is holding up the registration of a domain name and, more importantly, the creation of mailing lists. Additionally, a nameless project is rather difficult to promote and document (count the occurrences of "this system" on the main Web site).
Requirements
- The name must in some way hint at some key feature of the operating system (e.g. its small size, its high configurability, and/or its near universal application).
- The name should be fairly short and easy to say and spell.
- The name must be eligible for trademark protection (and in the same vein it must not be confusingly similar to that of any other software work).
- The name must be an available domain name in at least the "com" domain.
- The name must not include names of any included software packages. The obvious example, Linux(-libre), may someday be just one choice of kernel for the operating system and as such should not be referenced in the system's name.
Possible Themes
The name may be (or be derived from) a real word in English or any other language. It may refer to a place, an animal, a figure from some culture's mythology (especially a shapeshifter), a chemical element or compound, etc.
Or the name may be an acronym, recursive acronym, or mutually recursive acronym (like GNU Hurd/Hird).
Considered Names
ProteanOS
"Protean" is defined as "exceedingly variable; readily assuming different shapes or forms". It refers to Proteus, an ancient Greek god of the sea known for changing his shape to avoid curious pursuers.
I (P. J.) am not keen on having a project name that ends in "OS". I'd prefer a standalone word or acronym. However, the former are hard to find available as domain names, and the latter are hard to devise.
This name is currently available in the "com" domain.
Kasei
A Japanese word that (in the "化成" writing) literally means "change into form" and is translated to mean "chemical synthesis, transformation".
Interestingly, "kasei" is also an anagram of "sekai" ("世界"), the Japanese word for "world"; we could use this to refer to the OS's universal application.
"kasei.com" is currently registered. The registrant has declined to transfer the domain for use by this project. Variations on this name such as "kasei-os" are available, however.
AmoebOS
An Amoeba is a shapeless single-celled organism. It is known for being able to changes its shape (in fact, the most commonly studied species is named Amoeba proteus).
This name is currently available in the "com" domain.
Kitsune
The Japanese word for "fox". Foxes are well-known as shapeshifters in the folklore of Japan and other regions in Asia.
"kitsune.com" seems to be registered by a company in Great Britain. They have not been contacted regarding possible transfer.
Fuhen
A Mandarin word incorporated into the Japanese language. It means "common, widespread, universal, ubiquitous, omnipresent".
"fuhen.com" is registered by a company in Japan. They have not been contacted regarding possible transfer.
RUES: Universal Embedded System
A recursive acronym. It may also refer to the plant, though that seems irrelevant.