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Boy, am I sick of renaming this thing

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Boy, am I sick of renaming this thing

[info]ze_dinosaur
9/20/06 02:02 am
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Phoenix, that was a cool name. Damn you PhoenixBIOS. Firebird was good, and who needs another database anyway? Mozilla Firefox is a cute name, with a cute logo. A logo we can't use. Oh wait, we can't use the name either?

So the Mozilla Corporation has asked us to stop using the name "Firefox" in our version of Firefox, unless we use the fox on a globe logo. We can't use the logo because its copyright license is not free. Even if somehow we could do this, they want to vet every patch we apply before we release a package called Firefox containing it.

This puts us in a very difficult position. If there is no traction on the Mozilla side and Debian stands firm on the freeness of non-program files, I don't really see anyway around having to rename Firefox. So what should this new name be? Preferably something clever, nice sounding and not trademarked. I'd like it to be something other distributions can use if they're so inclined. And while Iceweasel is cute, and I enjoy the parody, I'm not sure it has enough sex appeal. Suggestions welcome.
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  • A name for TBFKAFF

    [info]jtarrio
    9/20/06 07:09 am (UTC)
    Firechicken!

  • Iceweasel

    [info]np237
    9/20/06 07:31 am (UTC)
    I really like the iceweasel name, it's kind of cute.

    • Re: Iceweasel

      [info]sexycorina
      1/15/07 10:08 am (UTC)
      It's cool. But may be it's sensible to try cooperating with mozilla?

  • Save the weasel!

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 08:57 am (UTC)
    IceWeasel is, without a doubt, the best choice.

  • And don't forget to change Debian's name too

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 09:01 am (UTC)
    As I cannot use the name "Debian" as I want, it is not free and thus restricts our users rights. And the same goes for the swirl above the bottle.

    I'm so happy that finally others discovered too that we have to stop calling ourselves Debian and using non licensed logos.

    My suggestion is to call the project it simply "". Similar to Prince aka Symbol.

    World Peace!

    • Re: And don't forget to change Debian's name too

      (Anonymous)
      9/27/06 05:15 am (UTC)
      haha.

      "The Browser Formally Known As..."

      :)

  • Foxfire

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 09:17 am (UTC)
    Foxfire is good enough. And everyone can immediatly recognise Firefox...

  • [info]lordmuck
    9/20/06 09:26 am (UTC)
    What happens when you flip the trademark switch? What does the browser call itself my default?

  • Firesomething

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 10:05 am (UTC)
    There's an extension for Firefox which changes Firefox's name towards the window manager, in the User-Agent string, and possibly elsewhere. You might want to peruse this extension to grab suggestions or use that name outright.

    There's a certain ring to naming something "Firesomething" out of silly copyright regulations ;)

    Kim~*

  • Iceweasel is stupid

    [info]thumperward
    9/20/06 11:26 am (UTC)
    There's no reason to go all-out in renaming it. "Freefox" would seem to follow modern conventions for Free clones of non-free software. I'd go with that.

    - Chris

  • Fire-you-know-what

    [info]airstrip_one
    9/20/06 12:10 pm (UTC)
    I suggest Fire-you-know-what. Another option would be to integrate the Firesomething extension.

    Whichever name do you choose, please make sure that it sounds silly enough.

  • [info]xtat
    9/20/06 12:13 pm (UTC)
    not-firefox :)

    I wonder if that would be covered under trademark law-- seemed to work for GNU.

  • [info]gravityboy
    9/20/06 12:41 pm (UTC)
    I think 'Debian Firebrand' is an optimal name, complete with double entendre.

    • [info]ze_dinosaur
      9/21/06 02:08 am (UTC)
      I like that one, except I don't want Debian in there. I want anyone to use the name, so other distros can rally around it.

  • A new name? What about..

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 12:50 pm (UTC)
    WaterWolf

    If they caught fire, we'll cool'em off with water, they think they're smart as foxes, we'll show them we're free like lone wolves! :)

  • Let the game beginn!

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 01:10 pm (UTC)
    FreeFox was a nice one already mentioned, a variant would be OpenFox - even DebFox, PeopleFox or WorldFox are thinkable.

    But we should be aware that we need to be prepared for several other Mozilla applications getting into that. So, why not take the opportunity to create a Debian related animal?

    FireDolphin, ThunderDolphin ... hmm
    FireTumbler, ThunderTumbler ... (not bad)
    FireLemming, ThunderLemming ... (hehe)

    And don't let us get too intellectual - Debian is for everybody. ;-)

    Greetings,
    slam

    • Re: Let the game beginn!

      (Anonymous)
      9/20/06 01:25 pm (UTC)
      I thought about FireLizard when reading this - but nooo, they "own" a lizard figure already.

      How about FireSwirl? *That* at least would be ours ;-)

      cheers,
      wjl

  • just put mozilla-branded products in non-free?

    [info]ex_aim1159585
    9/20/06 03:34 pm (UTC)
    may be it would be wise to put repackeaged binary firefox/thunderbird and so on to non-free section and rename -dfsg "firefox" and "thunderbird" to "debian browser" and "debian e-mail client". since it was some issues with non-working extensions with "debian firefox" it would be wise double times!

    • Re: just put mozilla-branded products in non-free?

      [info]ze_dinosaur
      9/21/06 02:21 am (UTC)
      Is it really worth having basically the exact same browser in non-free just for the name and logo?

  • Suggestion

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 04:27 pm (UTC)
    May I suggest Daubian FireFuck ?

  • my ideas

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 04:32 pm (UTC)
    I think iceweasel is not bad. My Idea would be:
    firefox -> spitfire
    thunderbird -> thunderbolt

  • [info]swestrup
    9/20/06 06:23 pm (UTC)
    I really like IceWeasel, but I suppose you could always go for PlasmaFox because you're hotter stuff!

  • *hound*

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 06:55 pm (UTC)
    Well, what about using the word hound instead of fox? In fact, after some googling I found hounds are used to hunt foxes...

    Icehound, Lightninghound -> as absolute conterparts...
    Firehound, Thunderhound -> they sound somewhat better to me

    My half of a cent,
    xscript

    • Re: *hound*

      (Anonymous)
      9/25/06 06:58 pm (UTC)
      How about "Cerebus" (the three headed dog in Hades?

  • signing off

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 08:05 pm (UTC)
    I renamed it Konqueror a long time ago.

    Being the Gnome testbed that it is, Ubuntu could get away with using Epiphany as the default browser.

    Names.

    Yanff/Yanafff (Yet another name for firefox).

    I don't know if it's come up or not, but could one of you DD types ask the Mozilla people if they require signoffs for patches for browsers they no longer support themselves? I'd like to see how that one is justified.

  • [info]lumag
    9/20/06 08:38 pm (UTC)
    It may be an offense for users and Mozilla folk, but I suggest naming it 'Firesucks'.

  • (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 08:53 pm (UTC)
    My favourite from the Firesomething extension has always been 'LightningYak'...

  • Frigid Beaver

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 10:11 pm (UTC)
    Frigid: extremely cold (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/frigid)
    Beaver: a fluffy reddish animal similar to fox (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/beaver)

    This would be the best name describing the cold unloving attitude Mozilla Foundation puts towards Debian, Red Hat, Suse and others. I hate myself saying that, but the problem with Mozilla Foundation is recent comemrcialisation (think: money of Google). Mozilla Foundation is increasingly becoming a corporate behemoth on Open Source Software scene. When people are directed with greed and corporate interests, they stop thinking socially.

  • My Faves..

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 10:14 pm (UTC)
    My anonymous coward votes for names mentioned above:

    1> Freefox/Freebird

    2> Firebrand/Thunderbrand

    3> Spitfire/Thunderbolt

    Thx!

  • No more non-existant animals, please!

    (Anonymous)
    9/20/06 11:35 pm (UTC)
    Firephlox. And use a photo of a reddish phlox as logo replacement.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlox

    No, actually I'd prefer freefox or foxfire.

    It should be noted that Google returns firefox search results for both of these.

    • Re: No more non-existant animals, please!

      (Anonymous)
      4/19/08 07:53 pm (UTC)
      gagh i know what you mean we already have enough

  • Fire Bird, Fire Ant, Firefly

    (Anonymous)
    9/21/06 04:08 am (UTC)
    Fire Bird,
    Fire Ant,
    Firefly
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