Linux some of the most awesome things to come out of computing. One of the larger things that may be holding back further adoption of the systems are the naming schemes. In just mentioning Ubuntu with names like Gutsy Gibbon, Intrepid Ibex, and now Jaunty Jackalope which are effective marketing tools for those in the know, but Joe Blow on the street just has no clue whats going on. Personally I think the names are silly, but its that same silliness that makes them memorable. With so many distibutions and different cores, some people just look at you funny and ask where the start menu is.

Adding to the complexity of the naming, there are quite frequent updates of the operating systems. To anyone remotely savvy that is a godsend, but not to the kids on the fence. Sure Windows is updated all the time, but the majority of people either don’t realize this, or don’t update. With so many distro names flying around for Linux, the average user would feel stressed about an operating system that appeared to be obsolete in a short amount of time.

Jaunty Jackalope was just released into Alpha today, prompting me to ask some of my much less savvy friends how they felt about Linux. The few that even knew what it was expressed those concerns mentioned above.