UPDATE, 11/14/07: A motion was informally submitted to the OGB for discussion and endorsement of this proposal. Today that proposal was placed on the meeting agenda however no member of the board was willing to even submit it for discussion or debate. This proposal is therefore, for the time being, dead and this author is saddened by the continued lack of action on the part of the OGB to even advance the discussion. This only further enforces the reality that change will come from within Sun, not from the OpenSolaris Community or its Board.
The following is an open letter to the OpenSolaris Community, of which Sun Microsystems is a member, as a response to the great naming debacle.
We stand at a crossroads. Two paths before us: success and failure. Two parties opposed: Sun Microsystems and “the community”. One simple problem: will Project Indiana take on the name “OpenSolaris’.
Does that sentence seem overly dramatic? Yes. Is it untrue? No. The situation we find ourselves in is nothing short of madness, utter confusion and chaos. With the success of Project Indiana’s maiden voyage we should be more unified and excited than ever, but alas we are not. We stand more divided than ever… over a name.
Ian Murdock came to Sun as a savior. He did not invent something great, rather he brought together greatness in a unified force. Project Indiana was its name. When Solaris was without direction, when our future was clear but path unknown, he brought together the projects and persons together necessary to chart that path. In the course of that work he sought to solve a simple yet important problem: “Where do I download OpenSolaris? How do I run it?” This is a branding problem, a naming problem, with powerful implications and a hurtle to success. The answer lies in the question… the distribution must be called OpenSolaris.
But OpenSolaris carries a variety of meanings now. Most importantly, it carries two:
- OpenSolaris is currently synonymous with “Nevada”, the Open Source (CDDL) code base. This may be used by a Distribution such as Nexenta (“Based on OpenSolaris”; “Based on OpenSolaris Technology”, in this cased meaning the source), by a provider such as Joyent (“Built On OpenSolaris”; in this case meaning Solaris Express), etc.
- OpenSolaris refers to the community around the code, in a wide variety of projects and efforts. This may be used by a Users Group (“Silicon Valley OpenSolaris Users Group”), a project or effort (“OpenSolaris Desktop Project”), etc. None of these things use the term to mean any one product in specific but rather the whole.
Hence our dilemma. To name the distribution OpenSolaris is to confuse the term by making something fairly generic mean something very specific… yet, to name the product/distribution something other than OpenSolaris is to create yet a different type of confusion. Is there no solution? Is this a perpetual stalemate?
I believe there is a solution and that everyone can win. Whats more, I believe that the only true solution is a win-win solution. I believe that Ian Murdock is a worthy leader and I also believe that the community has legitimate concerns.
I therefore humbly submit that OpenSolaris’s reference distribution, Project Indiana, name become: OpenSolaris RD
This name provides a variety of advantages:
For the community, OpenSolaris RD is clearly delineated, drawing on the OpenSolaris brand but being distinct at the same time.
For Sun, this provides a clear, hip, conventionally accepted naming scheme that is extensible over time. Taking up the name “OpenSolaris” alone is short sited. Because of the nature of the distribution a fully supported version will need to be created for ISV Qualification, etc, down the road. This qualified version will be a customized version of OpenSolaris RD and perhaps named OpenSolaris GS (“Genric Server”) or OpenSolaris DS (“Data Server”). Furthermore, specific pre-canned varieties can extend yet futher without confusion: OpenSolaris HPC, OpenSolaris HA, etc. Given that there are several plans for appliances in the next year, this naming scheme can bring them into the mix as well, and later provides a simplified naming convention for picking the binary distribution thats right for you.
I believe that my proposed naming provides advantages to both the OpenSolaris Community and to Sun Microsystems, where we can both share the brand, monitize the brand, and minimize confusion both now and down the road.
The current actions of both Sun and the OpenSolaris Governing Board are gear toward a stalemate at this time. The OGB is deciding on a official position statement regarding the issue, yet allowed a review of that statement by Bill Franklin (representing Sun Microsystems) prior to declaring it an official position; this simply defeats the purpose of making such a statement given that the purpose of such a statement is to send a clear message to Sun on where it stands. The motions currently pending seek not to resolve the problem but rather to post-pone any steps toward a real resolution. I believe that my proposed naming offers a long term solution to end the current line of motions and put it firmly behind us, and back on a unified path of glory.
It is with great humility that I request the serious consideration of this proposal by Sun Microsystems (represented by Bill Franklin), Project Indiana Founder and Chief OS Strategist Ian Murdock, and the OpenSolaris Governing Board.
In closing, I believe in light of recent frustrations that a word be devoted to Mr Ian Murdock. I have had the pleasure of meeting with him several times since coming to Sun and getting to know his mind. I believe with ever core of my being that he is one of the most open minded and receptive technologists that I’ve ever met. I am personally offended by the various accusations that he is closed minded or inflexible. I humbly ask the community to consider that there are many persons at Sun who have various agenda’s which are in several cases being unfairly placed on him. He has tried to be open and honest with the community and repaid with mockery and condescending remarks. It is, in my opinion, of the utmost importance that we quickly resolved this naming controversy, re-group, organize ourselves, and work together with Ian Murdock toward a brighter future for OpenSolaris and Sun Microsystems. Our best hope for the future of all parties is his continued leadership; we tried it without him for 2 years and got no where, now, because of his leadership, regardless of your personal opinion of him, his decisions, or his execution, we have come further than we previously could have seen ourselves in 2-5 years. I applaud Ian Murdocks leadership, his honesty, and his commitment to this process.
Makes good sense to me, I like the idea
Sounds great to me, a nice middle ground approach.
You have my vote.
Good points, well presented. Gets my vote!
err, same problem, we will now have to fight over the reference distribution thing. reference will mean that to be able to call themself something to do with opensolaris other distros would need to be a superset of indiana
i’m guessing nexenta guys wont be happy
The problem is not the name, the problem is the process that led to the name being chosen, and the resultant hoo-ha. Deciding on a name is fine, but it won’t solve the real problem. As you point out above, the OpenSolaris governance is closer aligned to Sun than many would like, and this is the biggest hurdle to overcome, in my view. How to we “square the circle” and get developers outwith Sun enthusiastic about a process that Sun controls?
@nacho: Not at all. Today Solaris Express is the reference, as outlined in my post. Nexenta has value _because_ its different, and that doesn’t mean super-set. OpenSolaris XX designates a super-set or sub-set, Nexenta doesn’t.
@andrew: We’ve got to separate these problems to gain focus. Taking both a the same time doesn’t work, and the current motions and actions are about the name, not how it was chosen.
I don’t think introducing “reference distribution” (even abbreviated to “RD”) solves any problems. The name still implies exclusivity, and without some indication about how technical decisions are going to be made, it’s premature to name *anything* as a reference. If “OpenSolaris RD” is going to be the basis for all future OpenSolaris distributions, then any proposal needs to define how the process will work on a technical level. This is not a marketing problem, it’s a technical one.
As you mention, Solaris Express is the current reference. Regardless of how you feel about the current ARC process, that reference distibution has a defined process for contributions and architectural and technical review. You are asking the community to adopt a reference distribution without any policy for how contributions are accepted or evaluated.
I don’t doubt that there will someday be a reference distribution for OpenSolaris. But unless you have a proposal for how such a distribution governs itself, and how other distributions are derived from it, I doubt you’ll get very far. Just saying “trust in Ian” isn’t a good enough answer. All the meaningful projects (Caiman, IPS, Modernization, LiveCD, etc) were all underway long before he joined Sun or the OpenSolaris community. I will give him credit for motivating and unifying disjoint groups, but he has contributed nothing on a technical level, and is entirely unsuitable for a position of technical leadership.
I would encourage you to think about the technical ramifications of what you are proposing, and come up with some policy so that the community can understand what the community process would look like under the banner of “OpenSolaris RD”. Until then, your proposal is premature and incomplete.
Oh crap, naming fights again?
Please tell me no one is suggesting that OpenSolaris be renamed to Project Indiana?
I’m coming into this late and with only the information supplied by your post, however, I agree that OpenSolaris is the name that should be kept, but I think Project Indiana is more of an “OpenSolaris R&D” than “OpenSolaris RD”.
if you really want a reference, then what you need is just a subset of what is being shipped today in nevada, maybe just what’s opensource of ON and a set of test to check whether another distribution is compatible or not, that is it.
a reference distro should not have a package manager, a default window manager, nothing, it should just be a list of files and interfaces, i’m not sure whether it should even be able to boot or not. it would be a usefull thing to have from an engineering point of view since it would provide everyone a starting point and from a branding perspective since passing the compliance test would be enough to be able to call yourself an opensolaris distribution.
it would of course change the way things are done right now since no single distro would be able to call themselves just “opensolaris” but it would put to rest all those of us that do not agree with some of the decisions the indiana team is making (on behalf of the entire community as they alone use the opensolaris name). i know that from a marketing point of view it’s horrible but it’s really the only way to go from the engineering side. i guess it is time to decide whether we are a marketing or engineering oriented community
@Jay As mentioned in Nexenta’s press release issued this morning, seems they have that addressed. The Nexenta operating system is a leading open source software project that combines the high performance of OpenSolaris with the ease of use and breadth of applications of Linux.
Ben my hat is off to you for stating very eloquently what many, many people think but have not taken the time to say publicly. Since Ian joined Sun to drive OS strategy, his style has been nothing but professional and galvanizing. He brings direction and focus to the project that was sorely absent.
In my opinion, what needs to be better articulated is the governance model of the community, the role of OGB and as stewards of OpenSolaris — what role does Sun management play.
This is a reeally tough nut to crack. While you state your case well, and I agree in many ways, the solution proposed really doesn’t answer the problems articulated. From my admittedly limited following of the issues, they are:
1) It seems Indiana wants to be the defacto OpenSolaris distribution
2) It wants to become said seemingly without OGB/ARC or community oversight
3) The OGB role in these conflicts are still unclear, undefined, seemingly opaque, or (if the conspiracy theorists are right) powerless because the “Sun entity” will do as it likes anyway
While I do not subscribe to the “Sun borg” theory, nor do I think Ian is the Evil Overload, I do see the issues raised by the more reasonable members of the community (some of them Sun employees!). While I rejoice in the success of Indiana, I do not think it can fairly call itself OpenSolaris (or the OpenSolaris reference distribution) to the detriment of the other distributions. While I understand the problem Ian posited way back when (in the spring?), I have to agree that, for better or worse, Solaris Express has become that reference distribution for most people.
Until the OGB can tackle these issues openly, fairly, and with teeth, that’s what we’re stuck with. (Yes, there will always be a segment that won’t be happy with the solutions.)
Until then , if Indiana wants to consider itself a research distribution of OpenSolaris, then more power to it. It cannot, however, (fairly) be the reference distribution until the other factors above are met. I think it a shame that the many projects that make Indiana what it is seem to have been absorbed, seemingly very opaquely, into the Indiana branch, and are now, fairly or otherwise, perceived to be inaccessible to the rest of the community. If what you say of Ian is correct, then he needs to work to correct these perceptions, whether they be the real case or not.
Rainer
@Rainer: “Until the OGB can tackle these issues openly, fairly, and with teeth, that’s what we’re stuck with.”
I don’t think that will ever happen. I am so disappointed with the absolute lack of leadership, direction and enthusiasm in the OGB, I don’t see anything productive coming from them. Someone needs to step up and start making decisions about how it is going to perform, and get to it. But I just don’t think that is going to happen with the current Board.
Just my two cents from the sidelines.
@tamr
Well, I live in hope.
On a positive note, I see the Caiman code has been released to OpenSolaris.org.
Rainer
Can we all just stick with ‘OpenSolaris:Indiana’ ? And surely a reference distro is just that – a reference. It doesn’t have to form the baseline for anything, it just needs to be there to show folks how it’s done and leave it to all and sundry to create their distro’s in any way they want to? Maybe I’m being naieve but a name is just a name. No ones making money off OpenSolaris per se so what’s the problem again? SUN took a long time to get to this special place I’m wondering why so many people are trying to truly fuck it up? *ponders*
Just call it “LinuxWasNotInventedHere” and be done with it already.
What not just call it “Sun OpenSolaris”, or “OpenSolaris Sun Edition” then we would know it is Sun’s reference release
You definitely win my vote for Mediator of the Year, Ben. I think it’s a sound solution to a ridiculous problem.
Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear.
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