How did Canonical get it's name?

[portalhavoc]

I've always wondered about this for years. Why is Canonical called Canonical. I mean why did they choose the name? Maybe one day if I ever meet Mark Shuttleworth or somebody from the Ubuntu team. I'll ask them how did they (I mean Canonical) get their name? :? Let me know. Thanks! :)

[coldraven]

Maybe something to do with definitions 3 and 4?

canonical ~ adj uncommon
1. appearing in a biblical canon
a canonical book of the Christian New Testament
2. of or relating to or required by canon law
3. reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible without loss of generality
a basic story line; a canonical syllable pattern
4. conforming to orthodox or recognized rules
the drinking of cocktails was as canonical a rite as the mixing- Sinclair Lewis

[ventrical]

Just a side note ... there was a flavour of Ubuntu called Ubuntu CE (Christian Edition) but it has been out of circulation from the main repos for some time.

[Vladlenin5000]

Just a side note ... there was a flavour of Ubuntu called Ubuntu CE (Christian Edition) but it has been out of circulation from the main repos for some time.

You make it sound like it was an official flavor that no longer is... No, it's as official as ElementaryOS or Linux Mint. From their FAQ:


Q: Is Ubuntu Christian Edition officially supported by Canonical (http://www.canonical.com/)?

A: No, it is not "officially" supported. Our project is not funded by Canonical (http://www.canonical.com/). However, we have contacted them regarding our project and they have given us guidelines to follow and have thanked us for supporting the Ubuntu Community and introducing Ubuntu to the Christian Community.

[ventrical]

You make it sound like it was an official flavor that no longer is... No, it's as official as ElementaryOS or Linux Mint. From their FAQ:

No . I was just trying to side reference it to the term 'canonical'. I did not say official or unofficial .. just that it once existed. Does it have anything to do with OP original post . ? I have no clue .. but I thought it might be a point of interest.

Regards..

[grahammechanical]

When I first looked into Ubuntu I was almost put off by the name "Canonical" because it sounded churchy. Now I do try to be a Christian but not with the Established Church. Then when I found out about the Ubuntu Community I wondered if I was getting involved in a cult.

The English word canon comes directly from a Greek word that basically means a reed. In particular a measuring reed or rod. Hence the Bible canon is the list of Bible books that are considered to be written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These books are the measuring rod against which the believer measures himself. There are other books but they are not considered to be inspired and are not listed as part of the Bible.

My dictionary has canonical = According to the canon; regular, authorised. I have no idea why Mark shuttleworth chose it for the name of his company.

Regards.

[monkeybrain20122]

When I first looked into Ubuntu I was almost put off by the name "Canonical" because it sounded churchy. Now I do try to be a Christian but not with the Established Church. Then when I found out about the Ubuntu Community I wondered if I was getting involved in a cult.

The English word canon comes directly from a Greek word that basically means a reed. In particular a measuring reed or rod. Hence the Bible canon is the list of Bible books that are considered to be written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These books are the measuring rod against which the believer measures himself. There are other books but they are not considered to be inspired and are not listed as part of the Bible.

My dictionary has canonical = According to the canon; regular, authorised. I have no idea why Mark shuttleworth chose it for the name of his company.

Regards.

The word "canonical" is widely used in physics and mathematics. e.g various canonical forms, the Gibb canonical ensemble etc. The meaning is similar to standard but sounding more impressive I suppose. The origin of the word might have to do with religion, but its usage has diversified long time ago.

[Stavro]

I believe he was trying to create a new standard flavour of linux, the name canonical kind of emplies that his goal was of biblical proportions & it would finally be a viable alternative to Windows & Mac. By that, I mean, the most popular standard distro. I recognise that from a commercial or support perspective Linux is difficult to target because too many flavours spoil the broth, if Mark succeded in his vision then when people refered to Linux they would almost without doubt be referring to Ubuntu. Hence, taken like gospel.

[mkamenjak]

There was also a Ubuntu satanic edition :P