Ubuntu Version 9.10 Code Named Lucid Lynx

Attendees at Atlanta Linux Fest's breakout session Ubuntucon were among the first to hear straight from Mark Shuttleworth that the popular Linux distribution Ubuntu's next release -- version 9.10 -- will be named Lucid Lynx.

UPDATE: As our eagle-eyed readers correctly point out, the next version number will be 10.04 not 9.10.

This codename in the next in a long line of clever choices that designate versions of Ubuntu releases. Past names include Hardy Heron, Dapper Drake, Breezy Badger, and the most recent, Karmic Koala. According to Shutteworth, the idea for the odd naming scheme originated quite by accident.

"It came about as a joke on a ferry between Circular Quay and somewhere else, in Sydney, Australia:
* lifeless: how long before we make a first release?
* sabdfl: it would need to be punchy. six months max.
* lifeless: six months! thats not a lot of time for polish.
* sabdfl: so we'll have to nickname it the warty warthog release.

And voila, the name stuck. The first mailing list for the Ubuntu team was called "warthogs", and we used to hang out on #warthogs on irc.freenode.net. For subsequent releases we wanted to stick with the "hog" names, so we had Hoary Hedgehog, and Grumpy Groundhog. But "Grumpy" just didn't sound right, for a release that was looking really good, and had fantastic community participation. So we looked around and came up with "Breezy Badger"... For those of you who think the chosen names could be improved, you might be relieved to know that the "Breezy Badger" was originally going to be the "Bendy Badger" (I still think that rocked). There were others... For all of our sanity we are going to try to keep these names alphabetical after Breezy. We might skip a few letters, and we'll have to wrap eventually. But the naming convention is here for a while longer, at least. The possibilities are endless. Gregarious Gnu? Antsy Aardvark? Phlegmatic Pheasant? You send 'em, we'll consider 'em."

Up next in the rhyming scheme is "M" so, even though that release is a ways away, it's never too early to start thinking about suggestions. Marvelous Monkey? Muddy Macaw? Mysterious Maltese? Let's hear your ideas in the comments.