RE: Naming of Cygwin/XFree86 components

["Harold Hunt" <huntharo at msu dot edu>]

Robert Collins wrote:
> This would be a bad move. anything linked to -lXwin would
> break.

Let me count the number of things linked to libXwin.a: ummm... that would be
XWin.exe only.  :)

Robert Collins wrote:
> Not really an issue IMO. Xwin is the standard name of the
> binary for an
> X-Server.
> "Xfree86" is the name of the product.

I forgot to bring up another point: the name XWin for Cygwin/XFree86 is
ambiguous.  Assuming XWin is the standard name of an executable for an
XFree86 server, then it is silly of us to call our library and source
repository 'xwin', as the name 'xwin' does not clearly indicate which
hardware platform said objects are for; as opposed to the other names in
xc/programs/Xserver/hw/, which do clearly indicate a platform or project,
such as 'darwin', 'xfree86', 'kdrive' (kernel driver), etc.

Chris Faylor wrote:
> I just did a trademark search for "Xwin" and found only one
> in an unrelated
> industry (rock crushers).

Good idea to do a search; I had not done one myself.  I concur that the only
trademark for XWin is for a rock crusher.

> I suspect that the name "X-Windows" is somehow locked up by
> the X Contortium
> and that it should be safe to call the package *xwin*.

Good point.

Okay, so Chris and Robert have forced me to admit my real reasons for
wanting a name change :)
1) The name 'xwin' is ambiguous (does it mean 'X WINdow system', 'X for
WINdows', 'X for WIN16' (cause otherwise wouldn't it be xwin32? :), or 'X
Will Impale Neanderthals'?

2) 'xwin' doesn't refer to the fact that our platform is Cygwin, not simply
Win32

3) 'xwin' is too similar to the name of an existing commercial product (I
believe it is good form to pick a name that is not going to cause confusion,
even if we aren't legally required to do so)

4) Changing the name now will affect relatively few people compared to the
number that will be affected when word spreads about Cygwin/XFree86 being
stable

5) We need to design a project logo to use with our program icon, on our web
page, and at the top of documents, such as the User's Guide and FAQ.  It
would be nice to pick a name and logo that work well together :)


There are my real reasons, so pick those apart now :)

Harold