Linux: Fun With Kernel Names

Most 2.6 Linux kernel releases have contained a unique name that is only visible within the top level makefile. Some examples, 2.6.17 was named "Lori Rules", 2.6.16 was named "Sliding Snow Leopard", 2.6.14 was named Affluent Albatross, and 2.6.13 was named "Woozy Numbat"

Kyle McMartin recently posted a patch to thelkml with the intention of making the kernel name visible, leading Linux creator Linus Torvalds to explain, "well, part of the charm of the name is that it's totally meaningless. I can pick names out of my *ss, and they don't matter in the least, and nobody will ever see it except in the kernel diffs."