_{I know I promised to open this a long time ago...}

Super User has settled into some ad-hoc, but well-established, conventions for tagging questions about operating systems and their various versions. This post is to discuss the current conventions used for Ubuntu, and see if any change needs to be made.

Currently, Ubuntu tags use the version number, instead of the release codename. Codename tags occasionally get recreated and are usually replaced by hand, or occasionally get batch-retagged. Here's a survey of Ubuntu-related tags in use:

• Ubuntu: [canonical]
  • [ubuntu], [kubuntu], [xubuntu]
  • [ubuntu-8.04-lts], [ubuntu-8.10], [ubuntu-9.04], [ubuntu-9.10], [ubuntu-10.04-lts]
  • [ubuntu-server]
  • [ubuntu-netbook-remix]

Some people seem to prefer the codename tags, so here are the alternate conventions for version-specific tags I can think of.

• Version number _{^{(current convention)}}:
  • [ubuntu-8.04-lts], [ubuntu-8.10], [ubuntu-9.04], [ubuntu-9.10], [ubuntu-10.04-lts]
• Short codename _{^{(occasionally get recreated)}}:
  • [hardy], [intrepid], [jaunty], [karmic], [lucid]
• Full codename:
  • [hardy-heron], [intrepid-ibex], [jaunty-jackalope], [karmic-koala], [lucid-lynx]
• Short codename, Ubuntu prefix _{^{(a la Debian)}}:
  • [ubuntu-hardy], [ubuntu-intrepid], [ubuntu-jaunty], [ubuntu-karmic], [ubuntu-lucid]

My aim is consistency, so that SU doesn't end up with 47 different tags that all mean "Ubuntu 9.10". I like the current convention, but I don't care which convention is followed. If the community wants to settle on another convention, batch-retagging the existing questions won't be difficult, and I'll help keep it consistent.

For comparison, here's how tags for Windows, Mac OS X and Debian are currently handled:

• Microsoft: [microsoft]
  • [windows]
  • [windows-xp], [windows-vista], [windows-7], ...
  • [windows-server], [windows-server-2003], [windows-server-2008]
  • [windows-xp-embedded]

• Apple: [apple], [mac]
  • [osx], [mac-os]
  • [jaguar], [tiger], [leopard], [snow-leopard]
  • [osx-server]

• Debian:
  • [debian]
  • [debian-lenny], [debian-squeeze]