I'm nearly ready to move NetworkManager-kde4 to kdereview now, after a crazy week of rehashing the connection layer (the bit that writes your configured connections to KConfig (and optionally KWallet) into something that I actually want to support for a few years.
Before I move it and start telling people about it, I want to decide on a final name. This is important as it's not just what appears in the UI, but also determines the names of files like config files for connections, KNotify settings, translation catalogs, none of which you want to mess about with after a release. So I'm looking for suggestions for and opinions about a good name.
The name will appear in the UI:
* In the Add Widgets plasma list
* In Plasma's tooltip for the widget
* In the right-click menu on the widget ($NAME Settings..., Remove this $NAME)
* In System Settings
** Module list
** Window titles
And for the OCD award, this is where you'll see it on the filesystem
* $KDEHOME/share/config/$namerc
* $KDEHOME/share/config/$name.notifyrc
* $KDEHOME/share/apps/$name/
* $KDEDIR/share/kde4/services/kcm_$name.desktop
* $KDEDIR/share/kde4/services/plasma-applet-$name.desktop
* $KDEDIR/share/kde4/services/kded/$name.desktop
* .po files
Plese help me come up with good values for $NAME and $name. Currently I'm using an inconsistent mix of "Networks", "Network Settings", "knetworkmanager" and "networkmanager".
Here are some I thought of so far.
* Networks - nice and to the point but looks wrong in the widget right click menu, which shows "Remove this Networks" - bad name for hardcoded grammar
* NetworkManager - relates a bit closely to the implementation. We may make the 'business end' a Plasma::Service and Dario Freddi wants to work on a Wicd implementation of it.
* KNetworkManager - shows its heritage (since I worked on the KDE 3 KNetworkManagers) but there is very little common code, and really I'm not sure that it's a relationship to be proud of. Plus it would cause conflicts on distros where KDE3 and KDE4 share a KDEHOME.
* Networking
* Connection Manager - *Manager is so overused and it will coincide with Intel's ConnMan when we have a backend for that.
* Connections
* Connection Control Panel - works with "Remove this" but is clumsy when referring to the System Settings Module - eg "Connection Control Panel Settings"
Syndicate Blogs
Wired and Wireless connections
What about something like KWire-Less?
Network Manager
+1 for $NAME == Network Manager
and for $name == knetworkmanager, kNetwork, kNet, kNetApp, kNetWidget, NetworkDevil, kNetKonf, NetKonfig (in my order of preference)
Thanks for your work! I can't wait to use it.
Please don't be creative.
Just call the thing Network Manager.
At worst, go back to the terrible K's. Konnect would be another cheesy K-name, but at least it gives a hint about what the application does. Solid, Plasma, Nepomuk, and all the other new names obscure what the app does and it is impossible to use the system without doing an introductory course.
In my order of
In my order of preference:
Konnector [or just Konnect]
KNet
Network Manager
Network Control
InterKonnect
NIK [NIC in KDE style]
In any case, please don't go with something with Kn... It is hard to pronounce by non-English speakers.
Having read other comments
Having read other comments too, you could also consider being consistent with PowerDevil and make it NetworkDevil, or NetDevil. Or if you wanto nudge the PowerDevil guys, go for NetworkAngel
Network Manager Name
Hey
Looking forward to playing with the new manager.
As far as names go I like the fact that new KDE apps have been moving away from the K naming convention. Names like "Solid" and "Plasma" stand out more I think.
Archelon??
Nexus, or some variant thereof
I already emailed this earlier, but here it is again (snipped from the body of my email):
...
my suggestions for a name (they're all variants on the term 'nexus' ( http://www.thefreedictionary.com/nexus ), whose definition implies a grouping or centralization of connected things.
- Nexus
- Knexus
- neKxus
- neKsus
- Connexus
- Konnexus
Cheers.
Networkspider
Hi,
I have to say, that I like the name for the new kde powermanager, namely Powerdevil, very much. I think something similar would be nice for the NetworkManager as well!
How about Networkspider. A Networkmanager is a program that is tightening together the different network connections to be able to spend all day long without loosing network connection, much like a real spider is weaving a web of his silk to keep connected to his outside world, and get the information to hunt his prey. We are obviously not hunting prey, but we also rely on being connected to the outside world via various network connections, to do our jobs and stay in contact with friends, family and colleagues.
Cheers,
Marc
Or...
Networc, to avoid the K-naming scheme.
Also has the benefit of sounding a bit like a network admin orc.
I also prefer simply "Network Manager" out of these.
Something descriptive, unique, cool-sounding, and non-nerdy like PowerDevil would be even better, but I can't think of anything like that. "NetworkDevil" just doesn't have the same ring. (Besides, even the PowerDevil applet just says "Power Management"...)