FreeBSD already comes with a program called vis

[passstab]

You might want to change the name of this project https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=vis&sektion=1&apropos=0&manpath=freebsd Edit: that software is also included in openbsd http://man.openbsd.org/vis.1 and netbsd http://netbsd.gw.com/cgi-bin/man-cgi?vis+1+NetBSD-6.0

[ghost]

The project could keep the same name: Only the binary and the man page needs to change their name?

Vis could get a server/client model in the future. The client could be visc, and the daemon visd?

[aeosynth]

nodejs has a similar issue on debian/ubuntu; there is already a node program, so the js runtime is renamed to nodejs. most other distros leave the runtime as node.

[passstab]

I don't think that is a good solution.

The other vis has quite a legacy, having first appeared in unix 8th edition. Unlike the nodejs example which effects only debian and its downstream distributions, the other vis is now included in at least 5 separately maintained unix derivatives. In addition to the three I mentioned in my original comment, it is included in HP-UX and DragonflyBSD.

Leaving the naming to the different operating systems could mean more then a couple names, and it could be an annoyance for those who use more then one OS.

I think keeping the name vis would unnecessarily cause a lot of confusion.

[martanne]

I'm aware of the history leading to the original vis utility found on many Unix systems. And yes the name clash is unfortunate, at the time it was a deliberate decision. With hindsight it was probably a bad idea. I might indeed decide to rename the project at some point.

[czarkoff]

@martanne, I am making an OpenBSD port for vis, and I have to rename binary and manual page it to avoid name clash. Any suggestions regarding name? I came up with "vise" ("vis" + "e" for "editor").

[martanne]

NetBSD/pkgsrc settled for vis-editor which seems preferable. I suggested the same thing for the homebrew package. In practical terms users properly use a shell alias anyway.

As for the more general problem of renaming the whole project, some naming suggestions which I remember from the last time this was discussed:

• vs, might be too confusing with Visual Studio (Code)?
• siv
• mirj
• ...

I haven't actually properly checked whether some of them are already in use etc. Suggestions welcome.

[ghost]

Why not svi? It does not seems to be present in BSDs at least, and could mean Simple/Suckless VI[m] or Simple/Suckless Vi Improved (as in vi improved in a simple way).

[passstab]

there is something else called vis-editor

[czarkoff]

People won't necessarily use aliases unless they are forced to. Some may even switch between different vi-like editors depending on current task. So a simpler, shorter name would be a good thing.

Also, if renaming is on cards, it should probably happen as soon as possible, so that the amount of downstream projects that have to deal with package name change is as small as possible.

FWIW I'd rather go with svi or vie, so that vi part stands out.

[eworm-de]

Possibly a stupid idea, but... Let's discuss it. How about going with just v? In the end we are minimalistic. :D Would that clash anywhere?

[ghost]

@eworm-de: I think no one ever dare name a text editor v, but many people may have a l as an alias for ls, and v for vi/vim.

On the other hand, this editor is not the default, so if the user installs it, he may want to use it.

@czarkoff: vie means "life" in french. And it is simple as in "VIsual Editor".

[czarkoff]

Yes, that was my reasoning behind this suggestion back in 2014..

[ghost]

I also thought about triode, an anagram of editor, and the ancestor of the transistor. It is also very close to trimode (as the three modes of vi).

But it is too long to type: twice as much as vis!

[aeosynth]

savvy - sa(m) + vi(s). but this is also long.

edit - savi ?

[erf]

Here are the permutations of vim and sam:

vim vis via vmi vms vma vsi vsm vsa vai vam vas iva ivm ivs ima imv ims isa isv ism ias iav iam mvs mva mvi mis mia miv msi msa msv mai mas mav svi svm sva siv sim sia smv smi sma sav sai sam avs avi avm ais aiv aim ams amv ami asm asv asi

[shua]

is ve already taken? (visual editor)

or you can go the way of libzahl, and call it seh from german

[erf]

@shua a quick google search revealed this -> http://www.campbell-tx.net/campbellware/ve.php

In general when considering a name, i think the key combination should be as easy as possible to type.

[herrbischoff]

I like the idea of triode. It's a pleasant name which could also be shortened to tri.

[aeosynth]

the names sam and acme have no relation to ed or vi; this project doesn't have to pay homage either. call it me for 'modal editor'.

[luciusgone]

Seems stuck here. Shall I propose the name "fella" for this project is quite young compared to the other giant old mates.

[z3bra]

It could be something as simple as "edit", so that typing "edit file" would make sense! I also like the name "vie". As I read it in french, it makes english sentences sound fun :) I would suggest not going with a name that is longer than 4 char though. Long names calls for complex projects in my mind.

[ghost]

I like "edit" (contains ed(1) in it), but it is hard to search through search engines. Also, http://man.freebsd.org/edit points to ee(1).

"edit" -> "edt" ?

[ddkn]

Reading through this list, I like the idea of siv, which is similar to a sieve /siv/. Defined as separating coarser from finer particles (code) -- seems to be what vis does as an editor. Short name, and still has sam, and vi in the name, as well as minimal and doesn't conflict.

Compiling for FreeBSD was when I noticed this issue.

[lanodan]

@josuah:

I think removing few letters is not gonna help people that have issues reading/writing and/or issues remembering the name, also it makes it non-pronounceable or ambigous.

---

I propose "stika"[stika] which comes from lojban:

• Lojban makes it non-ambiguous in meaning & pronunciation
• 1 letter longer than acme, 1 shorter than editor
• It doesn’t clash and I don’t think it’s gonna clash with other software (checked: gentoo, debian, freebsd, openbsd, plan9front, wikipedia(fr,en,de,es))

[ghost]

There's a lot of names now ! :) They are all fine, but we cannot pick them all.b

We could do the name change at version 1.0, with the announcement to the community (HN, lobste.rs, reddit...): "releasing **** 1.0".

Does it clash on some OS, in chronological order of the proposition:

name	Linux (man7.org)	Linux (die.net)	NetBSD	FreeBSD	OpenBSD	Plan 9
vis	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
vise	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
vs	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
siv	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
mirj	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
svi	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
vie	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
v	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
triode	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
savi	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
savvy	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
ve	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
seh	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
tri	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
me	✓	✓	~	✗	✓	✓
fella	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
edit	✓	✓	✓	✗	✓	✓
edt	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
stika	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

To add more rows:

sed 's!.*!| `&` | [?](https://duckduckgo.com/lite/?q=site:man7.org/linux/+&) | [?](https://duckduckgo.com/lite/?q=site:linux.die.net/man+&) | [?](http://netbsd.gw.com/cgi-bin/man-cgi?&) | [?](http://man.freebsd.org/&) | [?](http://man.openbsd.org/&) | [?](https://duckduckgo.com/lite/?q=site:man.cat-v.org+&) |!'

[erf]

Maybe add a poll at some time? Or a random chooser ;)

[ghost]

Yes, we may need a poll at some point. :) Not really to vote as it's @martanne's project from the beginning, but to give him an idea how the community appreciate the various names.

poll -> https://poll.kosebamse.com/vis

You can add a column too.

[stevenjm]

@martanne I saw in another issue that you mentioned the chore of renaming everything as a reason not to do this (yet?). If you decide on a new name, I am willing to do the work of actually implementing the rename.

As a user of both OpenBSD and Linux, doing that busywork once is less annoying to me than remembering two different commands for the same editor. Besides, it's a good way to get to know the code.

[lanodan]

Well the rename part thing probably needs:

• Legacy symlink or a wrapper with warning note
• Message informing the user on the rename (when compiling or when installing the package)
• (maintainers) Renaming of Package/Recipe Name (gentoo can handle this fine)

[slim]

I see the obvious "visam" was not proposed. So here it is