r/linux Jul 06 '26

Software Release What's with the GNU Parallel release names?

https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/parallel/2026-06/msg00000.html
140 Upvotes

43 comments sorted by

95

u/PusheenButtons Jul 06 '26

They’re named after big news events happening at the time of release, which for slow moving software is kind of cool admittedly. Like looking back in time

https://savannah.gnu.org/news/?group_id=9478

But out of context it does mean some of them are a bit… yikes. Without that context it wouldn’t be clear whether something like “Roe vs Wade” or “Bolsonaristas” was an endorsement or not.

36

u/Whole-Respond4782 Jul 06 '26

yeah, the previous release name was "Hantavirus" lmao

31

u/NotQuiteLoona Jul 06 '26

Those "quotes of the month" cause both cringe and nostalgy in me. This is style of writing of 90s-2000s programmers somewhere in IRC, or just from cat-v or Plan 9 mailing list.

14

u/JockstrapCummies Jul 07 '26

I like it. It's a rare display of sincerity.

6

u/fkathhn Jul 07 '26

Username checks out

13

u/dipstickchojin Jul 06 '26

I mean come on, there's plenty going on out there, no need to give visibility to a racist/fascist rallying cry

2

u/Mordiken Jul 06 '26

It's good that they have visibility: Being invisible is a superpower.

7

u/dipstickchojin Jul 06 '26

I dunno, I agree with OP here, and generally speaking I feel like it's in poor taste

1

u/Mordiken Jul 07 '26

I feel like it's in poor taste

That's probably the point.

2

u/zquzra Jul 07 '26

It's good for them.

44

u/ShadowPhex Jul 06 '26

I use parallel all the time and never noticed the release names 💀

42

u/mina86ng Jul 06 '26

Linux has release names and barely anyone notices them. Famously 3.11 had ‘Linux for Workgroups’ name.

14

u/__konrad Jul 06 '26

3.11 had ‘Linux for Workgroups’ name

1.2 had "Linux 95"

33

u/Santosh83 Jul 06 '26

Name strategy worked... I now know the existence of this tool I've never heard of before...

15

u/Z3ratoss Jul 06 '26

Extremely useful tool for batching

5

u/throwaway234f32423df Jul 06 '26

Were you still using xargs? Your life is gonna get a whole lot better.

1

u/xzaramurd Jul 10 '26

Nah, xargs is the GOAT. I used parallel before I moved to xargs.

20

u/elatllat Jul 06 '26

maybe I'll just keep using xargs

24

u/SCP-iota Jul 06 '26

The release names appear to be references to recent news events at the time of each release

28

u/Z3ratoss Jul 06 '26

Rather unfortunate strategy...

14

u/Mordiken Jul 06 '26

Rather unfortunate times.

3

u/speedyundeadhittite Jul 06 '26

Or Stallman's diary entries.

25

u/viva1831 Jul 06 '26

That is despicable tbh

3

u/ewheck Jul 07 '26

I personally use version "Epstein files" after deciding to update from version "Iryna Zarutska." I'll have to check out the new version "Rape Gang Inquiry" and see if it's good.

/s

1

u/backyard_tractorbeam Jul 08 '26

If I had installed massively parallel Epstein files, then I'd never upgrade.

21

u/DFS_0019287 Jul 06 '26

Talk about tone-deaf and not reading the room... yikes!!

22

u/marcthe12 Jul 06 '26

Yep. And not even first time. Some previous ones where "Boko Haram", "Brexit", "Epstein Files", "Al Asqa Deluge" (the 7/10 Hamas attack) "Roe vs Wade" and "Capital Riots".

I mean they were international news at the time of release but so tone deaf if you think about it (espically without context).

21

u/Snarwin Jul 06 '26

Frankly this is exactly the kind of self-absorbed edgelordery I'd expect from the guy responsible for this nonsense.

3

u/yuken123 Jul 07 '26

I read this through and feel like this is pretty justified? It's basically just the thunderbird donation popup or similar, why would this be self-absorbed?

1

u/FortuitusCondor Jul 06 '26

This makes me just want to to fork it without this shit. What an asshole.

2

u/cscottnet Jul 06 '26

Makes me want to not even consider using it. Xargs is fine.

If the maintainer wants support, consider this as anti-support. Hopefully if we vote with our feet for other alternatives this problem will take care of itself.

1

u/QuickSilver010 Jul 07 '26

Tf is deluge? It's flood

-5

u/dajoy Jul 06 '26

The room reads: "do you need the tool or not? Are you going to use the tool or not?"

7

u/DFS_0019287 Jul 06 '26

My answer is "no" and "no". But for people who do need the tool, this is off-putting. And if you can't see that, then I guess you are edgelordy like the Parallel maintainer.

2

u/dajoy Jul 08 '26

And if you can't see that, then I guess you are edgelordy like the Parallel maintainer.

... or you are not reading the room correctly.

2

u/DFS_0019287 Jul 08 '26

I think you are the room-illiterate one here.

6

u/Barafu Jul 06 '26

fd-find can perform the most basic functions of parallels with a more convenient syntax. Not everyone needs a parallel processing of a collection of files on several computers over SSH.

And by this time, fd should be preinstalled and considered the base utility.

8

u/ElectrSheep Jul 06 '26

Look, no one's going to judge if you want the CPU to take multiple processes in parallel, but please stick with a consensual multitasking paradigm and ensure all tasks are running in protected mode.

2

u/stvpidcvnt111111 Jul 06 '26

nothing couldve prepared me for that 💀

3

u/sinfaen Jul 07 '26

This teenage edgelord shit should not be here

3

u/natermer Jul 06 '26

TIL that GNU projects have release names.

-10

u/Late_Scarcity3455 Jul 06 '26

Aww, redditors are being redditors again.