Mark Shuttleworth names Ubuntu 11.04 (the April, 2011) scheduled release of the Ubuntu GNU/Linux distribution as “Natty Narwhal” in a pretty poetic piece, where he also passingly alludes to Russia having the only spaceship in service post the shuttle retirement.
And so, we come swiftly to a conclusion: allow me to introduce the Natty Narwhal, our mascot for development work that we expect to deliver as Ubuntu 11.04.
The Narwhal, as an Arctic (and somewhat endangered) animal, is a fitting reminder of the fact that we have only one spaceship that can host all of humanity (trust me, a Soyuz won’t do for the long haul to Alpha Centauri). And Ubuntu is all about bringing the generosity of all contributors in this functional commons of code to the widest possible audience, it’s about treating one another with respect, and it’s about being aware of the complexity and diversity of the ecosystems which feed us, clothe us and keep us healthy. Being a natty narwhal, of course, means we have some obligation to put our best foot forward. First impressions count, lasting impressions count more, so let’s make both and make them favourable.
via Mark Shuttleworth » Blog Archive » N-imal?.
Interestingly, Narhwal pictures seem to be pretty rare on the Internet. Here is a one hosted at National Geographic:
