Codenames For Windows, macOS, And Linux Operating Systems

Microsoft assigns codenames to its operating systems, like many other OS manufacturers. This is primarily done because, at the time of developing these projects, the final version, or the final name of the product is yet to be decided. Therefore, whilst they’re still in production, the developers use the codenames for the products to identify them.

Microsoft does not only assign codenames to the Windows operating system versions but also to other products, such as .NET releases, SQL Servers, etc.

While some prefer using the finalized names of the products, others prefer using the operating system codenames. Codenames eliminate the error of misunderstanding and often refer to exact product descriptions. For example, with the Windows OS, a codename illustrates an exact build of the operating system, eliminating any confusion.

This post lists the codenames Microsoft used or uses for the Windows operating system.

Microsoft’s naming strategy for Windows

Microsoft has shifted a few times from its codename strategies. Earlier Windows versions used simple and random names, which then shifted to theme-based codenames, such as weather or astronomical phenomena. This then changed to aspirational names, such as “Redstone,” which was used for Windows 10 versions.

When Windows 11 was launched, Microsoft again changed its naming strategy and used names for valleys as codenames. The theory behind the reasoning is still unknown.

That said, not all Windows releases need to have a codename – some are without a codename, or even if Microsoft assigned one to them, they did not catch on.

Codenames for Windows OS

Codenames for macOS

Like Windows and other operating systems, Apple also assigns codenames to its operating systems which are released on an annual basis. The codenames for Apple’s operating systems catch on rather quickly and are usually known by those codenames, and rarely by the macOS versions.

Here are the codenames for the different macOS versions:

Linux codenames

As you would already know, Linux has many different distributions and flavors, and each of those has different codename strategies. Here, I have highlighted the codenames for the common types of Linux distributions.

Ubuntu codenames

Debian codenames

OpenSUSE codenames

Closing words

Codenames may not be used as widely after a product has been released, but they are very important when a product is under development.

Since the developers are not certain what the actual version name of the stable release will be, they tend to use codenames for OS versions in their communications. These codenames are then carried forward when a version is rolled out.