The openSUSE project is currently undertaking a brand refresh aimed at establishing a distinct identity from its parent company, SUSE.

Community designers were invited to submit designs for an updated openSUSE logo, and a public vote launched to help the project narrow down the shortlist to potential winners (the ultimate victor will be decided by the project).

With the finish line for the vote set for December 12th, the clock’s ticking if you want to cast your vote in helping shape the future brand appeal of this iconic Linux distribution.

Why does openSUSE want a new logo?

As said, the project wishes to develop a brand identity that stands independently from SUSE, underlining the project’s distinctiveness within the open-source community.

Or to quote openSUSE’s Douglas DeMaio directly: “The brands of both SUSE and openSUSE can oftentimes confuse people who don’t understand the relationship between the open-source company SUSE and the open-source community project openSUSE.”

Think of it as aiming for an identity that is “less corporate, more community.”

After a winning logo is selected, there won’t be an immediate logo swap. Instead, the new logo will phase in gradually. The iconic “Geeko” lizard logo will continue to be used (there’s a lot of existing promotional materials with it on) during the transition period.

Conservationists will be pleased to hear the iconic openSUSE chameleon isn’t about to go extinct. All of the 30+ logos available in the vote are creative variations of the much-loved lizard.

So if you haven’t already done so, be sure to hop on board and make your voice count defining a new direction for this Linux distro!

• Take the openSUSE logo survey