Rebranding

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Quick guide to branding Ubuntu-based ISO images. User will have to do this by themselves, since Customizer doesn't support full rebranding per se.

Branding is the process of giving an identity to a product [1] and promotion of the product [2], to create public awareness. When remastering Ubuntu-based ISO images for your personal or organization's internal use, rebranding is not needed at all.

For impatient users

Rebranding is not needed at all. Period.

For curious users

On the other hand, rebranding can be a necessity when the remastered ISO image will be distributed [3][4]. If rebranding issue is not handled properly, this may turn into a legal issue. One such case is Ubuntu EEE (now known as "Easy Peasy") [5][6][7].

Rebranding isn't easy and is a tedious process. While Ubuntu and its derivatives have established their own brand [8], their branding specifications were defined much earlier than that [9].

Rebranding is mostly undocumented and takes too much time that typical users shouldn't do it.

So you want to do rebranding. Then, you should know where are "Ubuntu" and its branding within the ISO image and replace them [10]. But be careful, because rebranding can prevent you from updating the packages [11].

The easiest thing to do is to edit /etc/lsb-release file, while remastering the ISO image. To which extent to modify the file however, depends on your intention [12].

So you want to skip rebranding. Anyway, what you create is a 'remix'.

TL;DR Using remix for own use, skip rebranding. If the remix will be distributed, need rebranding.

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References

[1] Generic definition concluded from readings by @clearkimura

[2] branding definition from Wiktionary.org.

[3] Intellectual property rights policy on Ubuntu.com, published by Canonical Limited. The policy was last updated on 15 July 2015 (Last visited on 4 Feb 2016).

[4] The Ubuntu trademark policy on LWN.net, posted April 26, 2007 by corbet. Older text that were quoted from [3], in 2007.

[5] Mail from Canonical on EasyPeasy.com, published on 10 September 2008.

[6] Rebranding Ubuntu Eee on EasyPeasy.com, published on 24 October 2008.

[7] Ubuntu Eee's new name! on EasyPeasy.com, published on 15 December 2008.

[8] Brand on Ubuntu Wiki, last edited 2011-05-12 01:19:34.

[9] DerivativeTeam/UDSNotes/UDU/Branding on Ubuntu Wiki, last edited 2008-08-06 17:00:18.

[10] Where do I need to change “Ubuntu” when naming my own custom distribution? on Ask Ubuntu, asked Nov 28 '11 at 20:08.

[11] Why does my Linux version name read Linaro instead of Xubuntu and how can I fix it? on Ask Ubuntu, asked Jul 17 '13 at 15:14.

[12] Custom Distro Trademark usage on Ask Ubuntu, asked Oct 6 '15 at 12:51.

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