The name of Fedora derives from the original "Fedora Linux", a [[Volunteering|volunteer]] project that provided extra software for the [[Red Hat Linux]] distribution, and from the characteristic [[fedora]] hadhat used in Red Hat's "Shadowman" logo. Warren Togami began Fedora Linux in 2002 as an undergraduate project at the [[University of Hawaii]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Wtogami?rd=WarrenTogami|title=Warren Togami|publisher=fedoraproject.org|access-date=20 October 2021|archive-date=19 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019012539/https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Wtogami?rd=WarrenTogami|url-status=live}}</ref> intended to provide a single [[Software repository|repository]] for well-tested third-party software packages so that non-Red Hat software would be easier to find, develop, and use. The key difference between Fedora Linux and Red Hat Linux was that Fedora's repository development would be collaborative with the global volunteer community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linux.com/archive/feature/31767|title=Warren Togami on the new Fedora Project|last=Barr|first=Joe|date=1 October 2003|publisher=Linux.com|access-date=9 February 2010|archive-date=20 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020105212/https://www.linux.com/news/feature-8-cores-budget-building-better-workstation/|url-status=live}}</ref> The original Fedora Linux was eventually absorbed into the Fedora Project, carrying with it this collaborative approach.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://togami.com/~warren/archive/2006/lax_seminar_fedora_feb_2006.odp|title=Why Fedora?|last=Togami|first=Warren|date=February 2006|format=ODP|access-date=30 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831065506/http://togami.com/~warren/archive/2006/lax_seminar_fedora_feb_2006.odp|archive-date=31 August 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Fedora Project is sponsored primarily by [[Red Hat]] with additional support and sponsors from other companies and organizations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://getfedora.org/sponsors |title=Fedora Sponsors |access-date=7 December 2019 |archive-date=24 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124143452/https://fedoraproject.org/sponsors/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Fedora Linux, then known as "Fedora Core", was a fork of [[Red Hat Linux]] launched in 2003, when Red Hat Linux was discontinued so the team could focus on their paid version for servers: [[Red Hat Enterprise Linux]].<ref name="newdirection">{{cite mailing list | url=http://www.redhat.com/archives/rhl-list/2003-September/msg00064.html | title=Fedora Project: Announcing New Direction | date=22 September 2003 | access-date=18 October 2007 | mailing-list=Fedora development | last=Johnson | first=Michael K. | archive-date=20 November 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120053411/http://www.redhat.com/archives/rhl-list/2003-September/msg00064.html | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Red Hat Enterprise Linux]] was to be Red Hat's only officially supported Linux distribution, while Fedora was to be a community distribution.<ref name="newdirection" /> Red Hat Enterprise Linux branches its releases from versions of Fedora.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.redhat.com/magazine/022aug06/features/fedora_rhel_4/ | title=The Fedora Project and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, part 4 | last=Burke | first=Tim | publisher=Red Hat | series=Red Hat Magazine, Issue #22 | date=August 2006 | access-date=18 October 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012162113/http://www.redhat.com/magazine/022aug06/features/fedora_rhel_4/ | archive-date=12 October 2007 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
