Next Release Codename + Mascot Competition

[Jeff Waugh]

Good morning freedom lovers!

Today I'm very pleased to announce the codename for the next Ubuntu release,
due in October 2005... It will be known as Ubuntu 5.10, the Breezy Badger!

Ah, the SABDFL gives us another quizzical name to figure out... What could
it mean this time? Warty Warthog was meant to be a bit warty, being our
first release - but out turned out to be wonderful! Hoary Hedgehog is the
wiser, more mature Ubuntu, being our second release. But "breezy"? Will the
next release be... windy? Hmm...

Using the handy dictionary in my Ubuntu menus, I found out that breezy also
means "fresh, brisk and full of life". Is this what the SABDFL intended? I
do not know, for he is ever mysterious... but it sounds very much like the
Ubuntu we know and love!

 * Fresh - with supported releases every six months, Ubuntu gives you the
   latest and greatest of the Open Source world, tested and tamed by the
   Ubuntu development team... and it's so easy to upgrade!

 * Brisk - whether you're looking for a zippy desktop or a supercharged
   server, Ubuntu is swift and sturdy. With a brand new LiveCD on every
   architecture, or our simple and speedy installer, Ubuntu is ready for
   action... fast!

 * Full of life - the Ubuntu community has blossomed in the six months since
   our first public release, with users and developers participating in our
   mailing lists, forums, wikis, local community teams, package maintenance,
   and international commercial support through our Ubuntu Marketplace. Over
   10,000 users have registered to participate on the forums alone! It's an
   incredible community to be part of - get involved today!

Breezy Badger - fresh, brisk and full of life!

The Ubuntu developer team will begin work on Breezy Badger in April, driving
towards its final release in October 2005. In the mean time, look forward to
the final release of Ubuntu 5.04 - the Hoary Hedgehog - in very early April.


Mascot Competition
------------------

Have you mastered the art of Inkscape-fu? We're looking for a Breezy Badger
developer mascot, and great artists to show us who the Breezy Badger really
is! Here's the vital details:

 * Submissions should be scalable vector illustrations, in SVG format.

 * The Breezy Badger is an extremely rare South American breed, not a friend
   of colder climates. ;-) Obviously, submissions should depict a badger!

 * Please send submissions or questions to <jeff.waugh at ubuntu.com>.

 * Competition closes on Monday, April 25th - the first day of Ubuntu Down
   Under <http://www.ubuntu.com/wiki/UbuntuDownUnder>.

 * A winner will be announced on Saturday, April 30th - the last day of
   Ubuntu Down Under.

The winning mascot will appear in the Breezy Badger development artwork, to
cheer on Ubuntu developers and testers over the next six months... and may
even sneak into the final Breezy Badger release... somewhere. ;-)


Rock and roll!

- Jeff

-- 
UbuntuDownUnder: April 25th-30th                      http://www.ubuntu.com/
 
    "It's not sufficient to 'use simple words to explain things'. Things
      must actually *be* simple, which is much harder." - Martin Pool