Ubuntu Weekly News: Issue #26

[Cody A.W. Somerville]

Welcome to a special holiday edition of the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue
26 for December 12th to 31th, 2006. In this issue we cover the community
council meeting, Ubuntu XMas Edition 2006, changes at the UWN, upcoming
meetings and events, BehindUbuntu's latest interview, Ubuntu in the press,
general community news and much more.

== In This Issue ==

* Coverage of the Community Council Meeting
 * Ubuntu LoCo Team News
 * Ubuntu Xmas Edition 2006
 * BehindUbuntu's latest Interview
 * Ubuntu Women Unite
 * Changes in Feisty
 * Changes at the UWN
 * Launchpad Update
 * Ubuntu in the press
 * This week's Quiz
 * Upcoming Meetings and Events
 * Community Spotlight
 * Updates and Security Notices
 * Bug Stats

== General Community News ==

=== Ben Collins Interviewed ===

BehindUbuntu's latest interview is with our very own illustrious kernel
Hacker, Ben Collins.

Ben is one of Ubuntu's premier kernel hackers. Currently employed by
Canonical, Ben has been focusing on improving hardware support and
stability. Ben's claim to fame is that he does all of his work out of a
barn. His systems are secured using a 110 volt Stockmaster energized
electric fence and a one tonne bull. When asked "How much time do you spend
working on Ubuntu?", he answers: "I try not to keep count. Way more than I
should." How much time do *you* spend on Ubuntu?

Read the full interview at http://behindubuntu.org/interviews/BenCollins/

=== Ubuntu-Women IRC Meeting ===

Ubuntu-Women will have an "open day" IRC meeting. Please join #ubuntu-women
on irc.freenode.net on Thursday January 11, 2007 (starting 15:00 UTC, 03:00
PM, London, group 1), and Friday 12, 2007 (starting 03:00 UTC, 03:00 AM,
London, group 2). Different schedules have been set to accommodate different
timezones. Check the fridge announcement (http://fridge.ubuntu.com/node/697),
the forum thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=320742), and the
Ubuntu Women IRC Meetup Wiki page (
http://behindubuntu.org/interviews/BenCollins/https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWomenIRCMeetup
).

Feel free to join, we are looking forward to meet you there!

=== Ubuntu Xmas Edition 2006 ===

The new Ubuntu Xmas Edition 2006 includes integrated multimedia codecs,
Flash Player 9, Java, Audacity, new Grub splash screen and animated "very
pretty" boot up screen, Isomaster - CD / DVD ISO Editor, ClamAV - Anti-virus
software, X-Chat - IRC Client, and a lot more!!! For download
http://ubuntusoftware.info

=== Changes at the UWN ===

There have been some interesting developments at the UWN recently.

 * The UWN is proud to announce that Cody A.W. Somerville (somerville32) has
been appointed the new Co-Chief Editor of the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter.
 * Several translation efforts have been started to provide the UWN in
native languages. See the frontpage of the UWN (
http://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter) for more details.
 * A script has been developed by Cody Somerville to help make the Feisty
Changes section easier to write. In the past, it has taken 3-4 writers up to
seven consecutive hours to bring you the Feisty Changes section. Hopefully
the new script will make the process easier so that we can get the UWN to
you on a more regular basis. The script will be tested for the first time
for UWN Issue #27

As always, if you'd like to get involved with the UWN, please come visit us
at #ubuntu-marketing on irc.freenode.net
If you'd like to contribute an article to the next issue of the UWN, please
feel free to edit the appropriate wiki page.

=== Ubuntu Community Council Meeting ===

After a very long hiatus, the Community Council convened on December 12th to
hold the first Community Council Meeting in months. The meeting lasted
several hours and was able to resolve some tough issues.

    * LeadershipCodeofConduct was approved
    * ForumsGovernance was approved
    * It was decided not to move off Freenode
    * Elections and confirmations for new CC members will happen in January
    * New position of CC Secretary, with Dennis Kaarsemaker as initial
office bearer, approved
    * Colin Watson announced his resignation from the Community Council.
Thanks for your dedication, Colin!
    * 19 new members were approved.

The UWN, on behalf of the Ubuntu Community, would like to welcome the
following new Ubuntu Members:

    * Alan Pope
    * Alexandre Vassalotti
    * Bill Weber
    * Cody A.W. Somerville
    * Emir Beganović
    * Fabian Rodriguez
    * John Wendell
    * Joseph Price
    * Mark van den Borre
    * Michael Bienia
    * Miguel Ruiz
    * Mike Basinger
    * Mirco Müller
    * Nicolas Derive
    * Nik Butler
    * Sean Hammond
    * Tony Yarusso
    * Travis Watkins
    * Zarul Shahrin

The next meeting will be on 09 January 2007, 21:00 UTC in #ubuntu-meeting on
irc.freenode.net

For logs and more information about the Community Council Meetings, see
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CommunityCouncilAgenda

=== This Week's Quiz ===

Once again, we had an exciting quiz this week. The prize, the generic Ubuntu
poster, was donated by our champion from last week, Lasse Havelund. Next
week's quiz doesn't have a sponsor yet, which means it will be sponsored by
Jenda Vančura with an Ubuntu poster.

This Week:

Quizmaster : Alexander Vassaloti
Champion   : Alex Howell
Sponsor    : Lasse Havelund
Prize      : Ubuntu poster

Next Week:

Sponsor    : Jenda Vančura
Prize      : Ubuntu poster

http://doc.ubuntu.com/~marketing/DIY%20Material/Batch%201,%20Posters/HanZo/poster-layout.jpg

To participate in the quiz, join #ubuntu-trivia on irc.freenode.net on
Friday and/or Saturday UTC-nights - the topic will tell you when the next
quiz is scheduled.

To give a quiz, contact Alexandre Vassalotti (theCore) - we will find you a
spot.
To donate a prize, please contact Jenda Vancura (jenda) - your generosity is
appreciated. The generic prize is an Ubuntu poster ($5 value).

== LoCo News ==

=== Interview on people Behind Ubuntu-ph  ===

The first interview for "People Behind Ubuntu-PH", the LoCo Team of Ubuntu
Philippines, was conducted by Mrs. Yolynne Medina via email. She is one of
the active members of Ubuntu-PH. The first person interviewed is Mr. Jerome
Gotangco, initiator of Ubuntu-PH.

Read more about the interview: http://ubuntu-ph.org/node/78

=== Ubuntu-ve at Expotecnologica  ===

This week the Venezuela LoCo team had very productive week at the
Expotecnologica held at the convention isle of a very famous shopping mall
in the city of Maracaibo, Venezuela. The invitation came rather late, so
preparations for the event were not very many. The event gathered the latest
trends in technology. Representatives from companies like Nintendo, Epson
and A2 Softway (software development group) offered services, and the
different university projects gave the event a very special touch of local
talent.

Read more about it: http://www.ubuntu.org.ve/?q=node/494

== Changes In Fiesty ==

Changes in Feisty has been deferred for this issue. Please check back next
week!

== Launchpad News ==

=== Bug Notification Issue ===

Over the Christmas break, Launchpad stopped sending bug notification
emails - a service important to many developers as it helps them keep track
of bugs related to them on Launchpad. Matthew Revell had the following to
say in an email:

 "I'm sorry for the inconvenience that this has caused you. We've found the
bug responsible and will have the fix rolled out by Thursday (4th Jan).

 We have pretty good quality control but obviously it wasn't thorough enough
for us to catch this bug before the Christmas holiday. We're now reviewing
how we test changes to Launchpad and will implement a new QA process for the
bug mail system.

 I'm glad to say that no data was lost. You may not receive notification of
all bug changes straight away, though, as we are currently looking at the
best way to process the backlog."

For more information about Launchpad, please visit http://launchpad.net or
visit #launchpad on irc.freenode.net

=== Rosetta Statistics ===

Changes in Rosetta from Sept 3rd to December 31st in Rosetta:

 * Templates:   +161   (4341 -> 4502)
 * Strings:     +34916 (697429 -> 732345)
 * PO Files:    +10388 (140753 -> 151141)
 * Languages:   +6     (223 -> 229)
 * Translators: +3352  (14753  -> 18105)

== In The Press ==

=== Ubuntu vs SUSE vs Fedora ===

Ubuntu was compared against these two distributions, and although all three
had "good and bad", in the end, Ubuntu won the editor's heart. Ubuntu's
strong desktop focus and simple installer tipped the scale in our favor ;).
The notable complaints were the lack of an active firewall by default and no
clear, easy way to get one installed.

You can read the complete shootout at:
http://www.helpero.com/news/Computers/Linux/UBUNTU-vs-SUSE-vs-FEDORA_20.html

=== How One Small Business Switched to Ubuntu ===

The Inquirer ran a story on how one small business switched its servers
successfully to Ubuntu after becoming frustrated with its current setup.
Check it out: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36635

=== Mark Shuttleworth on out-innovating Apple and Microsoft ===

Red Herring, a technology business magazine, interviewed Mark Shuttleworth
about recent developments in the world of open source and his plans for
Ubuntu.

A nice highlight from the interview is:

   "Q:  What about growth in adoption rates, any kind of numbers that you
can give me?
    A:  We know now that there are probably at least 8 million [Ubuntu]
users."

Who knew there are 8 million of us?
Read it at:
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=20495&hed=Linux%3A+Ubuntu+Founder+On+Microsoft+%E2%80%9CChallenge%E2%80%9D

=== Windows and Ubuntu on One PC ===

PCWorld has a nice article on how easy it is to have Windows and Ubuntu
installed on the same PC. It has some good caveats for interoperability
issues between the two OSes.

Spread the word:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128136-c,linux/article.html

=== Yo' Mamma likes Ubuntu ===

Like most parents these days who buy a computer at Best Buy or Wal-Mart and
then take it home, plug it in and start using the Web, the computer they
bought usually has Windows pre-installed. After a couple months, using the
computer deteriorates into a sluggish experience. One particular mother
loves Ubuntu after her son installed it on her new laptop.

Read more about the article at:
http://shootingthekids.dpblogs.com/2006/12/14/yo-mamma-likes-ubuntu/

== Meetings and Events ==

=== Tuesday, January 2, 2007 ===

==== Technical Board Meeting ====

Start: 20:00 UTC
End: 22:00 UTC

    * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
    * Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/TechnicalBoardAgenda

=== Wednesday, January 3, 2007 ===

==== Edubuntu Meeting ====

Start: 20:00 UTC
End: 22:00 UTC

    * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
    * Agenda: https://wiki.edubuntu.org/EdubuntuMeetingAgenda

==== Xubuntu Meeting ====

Start: 22:00 UTC
End: 23:59 UTC

    * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
    * Topic: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Xubuntu/Meetings

=== Thursday, January 4, 2007 ===

==== Ubuntu Development Team Meeting ====

Start: 16:00 UTC
End: 18:00 UTC

    * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting

=== Tuesday, January 9, 2007 ===

==== LoCo Team Meeting ====

Start: 15:00 UTC
End: 16:00 UTC

    * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
    * Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoTeamMeeting

==== Forum Council Meeting ====

Start: 16:00 UTC
End: 18:00 UTC

    * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
    * Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ForumCouncilAgenda

==== Community Council Meeting ====

Start: 21:00 UTC
End: 23:00 UTC

    * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
    * Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CommunityCouncilAgenda

=== January 15 - 20th, 2007 ===

==== linux.conf.au 2007 Sydney ====

 There will be a rather large Ubuntu contingent this year at the 2007
linux.conf.au conference in Sydney, Australia. Our own Jono Bacon, Robert
Collins, and Scott James Remnant will be presenting. Melissa Draper will be
conducting a 10 minute soapbox session on Open Day so look for her when the
programme finalizes.

 The ubuntu-au Local Community Team will have a booth on Open Day, Thursday
the 18th from 3pm to 8pm.  An Ubuntu social event will occur on Wednesday
evening. Be sure to check http://ubuntu.org.au/ Wednesday morning for time
and location.

 More details including the programme can be found at
http://lca2007.linux.org.au

== Community Spotlight ==

This week we will be taking a look at the Ubuntu Marketing Team (the people
who make an enormous effort every week to bring you what has been happening
in the Ubuntu world). The Marketing Team is focused on promoting Ubuntu's
uptake in various ways, essentially looking for ways to make people aware of
Ubuntu and what it offers.

Ubuntu Bug #1 (http://launchpad.net/malone/bugs/1) is our inspiration, and
its final bugfix is our final goal. Spreading all Free Software,
particularly Ubuntu, is in the interest of the Team.

The scope of the Marketing Team is:

 * Provide a unified front to enable the proliferation of the Ubuntu
distribution, inclusive of all marketing activities
 * Creatively advocate and positively promote the Ubuntu distribution on
behalf of the Ubuntu community
 * Understand and respond to the requirements of individuals interested in
migrating to the Ubuntu distribution, making it easier for others to do so
 * Understand the need to find zero-cost and cost-effective awareness
strategies that allow for unlimited scalability
 * Provide resources that enable positive and accurate press coverage with a
long reach
 * Develop long-standing stakeholder relationships that encourage open
dialogue and deeper understanding
 * Remain approachable by all members of the general public regardless of
technical ability
 * Remain an 'open' team, understanding that a perfect marketing team
recognises that all users are potential advocates
 * Be prepared to change and mould to the waves of market forces whilst
remaining resolute in our founding principles
 * Respect and incorporate the views of the FOSS and Ubuntu community,
Canonical Ltd and all users
 * Ensure professionalism and Quality of Service at all times

The main projects the Marketing Team is currently working on are:

 * The Fridge  (A community-driven news website. You can find it at:
http://fridge.ubuntu.com/)
 * Ubuntu Weekly News (Weekly news for the community about the community)
 * Case Studies (gathering Ubuntu use cases, http://www.ubuntu.com/mystory)
 * Herd Reports (updates in the current development version of Ubuntu)
 * Ubuntu Video (Portal showcasing Ubuntu videos, take a peek at:
http://www.ubuntuvideo.com/)
 * Marketing Surveys (surveys on the needs of current, potential and
previous users, see current ones at:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MarketingTeam/UbuntuSurveys)
 * Spread Ubuntu (a website providing resources for grassroots advocacy,
work in progress)
 * DIY Website (gathering place for DIY Marketing materials, homegrown
campaigns and DIY howtos, work in progress)

Interested in helping out? Joining is easy!

The marketing team is always looking for people to help out. We have huge
plans to bring the wonder of Ubuntu to the world, and the more people
helping do that the faster we progress.

 * Read through the pages linked to from the MarketingTeam page to get an
idea of what we are currently working on.
 * Join the mailing list. You can have a read through the archives to catch
up on what has been discussed previously - but this isn't necessary as
important points will be put into the wiki.
 * Much of the team's communication and project coordination take place in
our IRC channel: #ubuntu-marketing on irc.freenode.net
 * Once you've made up your mind, join the team in Launchpad.

For more information about the Ubuntu Marketing Team, see the following
links:

 * Marketing Team Wiki: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MarketingTeam
 * Marketing Team on Launchpad:
https://launchpad.net/people/ubuntu-marketing
 * Marketing Team IRC channel: #ubuntu-marketing on irc.freenode.net
 * Marketing Team mailing list:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-marketing
 * Marketing Team Meeting Agenda:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MarketingTeam/Meetings

== Updates and security for 6.06 and 6.10 ==

=== Security Updates ===

 * USN-395-1: Linux kernel vulnerabilities -
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-395-1
 * USN-380-2: Avahi regression - http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-380-2
 * USN-396-1: gdm vulnerability - http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-396-1
 * USN-397-1: mono vulnerability - http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-397-1
 * USN-398-1: Firefox vulnerabilities - http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-398-1
 * USN-399-1: w3m vulnerability - http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-399-1

=== Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Updates ===

 * maxima 5.9.2-2ubuntu3 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2006-December/012325.html

=== Ubuntu 6.10 Updates ===

 * control-center 1:2.16.1-0ubuntu4.1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008113.html
 * udev 093-0ubuntu18.0edgy1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008112.html
 * mdadm 2.4.1-6ubuntu5.2 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008114.html
 * kopete 4:3.5.5+kopete0.12.3-0ubuntu2.2 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008115.html
 * gnome-system-tools 2.15.5-0ubuntu5~prop1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008116.html
 * gnome-panel 2.16.1-0ubuntu4~prop1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008117.html
 * gnome-applets 2.16.1-0ubuntu4~prop1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008118.html
 * gnome-netstatus 2.12.0-5ubuntu7~prop1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008119.html
 * system-tools-backends 1.9.7-0ubuntu5~prop1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008120.html
 * synaptic 0.57.11ubuntu12.1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008121.html
 * k3d 0.5.12.0-1ubuntu2.1~proposed1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008122.html
 * openoffice.org 2.0.4-0ubuntu4 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008123.html
 * control-center 1:2.16.1-0ubuntu4.2 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2006-December/008124.html

== Bug Stats ==

    * Open (20732)
    * Critical (21)
    * Unconfirmed (10539)
    * Unassigned (15625)
    * All bugs ever reported (69894)

As always, the Bug Squad needs more help. If you want to get started, please
see: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HelpingWithBugs

Check out the bug statistics: http://people.ubuntu-in.org/~carthik/bugstats/

== Archives and RSS Feed ==

You can always find older Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter issues at:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter

You can subscribe to the Ubuntu Weekly News via RSS at:
http://fridge.ubuntu.com/uwn/feed

== Additional Ubuntu News ==

As always you can find more news and announcements at:

 http://www.ubuntu.com/news

and

 http://fridge.ubuntu.com/

== Conclusion ==

Thank you for reading the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter.

If you'd like to read the UWN in your native language, please check
http://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter for a list of translations.

See you next week!

== Credits ==

The Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter is brought to you by:

 * Cody Somerville
 * Jenda Vančura
 * Isabelle Duchatelle
 * Martin Albisetti
 * Joey Stanford
 * Rj Ian S. Sevilla
 * Daniel T. Chen
 * And many others

== Feedback ==

This document is maintained by the Ubuntu Marketing Team. Please feel free
to contact us regarding any concerns or suggestions by either sending an
email to ubuntu-marketing at lists.ubuntu.com or by using any of the other
methods on the Ubuntu Marketing Team Contact Information Page (
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MarketingTeam).

If you'd like to contribute an article to the next issue of the Ubuntu
Weekly Newsletter, please feel free to the edit the wiki page for the next
issue: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue27
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