Ubuntu Weekly News: Issue #39
Martin Albisetti
argentina at gmail.com
Tue May 8 02:14:14 BST 2007
Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue #39 for the week April
29th - May 5th, 2007. In this issue we cover the new Mobile and
Embedded Initiative, Launchpad's new mentoring framework, and Lo``Cos
involved in conferences and installfests.
* Deutsch - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue39/De
* Español - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue39/Es
* Italiano - http://wiki.ubuntu-it.org/NewsletterItaliana
* Português do Brasil -
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue39/PtBR
== In This Issue ==
* Ubuntu launches Mobile and Embedded Initiative
* Launchpad's new mentoring framework
* Nicaraguan Lo``Co Team at FLISOL
* Ubuntu Education Summit in Sevilla Concluded
== General Community News ==
=== Ubuntu launches Mobile and Embedded Initiative ===
Ubuntu and Intel will be working together on the new Ubuntu Mobile and
Embedded project. Intel has recently announced a new low-power
processor and chipset for mobile Internet devices. The project will be
aimed at meeting the technical challenges of the new Intel
architecture. Planning for the project will be done at the Ubuntu
Developer Summit and the first edition will be available with Gutsy
Gibbon in October. Read more:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel-announce/2008-May/000289.html
=== Ubuntu Education Summit in Sevilla Concluded ===
The first Ubuntu Education Summit in Sevilla, prior to the Ubuntu
Development Summit has concluded. One of the big highlights was Oliver
Grawert, lead Edubuntu dev, getting Edubuntu on the Intel Classmate
PC. You can read more on Jonathan Carter's blog at
http://jonathancarter.co.za/ubuntu-education-summit-wrap-up or on the
wiki page at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UES-Sevilla.
== LoCo News ==
The Nicaraguan Lo``Co Team participated in the biggest free
software/open source event in Latin America, FLISOL, the Latin
American Free Software Installfest 2007, that was held on April 28
simultaneously in 17 countries and 160 cities in Latin America. The
University of Managua in León (Ude``M) announced plans to migrate over
400 computers from Windows to Ubuntu with the help of the Nicaraguan
Lo``Co Team. Datatex, one of the three biggest PC vendors in Nicaragua
is exploring the possibility of selling computers with pre-installed
Ubuntu, with the Ubuntu-ni Team providing training and local support.
For more details:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/loco-contacts/2007-May/001308.html
The Pacific Northwest team hosted a booth at Linuxfest Northwest in
Bellingham, Washington, USA on April 28th and 29th. Ubuntu garnered
much interest as the team handed out over 150 feisty CDs the first
hour and over 450 Dapper/Feisty Edubuntu, Kubuntu, Ubuntu, and Xubuntu
CDs over the duration of the two day event. For more details:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PNWTeam/projects/lfnw2007
Karim Fayez announced the launch of the Egyptian Lo``Co team. While
details (and mailing lists) are still in works, you can read more and
follow the news at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/EgyptTeam.
The Bangladesh Lo``Co team has recently been approved.
== Development News ==
The stable release update procedure (SRU) has changed slightly as
announced by Martin Pitt. Mostly the changes are to do with the naming
of the updates, as ~proposed1 is no longer required. You can read more
at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates and
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/SRU.
DaD, a replacement for the Merge 'o Matic, or MoM, has been announced,
to help the MOTUs with merges from Debian. You can see DaD at work at
http://adrishost.homeip.net/DaD/merges/ or read more at
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2007-May/023596.html
== Launchpad News ==
Mentoring - a new feature to help train new community members - is the
big news from
the Launchpad team this week. Launchpad's new mentoring framework
gives you the tools to:
* Offer to mentor people who want to fix a bug or implement a blueprint.
* Provide a list of items that are relevant to your project and for
which mentorship is available.
* Provide a list of items that would be a good starting point for
someone who wants to join one of your teams.
* See what mentorship offers individuals are currently making.
Mentorship requires no admin as it's entirely based on commitments
made by individual team members. It's also
available even if you use a bug tracker other than Launchpad. You can
find out more at: https://help.launchpad.net/MentoringManagement
The Launchpad team has also made three code release recently.
Highlights include:
* Launchpad 1.0 is now out of beta.
* Bug tracker: bug comments are now included in searches and you can
mark bugs as duplicates via the email interface.
* Code hosting: external branches are now mirrored every six hours.
* Translations: a bug that reset the "needs review" flag has been fixed.
* Answer Tracker: you can now easily see all support requests made in
languages for which your project has no support contacts.
As ever, we'd love to have you in the Launchpad Beta Testers team.
Sign up today at
https://launchpad.net/~launchpad-beta-testers/+members.
Read more in the full release notes:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/launchpad-users/2007-May/001392.html.
== In The Press ==
* Canonical and Dell have announced a partnership to offer Ubuntu
7.04 preinstalled on select desktops and notebooks. Mark Shuttleworth
is excited by the extraordinary number of requests made by Ubuntu
users on the Dell Idea``Storm and a large corporation like Dell
responding to those needs. Mark talks about how Canonical and Dell
have been eyeing each other for some time and the results of the
Idea``Storm showed critical mass had been reached to take the next
step. Responding to why the Linux community acted so quickly to
Idea``Storm, Mark says that while Linux users are vocal and want to be
recognized, there is a commercial appeal for users to have Linux
pre-installed so they can side-step the process of installing and
configuring computers themselves. Read the full article:
http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/05/01/13147.aspx
* Mark Joseph Edwards at Windows IT Pro enjoys the ease of upgrading
his Kubuntu install to 7.04. Mark talks about the process of upgrading
using the Adept Manager which took him an hour, mostly waiting for the
packages to be installed. He mentions that Ubuntu has had the
equivalent of Vista's User Access Control with 'sudo' for some time
and how support costs can be minimized if a user learns how to search
or ask questions online. Read the full article:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/ArticleID/95957/95957.html?Ad=1
* Todd Bishop, at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, writes about the
increasing popularity of Ubuntu and Dell's announcement to preinstall
it on machines. Todd talks to Paul Bartell, an eighth-grader who is a
member of the PWN Team. Paul became interested in trying Ubuntu when
he saw a friend's dad using it. Rob Helm, Directions on Microsoft
research director, says he has run Ubuntu for a year on his home
computer. Rod believes major open source applications are mature
enough to be Windows alternatives and that he uses Open``Office at
home for word processing and spreadsheets. Read the full article:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/314124_dellfolo03.html
* News.com.com is reporting about Canonical's partnership with
Zimbra, the open source company that produces a calendar and email
server. The deal was spurred due to customer demand according to
Zimbra Chief Executive Satish Dharmaraj. The deal calls for Zimbra to
release their server software in Ubuntu packaging (.deb), along with
Red Hat and SUSE's rpm, making installation on Ubuntu easy. The
articles also quotes Shuttleworth as having a preference for small
open source companies to partner with, due to their innovative
tendencies and knowledge working with open source software, unlike big
software companies such as Oracle. Read the full article:
http://news.com.com/Zimbra+to+offer+Ubuntu+Linux+support/2100-7344_3-6181361.html
* Ben Du``Pont, at Network Computing, talks about how companies can
purchase support from Red Hat, Novell, and Canonical. In his tests,
Ben found "companies without hard-core Linux pros can get out from
under high mandatory support fees by adopting Ubuntu." Though there
are also many third-party consultants who can support distributions on
a per-incident basis which can keep costs down, companies with
critical systems or needing strong ISV support should stay with
Canonical and similar competitors. Ben states that "not only has
Ubuntu raised the bar in terms of usability and cleanness in a desktop
system, it's also contributed a lot to the open-source community,
which benefits everyone." Read the full article:
http://www.networkcomputing.com/article/printFullArticle.jhtml?articleID=197009107
* Peter Galli, in eWeek, says that Dell will not include Wine in its
preinstalled computers. Mark Shuttleworth is quoted as saying "while
Linux is an alternative to Windows, it is not cheap Windows. Linux has
its own strengths, and users should want it because of those strengths
and not because it's a cheap copy of Windows." Asked if Dell should
offer dual-boot computers running Ubuntu and Windows, Mark says it is
not possible because of existing contractual agreements. Mark also
says the Dell partnership was initiated by Dell, and that Canonical
would provide software support while Dell would make sure there are no
hardware compatibility issues. While Microsoft claims its application
community is stronger when compared to Linux, Mark points out that "in
many cases there is a bigger portfolio of high-quality free software
applications than of proprietary ones." Companies like Google,
Sales``Force, and Face``Book would not have been possible without OSS
like Linux and Apache. Read the full article:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2125848,00.asp
* Sean Michael Kerner, at internetnews.com, wonders if Linux has
arrived on the desktop for the mainstream consumer and why. While
other distributions like Mandriva, Red Hat, and Turbo``Linux have all
been available in the retail store, "Ubuntu, on the other hand, is
known for giving away free CDs of its Linux distribution to anyone
that will take it." Ubuntu has pushed marketing and PR, even "[Mark]
Shuttleworth will speak with anyone who will listen and is likely one
of the most engaged and quoted Linux leaders in the marketplace today.
Contrast that with Novell/SUSE. You'd be hard pressed to even name the
current leader of their Linux efforts." Read the full article:
http://www.internetnews.com/reporters_notebook/article.php/3675801
* James R. Hood, at Consumer``Affairs.com, asks if Ubuntu is too good
to be true. James says Ubuntu "is fast, lean and responsive, like a
sleek jungle cat prowling through the South Africa outback." To test
Ubuntu, James installs 7.04 on a recently purchased computer and an
old machine. On the new computer, Ubuntu is much more responsive
compared to XP. The older machine, which would not boot properly
because of limited RAM and available hard drive space, works well
running Ubuntu. James says "this is not just a good thing, it's a very
good thing, for the environment, for cash-strapped families and
down-at-the-heels organizations." Read the full article:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/05/ubuntu_review.html
== In The Blogosphere ==
* Mike Wojciechowski, at taberis.livejournal.com, talks about
installing Ubuntu 7.04. He discusses some of the history of open
source software and Linux. Mike thinks "software installation in
Ubuntu is a breeze" compared to finding and installing third-party
applications for Windows and Mac OS. The installation process is
pleasant since "you have a fully-functioning desktop during the
install, allowing for web browsing and the like while you wait." Read
more at: http://taberis.livejournal.com/265705.html
* Andrew Kantor, at Drive``By Software, thinks "Linux is an
incredibly powerful operating system" and has "a huge base of
developers who are coming up with new features, new software, and
better ways to do things." Andrew believes that Windows has no
comparable feature to Kubuntu's Adept and Windows/Mac users would
enjoy his favorite Linux feature, multiple desktops, but the plethora
of available applications can be intimidating for new users. He feels
that Linux is a viable desktop option if a user wants "freedom from
just about any virus, and the potential to tinker to your heart's
content." Read more at:
http://vierranet.blogspot.com/2007/05/dont-be-afraid-linux-isnt-just-for.html
== Meetings and Events ==
=== Sunday, May 6, 2007 ===
==== Ubuntu Developer Summit ====
* Start: 09:00/Madrid, 07:00/GMT
* End: 18:00/Madrid, 16:00/GMT
* Location: Sevilla, Spain
* Wiki page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UDS-Sevilla
=== Monday, May 7, 2007 ===
==== Ubuntu Developer Summit ====
* Start: 09:00/Madrid, 07:00/GMT
* End: 18:00/Madrid, 16:00/GMT
* Location: Sevilla, Spain
* Wiki page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UDS-Sevilla
=== Tuesday, May 8, 2007 ===
==== Ubuntu Developer Summit ====
* Start: 09:00/Madrid, 07:00/GMT
* End: 18:00/Madrid, 16:00/GMT
* Location: Sevilla, Spain
* Wiki page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UDS-Sevilla
==== Technical Board Meeting ====
* Start: 20:00
* End: 22:00
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/TechnicalBoardAgenda
=== Wednesday, May 9, 2007 ===
==== Ubuntu Developer Summit ====
* Start: 09:00/Madrid, 07:00/GMT
* End: 18:00/Madrid, 16:00/GMT
* Location: Sevilla, Spain
* Wiki page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UDS-Sevilla
==== Edubuntu Meeting ====
* Start: 20:00
* End: 22:00
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.edubuntu.org/EdubuntuMeetingAgenda
=== Thursday, May 10, 2007 ===
==== Ubuntu Developer Summit ====
* Start: 09:00/Madrid, 07:00/GMT
* End: 18:00/Madrid, 16:00/GMT
* Location: Sevilla, Spain
* Wiki page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UDS-Sevilla
==== Ubuntu Development Team Meeting ====
* Start: 20:00
* End: 22:00
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
=== Friday, May 11, 2007 ===
==== Ubuntu Developer Summit ====
* Start: 09:00/Madrid, 07:00/GMT
* End: 18:00/Madrid, 16:00/GMT
* Location: Sevilla, Spain
* Wiki page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UDS-Sevilla
== Updates and security for 6.06, 6.10, and 7.04 ==
=== Security Updates ===
* USN-456-1: net-snmp vulnerability - http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-456-1
=== Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Updates ===
* net-snmp 5.2.1.2-4ubuntu2.1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-May/012417.html
=== Ubuntu 6.10 Updates ===
* cyrus-imapd-2.2 2.2.13-4ubuntu1.1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2007-May/008323.html
* python-pam 0.4.2-10.4build0.1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2007-May/008324.html
* curl 7.15.4-1ubuntu2.1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2007-May/008325.html
* update-manager-core 0.56~edgy5 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2007-May/008326.html
=== Ubuntu 7.04 Updates ===
* app-install-data-commercial -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008578.html
* azureus 2.5.0.0repack1-0ubuntu1.1~proposed1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008579.html
* hwdb-client 0.6.10.1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008580.html
* kdebase 4:3.5.6-0ubuntu20.1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008581.html
* metacity 1:2.18.2-0ubuntu1.1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008582.html
* python2.5 2.5.1-0ubuntu1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008583.html
* python-stdlib-extensions 2.5.1-0ubuntu1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008584.html
* python-profiler 2.5.1-0ubuntu1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008585.html
* python-defaults 2.5.1-0ubuntu1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008586.html
* pythoncad 0.1.33-2ubuntu0.1~proposed1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008587.html
* unattended-upgrades 0.23ubuntu3 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008588.html
* xvidcore 2:1.1.2-0.1ubuntu1.1~proposed1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008589.html
* update-manager 1:0.59.22 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008590.html
* python-defaults 2.5.1-0ubuntu2 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008591.html
* gnome-app-install 0.3.31 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-May/008593.html
== Bug Stats ==
* Open (29887) +981 # over last week
* Critical (23) +1 # over last week
* Unconfirmed (14915) +826 # over last week
* Unassigned (22488) +938 # over last week
* All bugs ever reported (99149) +1854 # over last week
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.
See you next week!
== Credits ==
The Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter is brought to you by:
## The following list is in chronological order.
* Martin Albisetti
* Nick Ali
* And many others
== RSS ==
You can suscribe to the UWN feed at: http://fridge.ubuntu.com/uwn/feed
== 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 to a future issue of the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, please
feel free to edit the appropriate wiki page. If you have any technical
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