Ubuntu Weekly News: Issue #57
Martin Albisetti
beuno at ubuntu.com
Mon Sep 17 06:14:42 BST 2007
Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue #57 for the week
September 9th - September 15th, 2007. In this issue we cover Dell's
remastered Ubuntu 7.04 ISO, Andrea Veri becomes a MOTU, Ubuntu Finland
delivers Ubuntu to Finnish parliament representatives, and, as always,
much much more!
* Deutsch - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue57/De
* Español - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue57/Es
* Français - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue57X/Fr
* Italiano - http://wiki.ubuntu-it.org/NewsletterItaliana
* Português - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue57/Pt
== In This Issue ==
* Dell Remastered Ubuntu 7.04 ISO
* Andrea Veri is a MOTU
* Ubuntu Delivered to Finnish Parliament Representatives
* In The Press and In the Blogosphere
* Meetings and Events
* Updates and security for 6.06, 6.10, and 7.04
* Translation stats
* Bug Stats
== General Community News ==
=== Dell Remastered Ubuntu 7.04 ISO ===
Dell Linux Engineering team has a remastered copy of the Ubuntu 7.04
Live CD available for download. It includes native system hardware
support and many of the fixes listed in the link below. The media will
help you get the system installed and running with the necessary
drivers. The media has been created specifically to resolve issues on
the following system: Inspiron E1505N, Inspiron 1420N, and Inspiron
530N. http://linux.dell.com/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_7.04
=== Andrea Veri is a MOTU ===
Andrea Veri is now part of the MOTU team. Besides packaging
applications like CTorrent, a Bit``Torrent client written in C and
Cog, an advanced GNOME settings editor, Andrea does Italian
translation and is on the Edubuntu staff, helping with the website,
testing and documentation. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bluekuja
https://launchpad.net/~bluekuja
== LoCo News ==
=== Ubuntu Finland delivered Ubuntu to Finnish parliament representatives ===
Ubuntu Finland has sent Ubuntu CDs and information about Ubuntu, Linux
and free (as in freedom) software to each parliament representative of
Finland in the beginning of September. The purpose of this campaign is
to make the representatives more aware of free software and its
possibilities in schools and in administration.
Read more in the press release:
http://wiki.ubuntu-fi.org/Wiki/Press_release-Ubuntu_CDs_for_Finnish_parliament_representatives
== In The Press ==
* March of the penguin: Linux emerges as option for Windows -
Shopping for a home computer involves more than just choosing hardware
— buyers must also pick what kind of operating system they want to run
that new machine. And for most people, that's long meant choosing
between Microsoft's Windows, which runs on PCs, or OSX, the system
that operates Apple's Macintosh. Enter Linux, an operating system
created by Finnish university student Linus Torvalds as a hobby.
"Linux has come a long way in the last few years, especially the
Ubuntu distribution" CU's Schenk said. "It has all the standard stuff
any regular person would need." Most people are looking for
multimedia, which can be a difficult to configure in Linux, and there
are difficulties in getting Linux to work with wireless systems,
Schenk noted. Computers shipped with Linux do not have this
difficulty, as they come pre-configured, eliminating the most
difficult step in Linux usage. Along with several other companies
offering pre-configured linux systems, Dell and System 76 offer Ubuntu
Linux pre-installed and pre-configured. Dell offers three models
pre-loaded with Ubuntu 7.04 — two desktops and a laptop. Dell plans to
offer additional options later this
year.http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/sep/10/cover-story-linux-toeing-the-march-of-the/
* Mark Shuttleworth Interview for Software Freedom Day (2007) - Mark
Shuttleworth, Cosmonaut and creator of the Ubuntu Linux distribution,
answers questions about Open Source software, flying in space, his
decision to start Ubuntu, what Ubuntu means, and the progress of
Ubuntu and free, open source software. Please click on the link to see
the video interview featuring Mark Shuttleworth.
http://www.archive.org/details/Mark_Shuttleworth_SFD
* Lenovo opening the door for Ubuntu Think-Pads? - Lenovo finally
started shipping SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop on its T-Series
ThinkPads for its mainstream business users. Now, the company appears
to be considering offering another Linux, very possibly Ubuntu, for
the enthusiast market. Matt Kohut, Lenovo's worldwide competitive
analyst, writes: "I need to try Ubuntu. One of our competitors, Dell
has done so and it seems to be working out for them." Kohut concluded
by opening up a survey to see which desktop Linux ThinkPad customers
would like Lenovo to offer. The survey, which began on Sept. 7, has in
approximately 48 hours already tallied 13,402 votes. Of these votes,
the majority (7,196) are for Ubuntu. Trailing far behind Ubuntu is
Debian with 1,443 supporters. Third place currently goes to a user
suggestion of any Linux "that refuses to carry binary-only drivers, so
that all others will also benefit, as it will require documented
hardware." Based on the survey results, Ubuntu is clearly the Linux
that the enthusiasts want to see from Lenovo. While it's by no means a
slam dunk that Lenovo will be offering a Linux-powered laptop for home
Linux users, it does seem unlikely that the company would be stirring
up excitement for such an offering unless it was giving the matter
serious consideration.
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS7908457804.html
* Best of open source in platforms and middle ware - For open source
client OS, we like Ubuntu Desktop Edition, although we almost hate to
say it. Sometimes it seems that Ubuntu is the iPod of Linux
distributions. It's flashy, simple, and easy to work with. It also has
legions of fanatical supporters, along with many detractors. It's
unquestionably a great distribution for those just getting into Linux
and those who like the eye candy. For others, it's too simple and too
much like a Microsoft OS – but then those are generally the people
that run Gentoo and are proud of it. The sheer amount of effort that's
been put into bringing Ubuntu into the mainstream is impressive, and
it gets better with every release… now if we can only get the fanboys
to tone it down a
little.http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/09/10/37FE-boss-platforms_1.html
* Gutsy Gibbon swinging along - There's a month to go before the next
Ubuntu release, 7.10 aka Gutsy Gibbon, hits the download servers. A
September 4 daily build shows a number of improvements over the 7.04
release which was named Feisty Fawn. The Gibbon has no problems with
DHCP, unlike the previous release. On booting up after installation,
it picks up an IP address without any problem. What's more, if one
changes to a static IP - using the graphical utility provided - the
changes take effect immediately. There's no need to resort to the
command line. There is no change in the installation procedure but
then this was already streamlined and efficient. Every commercial
Linux distribution - and I put Ubuntu in this category because it is
produced by a company named Canonical - has to plow a fine path
between the free software crowd and the open source backers. In
keeping with this balancing act, Ubuntu provides proprietary drivers
from NVIDIA for its graphic cards but these have to be installed after
the system is up and running - it is not part of the default install.
3D effects have been promised; Mark Shuttleworth, the head of
Canonical, said Compiz Fusion would be integrated, barring any
last-minute issues that show up in beta testing or upstream. Gibbon
also includes a desktop search tool, which Shuttleworth said was meant
to provide "fast access to any of your files without needing to
navigate through directories." A desk bar applet to provide
"quicksilver-like instant-command access to web sites, web services,
local search etc" is also present.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/14400/1090/
* Ubuntu expands into virtual appliances - Canonical has released a
special version of its Ubuntu Server Linux distribution that is
tailored to run as part of a virtual appliance. Dubbed Ubuntu JeOS
(Just Enough Operating System), the software has been stripped from
drivers and utilities that are bundled with the regular Ubuntu Server
distribution. There is no need for hardware drivers in a virtual
system, and utilities are typically available in a server's main
operating system. If an application requires a specific component,
Ubuntu can quickly add that from one of the Ubuntu Server packages,
Canonical chief executive Mark Shuttleworth told vnunet.com. The
Ubuntu JeOS (pronounced 'juice') kernel has been optimized to run on
VMware. Other virtualization platforms may be added based on customer
demand.http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2198483/ubuntu-expands-virtual
* Linux's Free System Is Now Easier to Use, But Not for Everyone (By:
Walt Mossberg) - This column is written for mainstream, nontechie
users of digital technology. These folks aren't necessarily novices,
and they aren't afraid of computers. They also aren't stupid. They
simply want their digital products to operate as promised, with as
little maintenance and hassle as possible. So, I have steered away
from recommending Linux, the free computer operating system that is
the darling of many techies and IT managers, and a challenger to
Microsoft's dominant Windows and Apple's resurgent Macintosh operating
system, OS X. Linux, which runs on the same hardware as Windows, has
always required much more technical expertise and a yen for tinkering
than average users possess. Lately, however, I've received a steady
stream of emails from readers urging me to take a look at a variant of
Linux called Ubuntu, which, these folks claimed, is finally polished
enough for a mainstream user to handle. My interest increased when
Dell began to sell a few computer models preloaded with Ubuntu instead
of Windows. I've been testing one of those Dell Ubuntu computers, a
laptop called the Inspiron 1420N. I evaluated it strictly from the
point of view of an average user, someone who wouldn't want to enter
text commands, hunt the Web for drivers and enabling software, or
learn a whole new user interface. I focused on Ubuntu and the software
programs that come bundled with it, not on the hardware, which is a
pretty typical Dell laptop. My verdict: Even in the relatively slick
Ubuntu variation, Linux is still too rough around the edges for the
vast majority of computer users. While Ubuntu looks a lot like Windows
or Mac OS X, it is full of little complications and hassles that will
quickly frustrate most people who just want to use their computers,
not maintain or tweak them. Before every passionate Linux fan attacks
that conclusion, let me note that even the folks who make and sell
Ubuntu agree with it. Mark Shuttleworth, the South African-born
founder of the Ubuntu project, told me this week that "it would be
reasonable to say that this is not ready for the mass market." And
Dell's Web site for its Ubuntu computers warns that these machines are
for "for advanced users and tech enthusiasts."
http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20070913/linuxs-free-system-is-now-easier-to-use-but-not-for-everyone/
* Ubuntu comes knocking on Oracle's door - Canonical has stated that
its Ubuntu Server needs increased support from independent software
vendors and system builders. "The acid test for Ubuntu Server is
Oracle," Canonical chief executive Mark Shuttleworth told vnunet.com
in an interview at the VMworld 2007 conference in San Francisco.
Ubuntu is best known for its desktop Linux distribution which Dell
ships on its consumer Linux desktop PCs, but the group is seeing
increasing interest in its server version that was launched in 2005.
Certification for third-party applications such as Oracle's database
is considered critical for the continued growth of Canonical's support
services. Ubuntu Server is currently starting to move up the chain in
areas such as high performance computing, but the final missing piece
is support from hardware
vendors.http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2198580/ubuntu-comes-knocking-oracle
== In The Blogosphere ==
* Ubuntu's Hype is Misleading - I'm running a computer institute and
I have new, middle and advanced users. Recently, I've been trying
different distros. Trying a distro is always based on the reviews I
read on the web. Most of the reviews are based on the stability and
performance but none of them I found which is meant for a normal user
who is a new user in the Linux world. This time I thought, lets do it
practically, give different distros to my people in the Institute and
get their opinion. For this I chose Ubuntu, PCLOS 2007, Dreamlinux,
and Mandriva One. The most misleading hype I got is about Ubuntu. They
say that "Its a replacement fof Windows", "Windows users will feel
they are in home". I don't know why they have created such hype when
its not at all true. Its bad marketing and not ethical. I agree that
Ubuntu is the largest community and they have a stable OS, but back to
the reality, I'm testing different distros from the normal user point
of view. Users who'll like Linux and leave Windows, means it should be
as easy as Windows for them. I've given each distro a day and asked
everybody to do their daily work on it. Ubuntu 7.04: Well, what to say
about this distro? It's hyped that it's for the users who are
switching from Windows. I gave it to my users for a day and here is
how they responded. One guy told me that, "If this is what best Linux
is, I'll never move from Windows because its not as user friendly as
PCLOS & Dreamlinux". All ten testers reported that it is running
slower than Windows on the same machines. It doesn't support any
proprietary tools or software out of the box and for many things you
need to know the Linux command, it expects you to go back to the
command line and do some tweaking there. The experiences of my users
were not good, they said it's not at all user friendly and it's slower
and doesn't act like Windows at any point. It's not a replacement of
Windows, they said. "It could be a stable OS but I'll never move to
Ubuntu even if it's the only distro in the Linux world." They also
said that they would prefer "Mandriva One over Ubuntu 7.04 because
it's at least faster and it doesn't expect users to go to the command
line." So the overall review of Ubuntu was the worst from new user
point of view and PCLOS wins here. My users say that in their opinion,
Ubuntu is over hyped and that it's not for the normal user. It is for
those users who know Linux very well and have high end systems with at
least 1 gig ram.http://mag.mypclinuxos.com/html/Issues/200709/page02.html
(maybe put under news?)
* Ubuntu On The Road To Bloat - I boot my Ubuntu laptop and log in.
Shortly after logging in, the IO onslaught begins. I open up a
terminal and 'top' exposes the offender 'trackerd'. I begin the motion
to kill it. This is a familiar sequence for me, something I have done
every day since, well, so long ago I can't remember the exact day I
started doing it. A few weeks, at least. Today I hesitate. I have been
impatient, unforgiving, and dismissive of Tracker - the application
'trackerd' serves - because of how it renders my PC unusable. I
usually 'kill' it so I can resume my daily online routine, but today I
decide to wait it out, to let it run it's course. This means I can't
browse the web. Well, perhaps I can, but not using Opera which is my
browser of choice. For while 'trackerd' is indexing my home folder,
Opera hangs for up to 10s at a time. This is not actually the fault of
either Tracker or Opera, but instead a consequence of poor Linux
kernel releases which have occurred at an unfortunate time for Ubuntu
because the Ubuntu team have chosen one of them for Gutsy and are
stubbornly in their refusal to take a chance on next, imminent kernel
release. I sense that my current frustrations are soon to be borne out
across the globe on the desktops of users who do not have the
knowledge to deal with it. It must be said that I am using Gutsy
Gibbon, the development version of Ubuntu. So I should anticipate some
problems, but it's not problems for me that I'm worried about. I've
been using Linux for years. I can fix something if I really have to, I
can tweak my system and solve my problems. It is those making the
transition from Windows to Linux that I am worried about. I've been
using Linux for years. I can fix something if I really have to, I can
tweak my system and solve my problems. It is those making the
transition from Windows to Linux that I am worried about. They hear
how stable and wonderful Linux is, but then boot into something that
is attacking their hard drive from day one. That's not a good
impression to make.http://thefreedesktop.blogspot.com/2007/09/ubuntu-on-road-to-bloat.html
== Meetings and Events ==
=== Monday, September 17, 2007 ===
==== IRC Council Meeting ====
* Start: 12:00 UTC
* End: 13:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: No agenda set as of this publication
=== Tuesday, September 18, 2007 ===
==== Kernel Team Meeting ====
* Start: 16:00 UTC
* End: 17:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/Meeting
==== New York Loco Team Meeting ====
* Start: 18:00 America/New York
* End: 19:30 America/New York
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-newyork
* Info: https://wiki.kubuntu.org/NewYorkTeam
=== Wednesday, September 19, 2007 ===
==== Edubuntu Meeting ====
* Start: 12:00 UTC
* End: 14:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.edubuntu.org/EdubuntuMeetingAgenda
==== Xubuntu Developers Meeting ====
* Start: 20:00 UTC
* End: 22:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Xubuntu/Meetings
=== Thursday, September 20, 2007 ===
* Start: 12:00 UTC
* End: 13:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: No agenda set as of this publication
=== Friday, September 21, 2007 ===
==== MOTU Team Meeting ====
* Start: 12:00 UTC
* End: 13:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/Meetings
== Updates and security for 6.06, 6.10, and 7.04 ==
=== Security Updates ===
* USN-512-1 Quagga vulnerability:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-security-announce/2007-September/000589.html
=== Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Updates ===
* Accepted lighttpd 1.4.11-3ubuntu3.5 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-September/012508.html
* Accepted curl 7.15.1-1ubuntu3 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-September/012509.html
* Accepted update-manager 0.42.2ubuntu22.1 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-September/012510.html
* Accepted partman-lvm 32ubuntu3 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-September/012511.html
* Accepted openmcu 2.1.0-2build1.1 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-September/012512.html
* Accepted plr 1:0.6.2-1ubuntu0.1 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-September/012513.html
* Accepted quagga 0.99.2-1ubuntu3.3 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-September/012514.html
=== Ubuntu 6.10 Updates ===
* Accepted lighttpd 1.4.13~r1370-1ubuntu1.3 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2007-September/008409.html
* Accepted plr 1:0.6.2-4ubuntu0.1 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2007-September/008410.html
* Accepted mythplugins 0.20.2-0ubuntu0.6.10 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2007-September/008411.html
* Accepted quagga 0.99.4-4ubuntu1.2 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2007-September/008412.html
=== Ubuntu 7.04 Updates ===
* Accepted lighttpd 1.4.13-9ubuntu4.2 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-September/008725.html
* Accepted openmcu 2.1.1-3build0.1 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-September/008726.html
* Accepted app-install-data-commercial 7.3 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-September/008727.html
* Accepted plr 1:0.6.2-4ubuntu1.2 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-September/008728.html
* Accepted mythplugins 0.20.2-0ubuntu0.7.04 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-September/008729.html
* Accepted update-manager 1:0.59.24 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-September/008730.html
* Accepted quagga 0.99.6-2ubuntu3.2 (source):
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-September/008731.html
== Bug Stats ==
* Open (32451) +216 # over last week
* Critical (21) +2 # over last week
* Unconfirmed (15880) +162 # over last week
* Unassigned (24565) +230 # over last week
* All bugs ever reported (119965) +1219 # over last week
As always, the Bug Squad needs more help. If you want to get started,
please see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad
== Translation Stats ==
1. Spanish (21803) +1390 # over last week
2. French (41133) +842 # over last week
3. English-UK (54400) +2636 # over last week
4. Swedish (54378) -703 # over last week
5. German (64172) +126 # over last week
Remaining string to translate in Ubuntu 7.10 "Gutsy Gibbon", see more
at: https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/gutsy/
== 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:
* Martin Albisetti
* John Crawford
* Nick Ali
* And many others
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