Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter #160
John Crawford
johnc4510 at ubuntu.com
Sun Sep 20 23:59:56 BST 2009
Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue #160 for the week
September 13th - September 19th, 2009. In this issue we cover: Karmic
Alpha 6 released, Mark Shuttleworth Announces via video Ubuntu 10.04:
Lucid Lynx, Countdown Banner Deadline, UDS Update, Ubuntu Screencasts:
Reporting Bugs, The first Ubuntu-DK podcast, Swedish LoCo Bug Jam:
Linköping, Ubuntu-NH SFD '09 Report, Launchpad 3.0 & Bug Filing changes,
Ubuntu Forums tutorial of the week & Community interview, PostgreSQL
security/bug fix testers needed, Ubuntu Packaging: Fixing FTBFS,
Launchpad Nautilus Preview, In the Press & Blogosphere, Ubuntu-UK
podcast: The Tribe of Gum, Linux-ready mini PC powers up, The Art of
Community available for free download, and much, much more!
== UWN Translations ==
* Note to translators and our readers: We are trying a new way of
linking to our translations pages. Please follow the link below for the
information you need.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Translations
== In This Issue ==
* Karmic Alpha 6 released
* Mark Shuttleworth Announces via video Ubuntu 10.04: Lucid Lynx
* Countdown Banner Deadline
* UDS Update
* Ubuntu Screencasts: Reporting Bugs
* Ubuntu Stats
* LoCo News: Ubuntu Denmark, Sweden & New Hampshire
* Ubuntu Forums News: Tutorial of the week & Community Interview
* The Planet: Martin Pitt, Ubuntu Packaging & Martin Owens
* In the Press & Blogosphere
* Ubuntu-UK podcast: The Tribe of Gum
* Linux-ready mini pc powers up
* The Art of Community available for free download
* Upcoming Meetings & Events
* Updates & Security
== General Community News ==
=== Karmic Alpha 6 released ===
Welcome to Karmic Koala Alpha 6, which will in time become Ubuntu 9.10.
Pre-releases of Karmic are *not* encouraged for anyone needing a stable
system or anyone who is not comfortable running into occasional, even
frequent breakage. They are, however, recommended for Ubuntu developers and
those who want to help in testing, reporting, and fixing bugs.
Alpha 6 is the sixth in a series of milestone CD images that will be
released throughout the Karmic development cycle. The Alpha images are
known to be reasonably free of showstopper CD build or installer bugs, while
representing a very recent snapshot of Karmic. You can download it here:
* Ubuntu: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/karmic/alpha-6/
* Ubuntu Server for UEC & EC2:
http://uec-images.ubuntu.com/releases/karmic/alpha-6/
* Ubuntu ARM http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ports/releases/karmic/alpha-6/
* Kubuntu: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/karmic/alpha-6/
* Xubuntu: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/karmic/alpha-6/
* UbuntuStudio:
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntustudio/releases/karmic/alpha-6/
* Mythbuntu: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/mythbuntu/releases/karmic/alpha-6/
* Edubuntu: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/karmic/alpha-6/
Information on Mirrors, bug reporting, changes, and development
announcements is available at the link below.
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel-announce/2009-September/000618.html
=== Mark Shuttleworth Announces via video Ubuntu 10.04: Lucid Lynx ===
Speaking via video to UbuCon at the Atlanta Linuxfest, Mark Shuttleworth
announced that the code name for the 10.04 Ubuntu release would be
"Lucid Lynx". It will be an LTS version featuring 3 years support for
the desktop version and 5 years for the server version. This will be the
3rd LTS version, proving that Ubuntu can not only deliver a new version
every 6 months, but also an LTS version every 2nd year, something Mark
is very proud of. Speaking briefly of what we can expect to see in the
Lucid Lynx, Mark talks of cloud computing and Gnome. Mentioning our
relationship with Debian, Mark hopes to continue expanding that
relationship in the hope of bettering both distributions. In closing
Mark asks our community to search out those who put in so much work
delivering a quality Ubuntu product to us, and to give them all a big
thanks. We think a big thanks is also deserved by Mark for his oversight
and tireless work on our behalf.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l02bhwofEqw
=== Countdown Banner Deadline ===
You can make a highly visible contribution to Ubuntu 9.10 by helping to
create the release countdown banner… but only if you get your submission
in soon! By noon UTC on Sept 22nd you need to post your concept to
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Website/KarmicCountdownBanners so that a banner
can be chosen. You do not have to complete your banner by the 22nd but
you do have to submit a design for review. Anyone is welcome to
participate. Discussions will take place on the Ubuntu Web Presence
team’s mailing list and chat room at
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Website#Mailing%20List
* Discuss the Countdown Banner Deadline on the Forums:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1267491
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-news-team/2009-September/000691.html
=== UDS Update ===
The twice-annual Ubuntu Developer Summit is the event in which the devs
get together to design, discuss and plan the next version of Ubuntu. It
is a critical event in the Ubuntu calendar not only for assessing what
they would like put into the next release, but also getting many facets
of our community together to bond, share ideas and thoughts and have
some valuable face-time for a community so thoroughly distributed.
The organizational wheels are now in motion for the next UDS, and while
some details are still yet to be finalized, but we wanted to give you an
update on where we are. So, let’s cut to the chase:
* The next UDS will take place from Monday 16 Nov 2009 – Friday 20 Nov
2009 in a location that is yet to be confirmed but will certainly be in
the USA.
* This will be the L release and while Mark has picked the name, it
has not been announced yet. I will wait for him to get that juicy nugget
of information out for you.
* Each year we (Canonical) provide travel and accommodation assistance
for a limited number of community members. Again, I want to remind the
many Ubuntu community rock-stars that we can only sponsor some community
rock-stars due to limited resources. If you have a lot to offer the next
UDS, go and find out details of how to apply here:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UDS-L/Sponsorship
* Details as they emerge will appear on the UDS wiki pages:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UDS
More details will be forthcoming.
http://www.jonobacon.org/2009/09/15/uds-update/
=== Ubuntu Screencasts: Reporting Bugs ===
In this new screencast, Daniel Holbach explains how to file a bug in
Ubuntu to Launchpad in just a few minutes using very simple tools
provided with Ubuntu.
Download the format of your choice here:
* 1024x768 Ogg Mirror 1:
http://static.screencasts.ubuntu.com/2009/09/16/Reporting_Bugs.ogv
* 1024x768 Ogg Mirror 2:
http://blip.tv/file/get/Ubuntuscreencasts-Reporting_Bugs678.ogv
* 1024x768 FLV:
http://blip.tv/file/get/Ubuntuscreencasts-Reporting_Bugs587.flv
* 1024x768 MP4:
http://blip.tv/file/get/Ubuntuscreencasts-ReportingBugsInUbuntu898.mp4
Comments/feedback/requests welcome!
http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/2009/09/16/Reporting_Bugs
== Ubuntu Stats ==
=== Bug Stats ===
* Open (62905) +888 over last week
* Critical (30) +1 over last week
* Unconfirmed (29364) +716 over last week
* Unassigned (54386) +846 over last week
* All bugs ever reported (314693) +2847 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 Jaunty ===
* Spanish (11125) -146 over last week
* French (37191) -217 over last week
* Brazilian Portuguese (47962) -221 over last week
* Swedish (53358) -55 over last week
* English (United Kingdom) (53470) -93 over last week
Remaining strings to translate in Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope," see
more at: https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/jaunty/
=== Translation Stats Karmic ===
* Spanish (18257) +1064 over last week
* French (61256) +2609 over last week
* Swedish (70260) +1412 over last week
* Brazilian Portuguese (74131) +2736 over last week
* English (Uk) (88554) +3982 over last week
Remaining strings to translate in Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala", see more
at: https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/karmic/
=== Ubuntu Brainstorm Top 5 this week ===
* Easier GRUB - http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/21432/
* Take screenshot to remember last used attribute -
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/21500/
* Logout/Switch User for netbook remix -
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/21438/
* Ubuntu Workbench - http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/21435/
* Focus mode - http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/21493/
Ubuntu Brainstorm is a community site geared toward letting you add your
ideas for Ubuntu. You can submit your own idea, or vote for or against
another idea. http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/
== LoCo News ==
=== The first Ubuntu-dk podcast ===
After much work, and many delayed meetings, the Danish podcast team
finally released their first episode.
* Danish Podcast Team: http://ubuntudanmark.dk/podcast/
* First Episode:
http://ubuntudanmark.dk/podcast/ubuntu-dk-podcast-afsnit-001/
It is all in Danish, so you properly won’t be able to make much of it,
if you don’t speak Danish, but it is a good episode, and hopefully is
the first of a long line of fabulous podcasts. Besides a podcast in
Danish with a focus on the legal aspects of software licenses and
immaterial rights, this seems to be the first Danish podcast about free
and open source software, and the ambition of the podcast team is
clearly to be larger than just Ubuntu. Hopefully this can become a
podcast for the entire free software (and free culture?) movement in
Denmark.
http://compadre.dk/blog/2009/09/16/the-first-ubuntu-dk-podcast/
=== Swedish LoCo Bug Jam: Linköping ===
The 3rd of October the Swedish Ubuntu LoCo will arrange a Bug Jam at
Linköping University. This in correspondence with the Ubuntu Global Jam
happening that weekend. See http://ubuntu-se.org/wiki/Global_Jam for
more information.
http://www.andreasolsson.se/2009/09/19/ubuntu-bug-jam-in-linkoping/
=== Ubuntu-NH SFD '09 Report ===
The New Hampshire LoCo Team has a great SFD day. They setup a tent, some
tables, lots of carnival looking decorations, and balloons. They handed
out between 40 and 50 CDs to individuals.
A few examples of who showed up are:
* a local teacher who had heard of Ubuntu and was very interested in it
* a local librarian that took about 50 CDs to distribute at the
library and talked about Ubuntu on the kiosks
* a parent who attended SFD'07 and his daughter was wearing her SFD'07
shirt to celebrate the day
* roughly 6 people who were already using Ubuntu and just randomly
walked by, not hearing about the SFD event before, and got to pick our
brains about what's in store for 9.10, when the next LTS is coming out,
how to upgrade from 8.04, etc.
Just as important, it gave a few newer LoCo members a chance to meet
others of the group in person, as well as members of GNHLUG who were
handing out flyers and really chatting people up as well.
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-us-nh/2009-September/000095.html
== Launchpad News ==
=== Launchpad 3.0 ===
The newest version of Launchpad will be launched the week of 20th of
September. Launchpad 3.0 introduces a new user interface and, clearly,
that will affect many in the Ubuntu community. While the new UI itself
is straightforward and not a million miles from what we have now, we
wanted to get the word out to the Ubuntu community about the new LP
version. Please check the Launchpad blog for the exact date of the
release starting Monday the 21st. http://blog.launchpad.net/
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-news-team/2009-September/000693.html
=== Launchpad Bug Filing Changes for Ubuntu ===
As a part of the Increase Apport Adoption specification we are going to
kick off an experiment and redirect all of Ubuntu’s /+filebug links in
Launchpad to https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs. This
change has been tested on staging.launchpad.net already and will be
landing shortly on edge.launchpad.net (There will be a
+filebug?no-redirect if you really really need it).
* Increase Apport Adoption specs:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/Specs/IncreaseApportAdoption
* Staging Launchpad.net: http://fridge.ubuntu.com/staging.launchpad.net
* edge.launchpad.net: http://fridge.ubuntu.com/edge.launchpad.net
If you review the specification and the documentation bug reporters will
be redirected to, you will notice that we spent a lot of time and energy
on ensuring that we improve the quality of bugs when they are reported.
The time many of us spend on triaging very incomplete bugs is not
sustainable given the volume of bug reports. Having reporters use
ubuntu-bug (apport more specifically) to report bugs will reduce many of
these problems for us.
In order to make the transition for our users smoother, we’d like to ask
you to help out with a few things:
* If you take care of a high-profile package, consider adding it to
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage which is linked to from
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs.
* Please consider writing an apport hook for the packages you take
care of, if you need special information in bug reports - it’s REALLY
easy: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Apport/DeveloperHowTo#Package%20Hooks
* If the area of Ubuntu that you take care of is better suited by
symptom based bug reporting (“storage”, “boot”, “install”, “sound”,
etc.), consider contributing to the apport-symptoms package - it too is
REALLY easy: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Apport/DeveloperHowTo#Symptoms
By helping us receive higher quality bug reports, we will help to make
Ubuntu even better!
== Ubuntu Forums News ==
=== Ubuntu Tutorial of the Week ===
DSDT (Differentiated System Description Table) is in the BIOS and this
is where the OS looks for hardware and configuration info. It sometimes
needs to be adjusted, in particular regarding ACPI. 67GTA
(http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=231204) has written a
comprehensive tutorial for Ubuntu and Linux Mint: "HOWTO Fix A Buggy
DSDT File" which currently works only up to Jaunty 9.04 release. I'm not
sure I understand all the details, but reading through the thread,
members seem to be able to fix a large range of ACPI related issues.
Credits to unutbu (http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=518895) who
suggested the tutorial. As unutbu puts it: "It is kind of amazing (at
least to me) that fixing one file can solve such a variety of problems."
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1036051
=== Ubuntu Community Interviews ===
joeb454 has taken over the UF interview series and started out with
Elizabeth (http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=10746), who is also
pleia2 on IRC. Elizabeth is a debian sysadmin, runs the Philadelphia LUG
and is much involved in the ubuntu-women, ubuntu-classroom,
ubuntu-learning and ubuntu-beginners projects. Wow!
http://blog.joeb454.com/2009/08/an-interview-with-pleia2/
The second interview is with nhandler
(http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=148906), from Chicago. He is part
of the ubuntuforums Beginners and Unanswered Posts Teams. He currently
serves on the Ubuntu Beginners Team Council. He's also a MOTU and serves
on the MOTU Council. Nathan is one of these members who make the forums
and the community a better and friendly place.
http://blog.joeb454.com/2009/09/an-interview-with-nhandler/
Enjoy!
== The Planet ==
=== Martin Pitt: PostgreSQL security/bug fix update, please test ===
Martin is asking for testing help. PostgreSQL recently published new
point releases which fix the usual range of important bugs (data
loss/wrong results, etc.) and additionally fix another case of insecure
“security definer” functions (the analogon to setuid programs in file
system space for SQL functions) (CVE-2007-6600). Please see the complete
changes for 8.1.18 (Ubuntu 6.06 LTS), 8.3.8 (Ubuntu 8.04 LTS, 8.10, and
9.04), and 8.4.1 (Ubuntu 9.10).
* 8.1.18:
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.1/static/release.html#RELEASE-8-1-18
* 8.3.8: http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/static/release-8-3-8.html
* 8.4.1: http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.4/static/release-8-4-1.html
8.4.1 is already in Ubuntu 9.10 and in my PostgreSQL Backports PPA for
Ubuntu 8.04 LTS and 9.04. Updates for the other supported Ubuntu
releases are currently in -proposed, waiting for testing feedback.
* PostgreSQL Backports PPA:
https://launchpad.net/~pitti/+archive/postgresql
If you use PostgreSQL, please give the -proposed packages some testing
and report back in Ubuntu bug #430544. https://launchpad.net/bugs/430544
http://www.piware.de/2009/09/postgresql-securitybug-fix-update-please-test/
=== Ubuntu Packaging: Fixing FTBFS ===
Michael Bienia and Stefan Potyra held an Ubuntu Classroom Session on
Sept. 18th about fixing FTBFS's. Some of you might know it already,
others might have to consult the glossary to find out what FTBFS means.
They are talking about packages that fail to build from source. If you
are an Ubuntu developer you will sometimes notice that suddenly packages
don’t build any more because some library changed, something in the
toolchain changed or whatever other crazy reason. If you missed the
session, you can find the logs here:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Packaging/Training/Logs/2009-09-18
http://ubuntupackaging.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/fixing-ftbfs/
=== Martin Owens: Launchpad Nautilus Preview ===
Martin wants everyone to know that he is working on developing a way to
help non-developers contribute to projects in Launchpad and bzr. He
feels the best way to do that is to increase the usability of the tools
that are available. His main focus here is not on replicating the
functionality of bzr or launchpad at any fundamental level, it’s about
producing functionality which follows a prescribed workflow. Those who
need a different workflow will obviously use the command line tools, but
for all other people, this kind of integration will be useful. He has
included a video of how it will work:
http://blip.tv/file/get/Doctormo-LaunchpadIntergrationExperiment375.ogv
Be sure to let Martin know your thoughts after seeing the video.
http://doctormo.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/launchpad-naultius-sneak-preview/
== In The Press ==
=== Ubuntu Version 10.04 to be Code Named Lucid Lynx ===
Attendees at Atlanta Linux Fest's breakout session UbuCon were among the
first to hear straight from Mark Shuttleworth that the popular Linux
distribution Ubuntu's next release -- version 10.04 -- will be named
Lucid Lynx. This codename is the next in a long line of clever choices
that designate versions of Ubuntu releases. Past names include Hardy
Heron, Dapper Drake, Breezy Badger, and the most recent, Karmic Koala.
http://ostatic.com/blog/ubuntu-version-9-10-code-named-lucid-lynx
=== Ubuntu releases last 9.10 Alpha ===
Ubuntu's crew of developers has just released the sixth and expected
last alpha version of the next Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala version of its
Linux OS. The first thing that Ubuntu users will notice is that there is
no more Usplash. The boot splash screen has disappeared as part of a
cunning plan to speed up boot times. The GNOME desktop environment has
been updated to version 2.28 RC1 (2.27.92), the Linux kernel packages
are now at version 2.6.31-10.34 and they are based on the final version
of Linux kernel 2.6.31. AppArmor has also been greatly improved and new
profiles are available.
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1534043/ubuntu-releases-alpha
=== The New Ubuntu Netbook Remix is Totally Karmic ===
Linux Magazine says: If you’ve been looking for a lean, sleek, well
supported operating system for your netbook then look no further. Due
out next month, Karmic Koala Netbook Remix has a cleaner interface,
complete hardware support and numerous other improvements. Unlike
Moblin, Ubuntu Netbook Remix does not introduce a brand new desktop
environment, but rather a new interface which sits on top of GNOME. The
upcoming version of Ubuntu Remix will ship with the 2.6.31 Linux kernel
which boasts a range of new features. The current release has had
numerous issues with the Intel graphics driver, but the good news is
that this should be solved in Karmic as this release will include the
latest version of the driver. The custom interface is becoming more
refined making better use of the desktop and small amount of screen real
estate. A full size screenshot is available at the link along with the
rest of the article.
http://www.linux-mag.com/cache/7527/1.html
== In The Blogosphere ==
=== Ubuntu 9.10 Alpha 6 arrives ===
The Ubuntu developers have released the sixth alpha version of Ubuntu
9.10, Karmic Koala. The latest version of the operating system, due for
release at the end of October, now incorporates an X-based splash screen
as part of the faster booting enhancements and sees the first release of
the Ubuntu Software Store application. The Ubuntu One file
synchronisation service is also built in to this release. On the
desktop, which has been updated to GNOME 2.28 RC1, the indicator applet
on the desktop now supports opening Empathy instant messaging and
Evolution mail clients by clicking on it. The kernel has been updated to
version 2.6.31-10.34 and is now based on the final version of the
recently released Linux kernel 2.6.31.
http://www.h-online.com/open/Ubuntu-9-10-Alpha-6-arrives--/news/114267
=== Ubuntu 9.10 Installer Screenshots ===
Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala now includes an installer slideshow. This
blogger has always liked the idea of rotating slides of information
about the OS while it’s installing to give the users something to do. No
matter what you put on the slides this is going to be more entertaining
for users than staring at the progress bar. After entering information
into the installer and clicking the Install button, users will see a
slideshow of highlights, tips, and featured applications one after
another. The one thing that sets that Ubuntu installer slideshow apart
from others is it only plays through once, a nice touch. Screenshots of
the slideshow at the link below.
http://beginlinux.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/ubuntu-9-10-installer-screenshots/
=== Ubuntu Artwork team starts delivering ===
Although Ubuntu has been the most popular distro for a pretty long time
now, it really need to put in a lot of work on enhancing look and feel.
Though a number of high quality third party themes are available like
the bisigi-project, one thing where Ubuntu lacked was the absence of
good quality themes by default. That is all going to change now. While
most of the new themes are variations of brown, even they are starting
to look good! Four cool themes and two icon sets! Check them out for
yourself.
http://ubuntumanual.org/posts/244/ubuntu-artwork-team-starts-delivering-four-cool-themes-and-two-icon-sets-to-start-with
=== Ubuntu 9.10 Alpha 6 adds software store, improves boot speed ===
Canonical has some pretty ambitious goals for Karmic Koala: faster
startup times, tight cloud integration, an improved experience for
netbooks, a Ubuntu software store, and much more. Some of these changes
in recent alpha builds and yesterday's 9.10 alpha 6 continues to bring
things into focus. The old usplash boot animation has been replaced by
xsplash which (unsurprisingly) uses X to draw the screens. In the demo,
the full desktop is loaded around the 21 second mark - a very
respectable time. Also making its debut this go-ground is the Software
Store. It's been added to the system menu and brings a more
user-friendly program installation experience to Ubuntu. Sure, Synaptic
and Ubuntu's own add/remove system are good, but the Software Store is a
nice gesture to new Linux converts and less computer-savy users.
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/18/ubuntu-9-10-alpha-6-adds-software-store-improves-boot-speed/
=== Cave Dwellers Give Ubuntu Two Thumbs Up ===
What happens when two boys are given a laptop with Ubuntu on it (instead
of that "other OS")? Ken Hess tells us about the experience of his
sons, the Cave Dwellers (their room, with TV), and how difficult it was
for them to make the switch: i.e. not at all difficult. The only
question he got was how to install Flash. Other than also showing them
how to log on, he gave them no further instruction. According to him,
his printer comes on and "prints homework and their occasional "wows"
and "cools" have let me know that the laptop is serving them well so far."
http://www.daniweb.com/news/story223037.html
=== My thoughts on Ubuntu ===
Trent Isaacson, on his blog "The Linux Critic", talks about his Ubuntu
experience on his laptop from the standpoint of a long time Slackware
user. His experiences, of course, are colored by the way he uses a
computer, and how he likes things to be. He tried GNOME first, but felt
it was too slow and restrictive so he went to Fluxbox, then finally
Openbox where he finally settled. He was very happy with Apt, and the
ability to get new software without having to struggle through
dependencies. And he was quite taken with the Ubuntu community, and how
easy it was to find work-arounds for some of the teething problems he
came up against. In all, he likes it well enough that he might install
it on his desktop, and it may become his new favorite Linux distribution.
http://linuxcritic.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/my-thoughts-on-ubuntu/
=== Ubuntu help: Finding answers fast ===
ITWorld tells us that for Ubuntu users who need a bit of help, there is
a wealth of knowledge easily available. Beginning with the installed
help files, you can also turn to the wiki, the Ubuntu forums and,
lastly, the greater Internet. Every program that Ubuntu ships with, and
nearly every program from the repositories, comes with some sort of
help. If the offline help files can't help you, the next place to try is
help.ubuntu.com. Beyond an online copy of all the offline documentation
for each supported version of Ubuntu, there is also the community
contributed documentation wiki. If that doesn't work or you want to try
another venue, the official Ubuntu forums await. Found at
ubuntuforums.org, the fastest way to get help is to post your question.
Finally, the Official Ubuntu Book, or the Official Ubuntu Server Book
are just two of dozens of books about Ubuntu on the market.
http://www.itworld.com/open-source/77646/ubuntu-help-finding-answers-fast/
=== Pidgin vs. Empathy: Feature Comparison ===
Christopher Tozzi, writing in Works With U, examines the differences
between Pidgin and Empathy and discovers that, due to them both being
based on libpurple, there is really little difference between the core
functionality. With Empathy replacing Pidgin in Ubuntu 9.10, there has
been some controversy. But there are only some minor differences in the
supported protocols of the two clients, for example Empathy doesn't
support Bonjour, Google Talk, YaHoo JAPAN or Skype, but does support all
the rest of the protocols. Likewise, there is a difference in features
offered. Empathy doesn't support Network Proxy or Off The Record, but
does support Video Chat (which is only theoretically supported in
Pidgin). Further, Pidgin doesn't support desktop sharing but Empathy
does. He feels that, due to the similarity of the two clients, that the
differences are a non-issue.
http://www.workswithu.com/2009/09/15/pidgin-vs-empathy-feature-comparison/
## Keep this one or yank it? Move it to ION? Your call guys
== In Other News ==
=== Ubuntu-UK podcast: The Tribe of Gum ===
Laura Cowen, Alan Pope, Tony Whitmore and Ciemon Dunville are back once
more from ‘Studio B’ sadly without Dave Walker, but with a crowning
episode of the Ubuntu Podcast from the UK Local Community Support Team.
* What we've been up to this week
* Neil Wallace interview about OpenMolar
* A leaner more svelte news segment
* What's coming up "real" soon
* OggCamp
* Getting involved in documentation
* First "Just a Moment" submission
* The Ecosphere
* Your email, tweets & dents
http://podcast.ubuntu-uk.org/2009/09/17/s02e13-the-tribe-of-gum/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
=== Linux-ready mini-PC powers up ===
Eric Brown writes for LinuxDevices.com about a Desktop computer that has
no fan and uses less than 20 watts of power. French manufacturer
Linutop has come out with the third in a series of mini-PCs that is
suitable for standalone PC use, terminal use, kiosks, or digital
signage. This latest, the largest of the series, is only 9.3 x 9.3 x
2.2 inches in size, and comes with VGA and DVI ports, 1 GIG of memory
(upgradeable to 2 GIG), and 2 GIG of flash storage. The operating
system is Linutop OS 2.2 (based on Ubuntu Linux 8.04) The unit is
available for about 340 Euros (about $497 U.S.). A complete breakdown
of the device is available at:
http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Linutop-3/
=== The Art of Community Available For Free Download ===
When Jono started work on The Art of Community he was really keen that
it should be a body of work that all communities have access to. He also
wanted to write a book that covered the major areas of community
leadership, distilling a set of best practices and experiences, and
illustrated by countless stories, anecdotes and tales. But to give this
book real value, he was keen to ensure the book could be freely accessed
and shared. Jono is pleased to announce the general availability of The
Art Of Community under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike license.
With this license that the book is under you have the following freedoms
with the entire content:
* to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work
* to Remix — to adapt the work…with a few requirements:
* Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by
the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they
endorse you or your use of the work).
* Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
* Share Alike — If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you
may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license
to this one.
While the book is ready to download right now, the book is available to
buy in print, on Kindle, and other electronic book formats and I would
like to encourage you to buy a printed copy of the book for a few reasons:
* Firstly, buying a copy sends a tremendous message to O’Reilly that
they should continue to publish books (a) about community and (b) under
a Creative Commons license.
* Secondly, it will encourage O’Reilly to invest in a second edition
of the book down the line, which will in turn mean that communities
around the world will have a refreshed and updated edition that is
available to them.
* Thirdly, aside from the voting-with-your-feet side of things, it is
just a really nice book to own in print. It is really well made, looks
stunning and feels great to curl up with in a coffee shop or on the couch.
The book is available to buy on all the major Amazon sites:
* Canada:
http://www.amazon.ca/Art-Community-Building-New-Participation/dp/0596156715/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241305382&sr=8-1
* France:
http://www.amazon.fr/Art-Community-Building-New-Participation/dp/0596156715/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=english-books&qid=1241305148&sr=8-1
* Germany:
http://www.amazon.de/Art-Community-Building-New-Participation/dp/0596156715/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books-intl-de&qid=1241305095&sr=8-1
* Japan:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/Art-Community-J-Bacon/dp/0596156715/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=english-books&qid=1241305202&sr=8-4
* United States:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596156715?ie=UTF8&tag=jobaho-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0596156715
* United Kingdom:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Community-Building-New-Participation/dp/0596156715/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241304996&sr=8-1
You can download your free copy of the The Art of Community here:
http://www.artofcommunityonline.org/downloads/jonobacon-theartofcommunity-1ed.pdf
http://www.jonobacon.org/2009/09/18/the-art-of-community-available-for-free-download/
== Upcoming Meetings and Events ==
=== Monday, September 21, 2009 ===
==== Security Team Catch-up ====
* Start: 17:00 UTC
* End: 17:30 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: nothing formal, just a weekly catch-up.
=== Tuesday, September 22, 2009 ===
==== Ubuntu Community Learning Project - Moodle Q&A ====
* Start: 01:00 UTC
* End: 02:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Learning/Agenda
==== Asia Oceania Membership Board Meeting ====
* Start: 10:00 UTC
* End: 11:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Membership/RegionalBoards/AsiaOceania
==== Ubuntu Mobile Team Meeting ====
* Start: 13:00 UTC
* End: 14:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MobileTeam/Meeting
==== Technical Board Meeting ====
* Start: 14:00 UTC
* End: 15:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: Not listed as of publication
==== Server Team Meeting ====
* Start: 15:00 UTC
* End: 16:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ServerTeam/Meeting
==== Desktop Team Meeting ====
* Start: 16:30 UTC
* End: 17:30 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-desktop
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DesktopTeam/Meeting
==== Kernel Team Meeting ====
* Start: 17:00 UTC
* End: 18:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: Not listed as of publication
==== Ubuntu Beginners Team Meeting ====
* Start: 23:00 UTC
* End: 24:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BeginnersTeam/Meetings
=== Wednesday, September 23, 2009 ===
==== Foundation Team Meeting ====
* Start: 16:00 UTC
* End: 17:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: None listed as of publication
==== QA Team Meeting ====
* Start: 17:00 UTC
* End: 18:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/Meetings/
==== Americas Membership Board Meeting ====
* Start: 22:00 UTC
* End: 24:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Membership/RegionalBoards/Americas
=== Thursday, September 24, 2009 ===
==== Karmic BetaFreeze ====
* https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BetaFreeze
==== Ubuntu Java Meeting ====
* Start: 14:00 UTC
* End: 15:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: None listed as of publication
==== Ubuntu Translations Meeting ====
* Start: 15:00 UTC
* End: 16:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/TranslatingUbuntu/Events/Meetings
==== MC Meeting ====
* Start: 16:00 UTC
* End: 17:00 UTC
* Location: None listed as of publication
* Agenda: None listed as of publication
=== Friday, September 25, 2009 ===
==== Karmic Weekly Release Meeting ====
* Start: 15:00 UTC
* End: 16:30 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: http://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReleaseTeam/Meeting/2009-09-25
==== Edubuntu Meeting ====
* Start: 17:00 UTC
* End: 18:30 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: https://wiki.edubuntu.org/Edubuntu/WikiSite/Meeting/
=== Saturday, September 26, 2009 ===
* None listed as of publication
=== Sunday, September 27, 2009 ===
==== Ubuntu Gaming Team Meeting ====
* Start: 19:00 UTC
* End: 21:00 UTC
* Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
* Agenda: None listed as of publication
== Updates and Security for 6.06, 8.04, 8.10 and 9.04 ==
=== Security Updates ===
* USN-830-1: OpenSSL vulnerability - http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-830-1
* USN-831-1: OpenEXR vulnerabilities - http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-831-1
* USN-832-1: FreeRADIUS vulnerability -
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-832-1
=== Ubuntu 6.06 Updates ===
* langpack-locales 2.3.18.24 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2009-September/012785.html
=== Ubuntu 8.04 Updates ===
* kdepim 4:3.5.10-0ubuntu1~hardy3.2 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/hardy-changes/2009-September/012291.html
* tzdata 2009m-0ubuntu0.8.04 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/hardy-changes/2009-September/012292.html
* linux 2.6.24-24.61 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/hardy-changes/2009-September/012293.html
* linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24 2.6.24-24.41 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/hardy-changes/2009-September/012294.html
=== Ubuntu 8.10 Updates ===
* tzdata 2009m-0ubuntu0.8.10 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/intrepid-changes/2009-September/009762.html
=== Ubuntu 9.04 Updates ===
* kadu 0.6.5.1-5ubuntu0.1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/jaunty-changes/2009-September/009892.html
* kdepim 4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1.1 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/jaunty-changes/2009-September/009893.html
* tzdata 2009m-0ubuntu0.9.04 -
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/jaunty-changes/2009-September/009894.html
== 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 ==
This issue of the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter is brought to you by:
* John Crawford
* Craig A. Eddy
* Dave Bush
* Isabelle Duchatelle
* Sayak Banerjee
* Liraz Siri
* And many others
== Glossary of Terms ==
1. FTBFS - Fails To Build From Source. - For example when building a
package with debuild (http://qa.ubuntuwire.com/ftbfs/)
Other acronyms can be found at
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/glossary
== Ubuntu - Get Involved ==
The Ubuntu community consists of individuals and teams, working on
different aspects of the distribution, giving advice and technical
support, and helping to promote Ubuntu to a wider audience. No
contribution is too small, and anyone can help. It's your chance to get
in on all the community fun associated with developing and promoting
Ubuntu. http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate
== Feedback ==
This document is maintained by the Ubuntu Weekly News Team. If you have
a story idea or suggestions for the Weekly Newsletter, join the Ubuntu
News Team mailing list at
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/Ubuntu-news-team and submit
it. Ideas can also be added to the wiki at
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Ideas. 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
support questions, please send them to ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com.
Except where otherwise noted, content in this issue is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License BY SA
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
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