Lubuntu LTS Requalification: 24.04 Noble Numbat

Wed Jan 3 03:00:38 UTC 2024

On behalf of the Lubuntu Team, and in my capacity as Lubuntu Release 
Manager, this is our application for Long-Term Support requalification 
for 24.04 (Noble Numbat).

  * The Lubuntu Team currently has five active developers[1] with upload 
permissions to the Lubuntu packageset. Two of those developers are also 
Ubuntu Core Developers (and one of them is a Debian Developer, who is on 
the Debian Qt/KDE Team). Over several LTS cycles, we have proven that we 
are willing and able to handle Stable Release Updates to `lubuntu` 
packages. Our developers have also committed bug fixes upstream in LXQt, 
Calamares, KDE, Qt, and core Ubuntu tooling so everyone can benefit. 
Several examples include Calamares, our update notifier, and SDDM. 
Therefore, we commit to providing bug fixes for 24.04, until 2027.
  * Lubuntu has a Members team[2] with *ten* active members. The 
difference between Ubuntu Members and Lubuntu Members are, Lubuntu 
Members are only *active* contributors to Lubuntu, within the last year 
(members have to explicitly renew with the Lubuntu Council, and it is 
simply an activity check). These members provide support via multiple 
avenues[3]. Most notably, in real-time we offer support via IRC, Matrix, 
Discourse[4], and Telegram. The Lubuntu support channels are bridged to 
reach a wider audience. Additionally, many of our members also assist in 
other Ubuntu support avenues such as Matrix, IRC and Ask Ubuntu. 
Therefore, we commit to providing support and a welcoming community for 
24.04, until 2027.
  * In addition to developers, our Members also perform QA testing 
throughout not only Lubuntu but all of Ubuntu. Several Lubuntu testers 
are on top on the charts (the current #1 position is held by a (very 
recently former) Lubuntu Member). They catch many bugs in the 
development cycle before they appear in a stable release, following an 
extensive checklist. After the release, our QA testers routinely test to 
ensure stability. Therefore, we commit to testing for 24.04, until 2027.
  * Our documentation team provides our fantastic manual which is 
frequently referenced not only for Lubuntu but other distributions that 
utilize LXQt. We currently provide the manual for both the current 
stable interim release[5] and the LTS release[6]. We take the user from 
download to installation to using every piece of software installed by 
default. Therefore, we commit to providing documentation for the 
upcoming LTS release for 24.04, until 2027.
  * Our support lifespan is listed on every download on our downloads[7] 
page and an easy to reference graph is at the bottom of the page. 
Additionally, our support cycle is documented in every release 
announcement posted on our blog[8] and is also linked in every Ubuntu 
release note.

Notes from the Release Manager
------------------------------

Lubuntu is the strongest it has been since our transition to LXQt in the 
18.10 cycle. Besides our technical goals, we aim to set an example by 
training and maintaining impactful and meaningful contributors. As the 
most active flavor team, we take great pride in our work, and aspire to 
do our best, not just for Lubuntu, but for the wider community. We 
recognize the sometimes-controversial technical decisions we make as a 
flavor, and aim to minimize their impact on others, while improving the 
story for our users. We may not agree on certain elements, such as Qt 
being the best UI toolkit, but let me be clear: we are still an Ubuntu 
flavor, and wish to be for a long time to come. We are a part of the 
same family.

For every Thursday through Monday following a release, I specifically 
instruct all Lubuntu Members to take the weekend off, and do something 
they enjoy. Whether it is enjoying a nice meal for the occasion, going 
to a party, reading the book they finally want to read, having a great 
cup of tea, whatever "floats their boat," go do it. I will take care of 
any post-release housekeeping items. It is important to me personally 
that Lubuntu Members are happy, and as a leader, it is my responsibility 
to ensure the Quality of Life within the Lubuntu project stays excellent.

This past holiday season was different. I could sense a lot of tension 
within the team, not because of the actions of another Lubuntu team 
member, but the exclusionary feeling we have recently received from some 
of our friends at Canonical. After the Security Team uploaded apparmor 
right before the break (making many applications including the Plasma 
Desktop and all Qt-based web browser alternatives unusable[9]), the 
Mutter regression (which did not affect us but certainly made an 
impression on us), our discovery of improper defaults shipped by GTK 
3[10] (which kneecapped our ability to theme GTK applications until we 
caught it; we found this later), and the general inability to get 
anything reviewed from *Ubuntu*'s SRU or NEW queue for over a day at a 
time, I had enough.

The reason this email is so late is because I instructed all Lubuntu 
Members, from December 20th on, to take a break (with the advisement of 
Lubuntu Team Lead and Ubuntu Community Council Member Thomas Ward). 
People who know my leadership style understand that I very rarely put my 
foot down firmly without accepting questions; I am happy to be wrong, 
and am thrilled at the opportunity to accept constructive criticism. 
That being said, I did not want to lose the community we have worked so 
hard to build. I instructed contributors that this is not as hard of an 
ask as the usual six month "take a weekend off," but they should not 
feel pressured to do any significant work over that time.

Thankfully, the team came back after the break. That being said, I would 
be negligent if I did not address the reason as to *why* a break was 
declared. If it isn't obvious by now, I care about my team, and I care 
about both Lubuntu and Ubuntu, quite a bit. *We need to communicate and 
work together better.* The Ubuntu Code of Conduct explicitly affords 
**any** contributor, **regardless** of their employment status, the 
right to carry out **any** part of the work with the Ubuntu name on it. 
I do not plan on invoking the Community Council here, I do not plan on 
being angry at anyone, and I especially do not plan on bikeshedding 
about what *is* or *isn't* actually an issue (especially with the ones I 
just linked). What I'm honestly asking is, please, can we do better 
here? Can we actually *talk* to one another, and remember that 
collaboration is the answer?

Thank you for your time, consideration, and energy on this issue. Much 
of this work is thankless, so let me be the one to say: Thank You, 
Ubuntu Technical Board. We would not be here without you.

[1] https://launchpad.net/~lubuntu-dev/+members#active

[2] https://launchpad.net/~lubuntu-members/+members#active

[3] https://lubuntu.me/links/

[4] https://discourse.lubuntu.me/

[5] https://manual.lubuntu.me/stable/

[6] https://manual.lubuntu.me/lts/

[7] https://lubuntu.me/downloads/

[8] https://lubuntu.me/blog/

[9] https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apparmor/+bug/2046844

[10] https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gtk+3.0/+bug/2047705

Warm regards,
--
Simon Quigley
simon at tsimonq2.net
tsimonq2 on LiberaChat and OFTC
@tsimonq2:ubuntu.com on Matrix
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