Ubuntu Wiki

Here I shall try to describe my Ubuntu-related work in detail. This page does not include occasional testing/reporting/triaging of bugs and small (translation) bugfixes. Neither it includes information, that's already recorded in my Launchpad profile.

Open source software

I have recently written indicator-cpufreq for the purpose of having CPU frequency scaling at hand under Natty (I use it for fixing JACK timing when working with audio). To my surprise it became rather popular and got featured in several Ubuntu-related zines.

I've also written Sced, the SuperCollider IDE for gedit (see below) and a PyGTK ABX-player.

Packaging

• All of my upgrades, merges, syncs and bugfixes are tracked on the Uploaded packages page at Launchpad.

• I have been the first author of scantailor package (short review).

SuperCollider

In 2008-2010 I have been working on SuperCollider package (a softsynth). It was dropped from Debian due to lack of mainentance/errors, and I managed to resurrect and extend the package (splitting it in parts, adding proper vim support, etc.). The package (co-maintained by Dan Stowell) soon became the semi-official way of installing SuperCollider in Ubuntu.

This work is now being adapted back into Debian.

Background:

• Launchpad bug

• REVU history

• SuperCollider download page

• User testimonials:

  • http://artfwo.blogspot.com/2008/05/supercollider-for-human-beings.html

  • http://artfwo.blogspot.com/2008/04/supercollider-for-hardy.html

apturl

My contributions for apturl included KDE support and a number of patches for apturl support across Ubuntu applications (bug 217611). Unfortunately, due to lack of attention, only xchat-gnome and pidgin adopted the diffs. There is AptUrlRedirector nowadays, so they are not really urgent anymore.

Translations

Translations are quite a large part of my Ubuntu contributions. I have translated Ubuntu since Dapper, and the list of my translations can be also found in Launchpad. Apart from translating software in Rosetta, I try to work in other areas (wiki, release notes) and also forward and maintain translations upstream, where appropriate (!GNOME, !GStreamer, NetworkManager, !system-config-printer, etc.). The largest project, that I ever translated, was Quantum GIS.

Artwork

During Maverick cycle, I came up with an Ubuntu theme for gedit, which is a development of my earlier efforts (1, 2). Sadly, the theme didn't make its way into Maverick, but hopefully I'll be able to shape it further for Natty inclusion.

Advocacy and support

• Technical answers in Launchpad for my language.
• Local support.

• I've successfully organized a number of Ubuntu-related events in my area (free software seminars and release parties). I've been giving talks, producing CDs¹, and being the general "all-hands guy" in all of the events. Event pictures are available online:

  • http://picasaweb.google.com/artfwo/OpenTalk20071

  • http://picasaweb.google.com/artfwo/OpenTalk20081

  • http://picasaweb.google.com/artfwo/OpenTalk20082

  • http://picasaweb.google.com/artfwo/OpenTalk20091 (incl. the Jaunty Release Party)

  • http://picasaweb.google.com/artfwo/LucidReleasePartyOpenTalk20101

• General activism, like giving away Ubuntu button badges, long before they began to produce them officially (logo's being used with permission). Nowadays they're available at Linux E-shops for a reasonable price, so I'm not making them anymore.