UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue51

Contents

In This Issue
General Community News
LoCo News
In The Press
In The Blogosphere
Meetings and Events
Community Spotlight
1. New US Loco Team Off to a Flying Start
Updates and security for 6.06, 6.10, and 7.04
Bug Stats
Translation Stats
What is it?
Archives and RSS Feed
Additional Ubuntu News
Conclusion
Credits
RSS
Feedback

Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue #51 for the week July 29th - August 4th, 2007. In this issue we cover job opportunities at Canonical, potential system issues caused by Automatix, the upcoming fourth alpha release of Gutsy Gibbon, coverage of the US LoCo Teams Project and meetup, and much much more.

UWN Translations

Deutsch - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue51/De
Español - Start one! https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue51/Es
Français - http://ubuntu-fr.org/lettre/lhu51.html
Italiano - http://wiki.ubuntu-it.org/NewsletterItaliana
Português - Start one! https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue51/Pt

In This Issue

Canonical Job Opportunities
Automatix: Package Architecture Could Lead to Serious System Problems
Tribe 4 Freeze
US LoCo Teams Project Digg Coverage and Meetup
In The Press and In the Blogosphere
Translation stats
Bug Stats

General Community News

Canonical Job Opportunities

Looking for good people. Apply within! - Jono Bacon is looking to expand his growing Canonical Community Team by filling the position of External Project Developer Relations. You must be smart, enthusiastic, and a committed lover of Ubuntu and free software. The right individual will get to work with upstream and downstream projects to improve how they work with Ubuntu and vice-versa. For a full job description, and instructions on submitting your resume, visit the link. http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1008

Automatix: Package Architecture Could Lead to Serious System Problems

Automatix is a configuration/package installation tool which has made it easier for users to install graphics drivers, media codecs and software not part of the Ubuntu Distribution. This review of the package shows that Automatix has some serious problems, and in its current state is dangerous to your system. Potential problems run the range from damage to small items of your configuration, up to and including the potential to leave your system in an unbootable state. Read the point by point analysis by following the link to the review. http://mjg59.livejournal.com/77440.html

Tribe 4 Freeze

The next alpha release of Ubuntu's Gutsy Gibbon is due on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2007. New features will include Gnome 2.19.6, Console Kit and fast-user-switch applet, tracker by default, KDE 4 beta 1 and more. The freeze to main will be on Tuesday, August 7, 2007, so if you have changes to this milestone, you need to get in touch with a member of the release team. https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel-announce/2007-August/000321.html (tribe 4 to be released)

LoCo News

USA-wide Approved LoCo’s by the end of the year. Let's do it!

Jono Bacon : The US Teams Project is working hard to get an Ubuntu Loco Team in every state of the USA. Their specific goal is to have an approved team in every state by the end of 2007. This goal is one that can absolutely be accomplished. The project has come a long way, but we need to work together as a community if we are going to achieve this goal. Come on folks, lets make this happen. On a global scale we are already kicking ass with Loco teams, let's now kick ass in the USA and get an approved team in every state by the end of the year. Jono's posting about US Teams: http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1007

US LoCo Teams Project Featured on Digg (Response is Tremendous!)

The US Loco Teams project received some needed help when an article written by Christer Edward's, aka Zelut, was featured on Digg. Digg picked up the article from a posting to the fridge and it created mass excitement in the US Loco Teams Project. Within a two day period, some nine new US State Teams were set up. Established teams were also reporting anywhere from 4 to 15 new members signing up with their Loco. Needless to say, it was a busy couple of days for this project. Setting up all the needed resources for these new teams, which included: IRC Channels, mail lists, Launchpad and wiki pages, is no easy task. But many of the established US Loco teams stepped up to help out. Their team members jumped right in and assisted in anyway they could to help get things set up and questions answered. It was a thing of beauty to watch! Not only the establishment of so many new teams, but also the response of the community to help get it done. Once again, the Ubuntu Community shows why they are the best! http://digg.com/linux_unix/Ubuntu_In_The_United_States

US Loco Teams Meetup (A Night To Remember!)

On Saturday, August 4, 2007, Loco Teams from all over the US came together in what will surely be remembered as one of the best nights in US Loco Teams Project history. Following the successful Digg article, US teams met in the US channel to introduce themselves, learn and share ideas, and to celebrate their recent success. During the minutes leading up to the start, team spirit was very high with members announcing their respective states in a show of team unity. The meeting kicked off with the introduction of the US Team Mentors, and then the channel was turned over to those in attendance. 103 members was the official count in channel. A couple of participants introduced their wives (who were visiting). A great time was had by all, and this is just another example of the spirit that lives within the Ubuntu Community, and the US Teams Project.

Ritech2007 (Research, Innovation, Technology)

Ritech is Indonesia's annual technology expo, and this year is special because it emphasizes open source. Mega Glodok Kemayoran, Jakarta is the place, and the dates are August 8-12, 2007. At first, the Indonesian Ubuntu Community was to share space with another open source institution. But when the Ministry found out about the presence of Edubuntu, and the ability to host their own booth, the team was given it's own space. More details of this exciting expo are available via the link. http://wiki.ubuntu-id.org/Ritech2007

Ubuntu Chicago Meeting

The Ubuntu Chicago LoCo is having their next meeting in the middle of downtown Chicago for everyone to enjoy. There will be a few short talks about various topics and as always, the meetings are open to the public. As a side note, the Chicago LoCo will be meeting before the Chicago Gnu/Linux Users Group meeting so members are encouraged to attend the Chi-GLUG meeting as well. Much more details are included on the LoCo's webpage. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ChicagoTeam/Meetings

In The Press

Hands on: Ubuntu Linux: Kubuntu and Xubuntu - You can of course install Ubuntu and then add any desktop you want. The best method to get KDE according to Barry Shilliday though is to install the KDE version. This method however will leave the user without several of the enhancements available in Ubuntu's Gnome version. This article follows the steps necessary to install these needed extras, bringing your KDE installation up to its full capabilities. New users to Linux might have some trouble with a few of the set up steps, so the author recommends that they should try the standard Ubuntu version which will install these packages automatically. http://www.pcw.co.uk/personal-computer-world/features/2195122/hands-ubuntu-linux-kubuntu
Ubuntu Live: Dog Pile on Microsoft - Mark Shuttleworth, founder of London-based Canonical Ltd., told the Ubuntu Live conference in Portland last week that the company will focus on server improvements in the coming year to make it more appealing to IT managers. They will also place Ubuntu in more direct competition with other Linux versions, such a Red Hat and SUSE. Attendees didn't bash other Linux versions, but banded together to show support of Linux. Stephen O'Grady of Denver based Red-Monk said that "Windows" was the bug that needed to be fixed. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=operating_systems&articleId=299438&taxonomyId=89&intsrc=kc_feat
Conexant Modem Driver Now Available on support.dell.com for Ubuntu - Dell is now providing a Conexant modem driver download for the Inspiron E1505n and 1420n. This driver is for Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn. If you have been waiting for this upgrade, following the link to bring your machine up to date. http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/07/17/21325.aspx
Windows vs. Linux vs. OS X: CIO John Halamka Tests Ubuntu - John Halamka is responsible for the desktop productivity of 40,000 people at Care-Group and Harvard Medical School. After years of Windows usage, he evaluates Ubuntu as a replacement for desktops, thin clients and public kiosks. John was concerned that Ubuntu would be too consumer-oriented, but finds "the OS met all of his criteria and exceeded his expectations." Overall, Ubuntu does well its UI, management tools, and support and John comments "the Ubuntu community had done a bang-up job developing an OS that was easy to install and required little configuration." http://www.cio.com/article/print/126702
Windows's dominance stifles demand for Linux - There's been much fanfare about Linux replacing Windows on desktops but we've yet to see any major adoptions take place. This may have something to do with the fact that up until now, none of the major PC manufacturers have offered Linux as a pre-installed option. Analysts say the cost of retraining staff, along with the entrenched installed base of Windows, means it could be some time before Linux becomes a popular alternative to Microsoft's desktop OS. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39288391,00.htm
Linux Vs. Mac: Which Is The Better Alternative To Microsoft Windows? - If you're a Vista-wary Windows user who would rather switch than fight, should you move to a Linux distro or Apple's OS X? Two testers review Ubuntu and Mac OS-X in the following categories: Installation & Migration, Hardware Support & Power Management, Networking & Wireless, Productivity, Entertainment, Security, Windows Integration, Stability, Backup and Disaster Recovery. Conclusions: both systems preformed well and could offer advantages depending upon the needs of the operator. http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201002048
IBM Saves $250M Running Linux On Mainframes - Today IBM will announce it is consolidating nearly 4,000 small computer servers in six locations onto about 30 refrigerator-sized mainframes running Linux, saving $250 million in the process. The 4,000 replaced servers will be recycled by IBM Global Asset Recovery Services. The six data centers currently take up over 8 million square feet, or the size of nearly 140 football fields - http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/31/1859220&from=rss
First KDE 4.0 beta released - The KDE team is shipping its first beta for the next-generation KDE desktop. The 4.0 beta is the starting point for the integration process to start bringing new technologies in KDE 4 libraries to applications. - http://www.linux.com/feature/118383
Time for a switch? - There’s been a lot of talk about how good Vista and OS is. However, few know about how good the free and easily usable Linux and its ‘distros’ (short for distribution) are. A few years ago, most people thought that Linux was only for people who were tech savvy and knew computer codes, and it wasn’t for the normal home users. However, Linux has come a long way in the past few years and has almost made a niche among the users. And, the best part about Linux is that it’s free. Linux has various distributions available for download. Some like Red Hat are for servers, while some like Ubuntu, its cousin Kubuntu, Open Suse and Fedora are for the desktop. So, if you are looking out for a new computer and and want to save on the cost of buying an expensive Operating System, you know what to look at! http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune_Times/Time_for_a_switch/articleshow/2257068.cms

In The Blogosphere

Enterprising Ubuntu? - Unlike consumer strategies, which are geared toward overnight results, enterprise strategies take the long term approach. The first step is longevity, and Ubuntu's three year rise in popularity fulfils this goal. Step two is to speak the language of the large enterprise customers. A work in progress for Ubuntu according to this author. The third step is to differentiate your product from the other guys. Ubuntu seems to be aimed solidly in that direction with the addition of Landscape and Personal Packaging Archive service. Whether these items will help Ubuntu gain a larger share of the enterprise market is as yet unknown, but if Red Hat is not paying attention, it should. http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2007/07/30/ubuntu_enterprise/
Serving Your Home Network on a Silver Platter with Ubuntu - It is widely known that Linux is one of the best options for a server operating system. However, the technical ability to run and maintain a linux based server has often times been more than an everyday user could manage. This article is geared toward helping anyone set up and maintain a useful Linux server for their home network. One that is headless(i.e. without a monitor, keyboard or mouse) and can be stowed away out of sight. Once you have everything set up to meet your needs, your LAN server/gateway should run like clockwork, requiring only occasional upgrades. http://linuxgazette.net/141/lazar.html
Open Source and Microsoft Free - Mike Kavis says: I have now been Microsoft-Free at work for about 7 weeks. I have also found solutions for almost all of the initial hurdles I encountered in the first week. Email, Office, Browser and printing have all been solved with open source applications. My goal of this article is to prove that people can be productive at work without the need of Microsoft software. I found the Ubuntu install to be quite simple. People tend to accept that fact that Windows is a simple install because they receive their desktops or laptops already configured. Is the Windows install really all that much easier then the Linux install or is it the fact that most people never have to bother installing Windows? http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/eai/madgreek/archives/open-source-and-microsoft-free-17339 (mentioned in slashdot)
Windows vs Ubuntu - why switch? - I want to re-install my work PC - get rid of Windows and install Ubuntu. Here’s why…It seemed clear 5 years ago that Linux could do all I want a computer do, do it well, and maybe even gratis. The only problem was that it took a lot of effort to get to the system set up correctly in the first instance. Once it was ready it was great, but getting ready took time, research, and effort - that’s fine for messing around at home, but not so good for getting work done. I now run Ubuntu Desktop Linux on my home PC, with virtually no effort required to run it - as these things should be. http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2007/08/03/windows-vs-ubuntu-why-switch/

Meetings and Events

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Kernel Team Meeting

Start: 15:00 UTC
End: 16:00 UTC
Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/Meeting

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Edubuntu Meeting

Start: 12:00 UTC
End: 14:00 UTC
Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
Agenda: https://wiki.edubuntu.org/EdubuntuMeetingAgenda

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Gutsy Tribe CD 4 Release

Gutsy Tribe 4 will be released today!!

Ubuntu Development Team Meeting

Start: 15:00 UTC
End: 17:00 UTC
Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
Agenda: No Agenda Set Yet

Friday, August 10, 2007

MOTU Team Meeting

Start: 17:00 UTC
End: 19:00 UTC
Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/Meetings

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Xubuntu Developers Meeting

Start: 17:00 UTC
End: 19:00 UTC
Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Xubuntu/Meetings

Community Spotlight

New US Loco Team Off to a Flying Start

The Minnesota Loco Team got off to a flying start that can be attributed to the recent Digg article, great support, and enthusiastic team members. After getting its start just a week ago, this team already reports having registered 13 members in Launchpad, and participating in their IRC channel. They also have their wiki page up and running, a team forum page, and have put in their request for a mailing list. They also have plans to work with the LUGs in their state to further advocate Ubuntu and Open Source. Nice job team Minnesota, keep up what is considered by all to be a great start for your team.

Updates and security for 6.06, 6.10, and 7.04

Bug Stats

Open (31270) +305 # over last week
Critical (19) -1 # over last week
Unconfirmed (15776) +259 # over last week
Unassigned (23555) +358 # over last week
All bugs ever reported (112545) +1038 # 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

Spanish (23957) -480 # over last week
French (38762) -4 # over last week
Swedish (54406) -53 # over last week
English-UK (60205) +40 # over last week
German (63046) 0 # over last week

Remaining string to translate in Ubuntu 7.10 "Gutsy Gibbon", see more at: https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/gutsy/

What is it?

New to UWN is Whatisit. Each week we will be including a close up photograph, and the full photograph of the previous week's item. You will have until the next UWN release to guess what the item is on the Ubuntu Forums: http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=243

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
Dawid van Wyngaard
John Crawford
Nick Ali
And many others

RSS

You can subscribe to the UWN feed at: http://fridge.ubuntu.com/uwn/feed

Feedback

If you would like to submit an idea or story you think is worth appearing on the UWN, please send them to ubuntu-marketing-submissions@lists.ubuntu.com. 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@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 support questions, please send then ubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com.