UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue64

This week's forums interview features Artificial Intelligence, long time moderator and contributor to the forums (he is forum member number 19). Artwork, gaming, documentation, he has multiple talents, and a picture is included. Please read the whole article here: http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2007/10/28/an-interview-with-artificial-intelligence/
The ubuntuforums tree was reorganized and a new forum was created, Ubuntu Development & Programming. This new location groups pre-existing forums that were moved there. Mike, ubuntu-geek and Daniel Holbach have worked on the blueprint: https://blueprints.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/packaging-section-on-the-forum. The forums are a great resource to train users to properly package software for Ubuntu, and MOTUs will provide teaching and training. http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=310

In The Press

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138884-c,linux/article.html

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/15138/53/

http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS7114714037.html

http://www.thetimes.co.za/Business/Article.aspx?id=602887

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/15171/1023/

In The Blogosphere

$200 Ubuntu Linux PC Now Available at Wal-Mart - Everex's TC2502 gPC is the first mass-market $200 desktop computer, featuring a custom distribution of Ubuntu Linux and headed for selected Wal-Mart stores. The gPC aims to joins a popular gang of low-end economy computers leading into the holiday season. Touted as a "green" machine, it has a 1.5 Ghz VIA C7 CPU embedded in a Mini-ITX motherboard, 512MB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive. By using the fast Enlightenment desktop manager (instead of heavier-duty alternatives like Gnome or KDE), the makers say it's more responsive than Vista is, even on more powerful computers. It offers a complete, upgradeable system for the lowest possible price, making the gPC a great candidate for home file/media servers and other "experiments." http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/10/200-everex-gree.html
Ubuntu 7.10: The Best Version - Even when you're not the follow-the-crowd type of Linux user, who can resist the plethora of new features on this new incarnation of Ubuntu 7.10 aka Gutsy Gibbon. Canonical developers are giving more emphasis to security on Ubuntu by enabling the App-Armor security framework by default. With Ubuntu 7.10, you can now encrypt your hard disk partition when using the Alternate CD. The Wifi support is excellent! No sound problems on all of the notebooks and desktops tested. Plugin Finder Service is particularly excellent. Try Ubuntu 7.10 and you'll not regret it. http://www.linuxseekers.com/content/view/203/1/
Choice: The system of Checks and Balances in Linux - In a recent article on Desktoplinux.com, Kevin Carmony, former CEO of Linspire, reported that he has switched to Ubuntu. In the same article he also said that as Linux becomes more mainstream there would be a consolidation of Linux on the desktop. By this, does he mean that only a few of the big Linux distributors would be vying for the desktop space through OEM deals. This makes a lot of sense as consumers would be confused by the offering of literally hundreds of distros on various models of computers. But it also raises questions about what consolidation would mean to Linux in the future. Consider Ubuntu. Although this very popular distro gets a lot of things right, the bugs, regression, and memory-hogging eye candy (on a 6-month cycle no less) cause a variety of user experiences—not all of them pleasant. Yes, it has a lot of developers but even with scores of developers, there are still way too many bugs for a distribution that is as popular as this. Could it be that Ubuntu has grown too large for its own good? Are decisions being made for the user instead of by the user? As a Linux company grows, it loses some of the closeness that a smaller distro has with its constituency. Choices are not only made for the benefit of the user, they have to also be made for the benefit of the company (think overhead, investors, etc). http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/95008/
The year of the Linux desktop has finally arrived - While Windows advocates may smirk and say here we go again, as 2007 draws to a close there is a strong feeling that we may look back upon this year and recognize it with hindsight as the year that the Linux desktop finally arrived. There are a number of events that point to 2007 as being the turning point for Linux and it all started in January with the release of Windows Vista. As the reports started filtering in from system builders and users of the disappointment that Vista was, other reports started making their way into the tech press of the new distro of choice for many desktop users, Ubuntu. Even though Ubuntu release 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) wasn't quite there yet, PC maker Dell picked up on user sentiment through its new Idea-Storm blog and announced that it would make a range of pre-installed Ubuntu desktops and notebooks. But now, Everex has done two equally important things to bring Linux into the mainstream. First, Everex has packaged up the latest version of Ubuntu, release 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon), into a neatly pre-installed plug and play desktop system, called gOS, that any novice user vaguely familiar with a mouse-driven graphical computer interface could use straight off. Second, Everex has pre-installed gOS on a sensationally priced desktop box it calls the Green gPC - green not because the interface has a green background but because it is energy efficient. At US$199 without monitor, the gPC is not the most highly configured PC on the planet, but it has everything in the way of connectivity and features that most average desktop users would need. And now, Everex plans to bring out a gOS notebook early next year for less than $300!! http://www.itwire.com/content/view/15177/1023/

In Other News

Meetings and Events

Community Spotlight

The Ubuntu-Illinois Team would like to announce the launch of it's campaign for a hackathon/codesprint on Saturday February 9th, 2008. Shooting for the Champaign-Urbana area, this event is designed to help promote the use of free software on all ends, and Ubuntu in specific. Our plans include an Install Fest, hackaton, and talks by the general community. At the moment, we are asking that any coding done by the users is something easily accessible; documentation work, bug triaging, packaging, and other such activities. As always, our team is concerned with the choice of the end user, and we are willing to work with anyone who wants to promote transparency and freedom in their code. Any and all help is appreciated. See the link to find out more: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/IllinoisTeam/Events

Updates and security for 6.06, 6.10, 7.04, and 7.10

Security Updates

Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Updates

Ubuntu 7.04 Updates

Ubuntu 7.10 Updates

Bug Stats

Open (#) +/- # over last week
Critical (#) +/- # over last week
Unconfirmed (#) +/- # over last week
Unassigned (#) +/- # over last week
All bugs ever reported (#) +/- # over last week

As always, the Bug Squad needs more help. If you want to get started, please see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad

Infamous Bugs

Translation Stats

Language (#) +/- # over last week
Language (#) +/- # over last week
Language (#) +/- # over last week
Language (#) +/- # over last week
Language (#) +/- # over last week

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

UWN #: A sneak peek

Archives and RSS Feed

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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

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Your Name Here
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Feedback

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Ubuntu Wiki

Issue64

In This Issue

General Community News

LoCo News

New in Gutsy Gibbon

Launchpad News

Ubuntu Forum News