Issue86

Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue 86 for the weeks April 6th - April 12th, 2008. In this issue we cover: Ubuntu 8.04 LTS archive freeze, Ubuntu 8.04 LTS LoCo Team CDs, Brainstorm update, Ubuntu UK Podcast #3, Euro-Parliament testing Ubuntu, and much, much more!

UWN Translations

In This Issue

  • Ubuntu 8.04 LTS archive freeze
  • Ubuntu 8.04 LTS LoCo team CDs

  • Brainstorm update
  • Ubuntu Stats
  • In the Press & Blogosphere

  • Ubuntu UK podcast #3
  • Euro-Parliament testing Ubuntu
  • Upcoming meetings & events

  • Updates & Security

General Community News

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS archive freeze

We are now one week out from the 8.04 LTS release candidate and two weeks from the final release, so the archive is now frozen and will not thaw again before release.

During the freeze, all uploads to main must be approved by a member of the release team, so if you have fixes that are important to get in and will need discussion, please do get in touch as soon as possible. Uploads to main should at this point focus on release-critical bugs only.

Uploads to universe should follow the guidelines described here:

The list of release-critical bugs that we want to still try to resolve before the release candidate on April 17 is tracked here:

Additional bugs that are still considered "targets of opportunity" for the release are found at:

If you have bugs which you believe should be listed there but aren't yet, please get in touch with me or another member of the release team.

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS LoCo team CD's

Free Hardy CDs are available for all APPROVED LoCo teams. Shipit will send LoCos a prepared selection of CDs that form the following mix:

  • Ubuntu: PC: 230, AMD64: 20
  • Kubuntu: PC: 30, AMD64: 15
  • Edubuntu: PC: 10
  • Server PC: PC: 30
  • Server 64bit: PC: 15
  • KDE4 Remix: PC: 50

Please note, Shipit can't allow you to add or remove from this mix - this is a pre-prepared selection and cannot be adjusted.

To get your Hardy CDs you must first ensure you are an approved team, and the Team Contact should make the request for the CDs.

To get them, send an email to info@shipit.ubuntu.com with the subject of Request For Hardy CDs: <team name> (e.g. Request For Hardy CDs: ubuntu-au). You must use that subject format to ensure Shipit picks up on the email. The email must contain all of the following details:

  • Name
  • Street Address (do not include a POBOX - it must be a real address) - include your post/zip code!!
  • Full International Phone number (including country code)

The team contact must request the CDs, but it is fine to get the CDs sent to another member of the team if needed.

Each team can have a maximum of one box of CDs.

Orders should be preferably placed before April 18th 2008 to ensure delivery within two weeks after the Hardy release date. Any later orders will have an estimated two week delay before they arrive.

Before you submit the email...

  • Ensure you are an approved team - see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoTeamList.

  • Ensure the Team Contact requests the CDs.
  • Check you have included the stand subject line, as shown above.
  • Ensure you have included all of the requested information in the email.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoGettingCds

Brainstorm Update

Across the web, we have seen a lot of interest to the Brainstorm website in FOSS projects. The project wants to make an open call to everyone: the project is working on making Brainstorm "project-neutral," and anybody wanting to help on the Brainstorm project is welcome! The stats module is not up and running yet, but here are a few stats: 14,400 users, 26,000 comments, 700,000 votes, and 6500 ideas (350 deleted, 1400 duplicates).

  • Now, the implemented ideas will be classified by release.
  • Many are unhappy with the current duplicate handling system. That's also our perception: the duplicate system is fine, but not sufficient: there should be a way to group similar, but not duplicate ideas.
  • Contacting us will now be easier: A "contact us" link have been added on the footer of the Brainstorm website, and very soon, a mailing list will be added.

http://blog.qa.ubuntu.com/node/2

Ubuntu Stats

Bug Stats

  • Open (42442) +756 # over last week
  • Critical (29) +/-0 # over last week
  • Unconfirmed (20342) +357 # over last week
  • Unassigned (32899) +645 # over last week
  • All bugs ever reported (171424) +3054 # 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 Hardy

This is the top 5, not specific languages, so the languages might change week to week.

  • Spanish (16420)
  • French (40068)
  • English-UK (47128)
  • Swedish (56000)
  • Brazilian Portuguese (64517 )

Remaining strings to translate in Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron," see more at: https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/hardy/

Ubuntu Forums News

Ubuntu Forums Interview

The editor of the weekly Ubuntu newsletter is Nick Ali, known as boredandblogging.com. Nick was kind enough to answer the questions himself this time. He lives both in the Atlanta area and in the web and tries out many distributions (he runs Arch on his EeePC). Another veteran of the 386 era!

http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/an-interview-with-boredandbloggingcom/

Tutorial of the Week

The Tutorial of the Week for April 7, 2008, is a true classic -- seldon77's "Howto: Get a beautiful Conky 1.4.2 setup". Dating all the way back to summer of 2006, this one is well crafted and quite comprehensive, and comes with sample codes and screenshots for setting up conky with style. With over 600 comments and creeping up on 200,000 views, this thread is a forum standby and probably will be for a long time to come. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=205865

As a side note, check out this equally venerable 'Cafe thread, for more examples of what you can do with conky. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=281865

Have fun!

In The Press

  • Ubuntu breathes new life into school's abandoned hardware - Implementing a kiosk mode Kubuntu set-up allowed Westall Secondary School, located in eastern Melbourne, to save money, exact greater control over security measures, and extend the life of older and discarded hardware without sacrificing performance. The IT department installed six Kubuntu desktops in kiosk mode on the old gear for its Web-based student library system. Based on the success of the initial deployment, another six Kubuntu kiosks are slated for implementation in the school's international student lounge. http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;609377314;pp;1

  • Fixing bugs: how distributions react - Reported in September 2006 - the high frequency of load/unload cycles on some hard drives which could lead to premature death of the drive. Ubuntu and Debian projects were both asked about the bug, both projects replied promptly, but differently. Ubuntu: "The Launchpad service is the source for the status on the bugs. There is no other source. When/if they are fixed/progressed in time or 8.04 will be published on Launchpad." The Debian project has come up with a workaround according to spokesman Martin Schulze. The Debian maintainer of the respective package, acpi-support, Bart Samwel, has been watching the Ubuntu bug report. Since the bug was reported in Launchpad, that would be the logical place to discuss the solution. The plan was to reach consensus, then implement whatever solution is proper. Since no consensus has been reached until today (April 4) Samwel took matters into his own hands, and uploaded the fix on November 28, 2007. That version is already part of lenny, the next stable Debian release.http://www.itwire.com/content/view/17601/1090/

  • Ubuntu 7.10 vs. Ubuntu 8.04 Benchmarks - Following up on the December benchmark tests that showed Hardy 8.04 Alpha 2 and Gutsy in close competition, this article compares Gutsy with the Hardy Beta release. Comparison tests include: Bootchart, Doom 3, LAME encoding, timed disk reads, Gzip compression, and Ram speed. On the desktop, Ubuntu 7.10 and Ubuntu 8.04 Beta performed neck-and-neck with neither release showing a definitive advantage. While Ubuntu 8.04 may not be faster than its predecessor, it does boast a number of new features including virtualization improvements, RandR GUI for office presentations and of course, long term support. Visit the link to see all the graphs of the benchmark tests. http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=ubuntu_710_804&num=1

  • Dutch UMPC runs Ubuntu - Dutch integrator Van Der Led (VDL) Designs has announced a clone of the Asus Eee PC ultra-mini PC (UMPC) notebook. The WiFi-enabled "Jisus" UMPC is equipped with a Chinese-made 1GHz Loongson CPU, has an 8.9-inch display, and runs Ubuntu. The Jisus is equipped with 512MB RAM, 4GB of flash, Ethernet, WiFi, a webcam, and stereo speakers. The mini-notebook sports a larger 8.9-inch display, like the newly announced Asus Eee PC 900, but it's limited to the original 800 x 480 VGA resolution. The display is controlled by a Silicon Motions SM712 graphics processor. The Jisus will be released in Europe on April 25th, and should be in stock by May 25th, for a price of 300 Euros (currently about $470). Follow the link to see screen shots of this new product. http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3257992292.html

  • Ubuntu 6.10 Comes to the End of the Line - Nothing lasts forever, and this is particularly true of patches and tech support for open source programs like Linux distributions. Many of the Linux distros out there have a regular pattern whereby older releases are retired as they get too far behind the current release. Ubuntu 6.10 Linux distribution from Canonical, will reach its end of life for support on April 25th. The Ubuntu community and Canonical launched Ubuntu 6.10 a year and a half ago, on October 26, 2006, and under the agreement that Canonical made with Ubuntu users, it promises to offer 18 months of support for each Ubuntu desktop and server release unless it is a so-called Long Term Support release. Ubuntu's newest version, Hardy Heron 8.04 is due out April 24th, so everyone will be able to upgrade to the latest version on a timely basis, with no gaps in security. http://www.itjungle.com/tlb/tlb040808-story02.html

  • Ubuntu: Linux for humans - So you’re sick of the old computer and want a new one. You go to the store, give your specifications, browse the models and the options for operating systems. The cost of Windows, an office package, anti virus, software, with renewals adds up. Enter open source, and Ubuntu specifically. Included are all the essentials and many extras, and you need no anti virus software since Ubuntu/Linux isn't vulnerable. The repositories contain over 20,000 Linux application you can download for free, and the Ubuntu community provides a vast support network that is friendly and knowledgeable. If you’re looking for a computer that you can use to surf the net, check Email, chat, listen to music and watch videos, Ubuntu is for you. http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/lifeatwork/itadda/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1078882&_EXT_5_groupId=14

In The Blogosphere

  • Ubuntu and the coming Linux popularity contest - Consider what would happen if an IBM or Sun seriously threw its weight behind Ubuntu, banishing the "It's not enterprise-ready" myth forever? I suspect we'd see widespread, immediate enterprise adoption of Ubuntu. Why? Because Ubuntu is already being used widely within enterprises. It's just not being allowed to carry mission-critical enterprise applications yet, because those are reserved for the "enterprise Linux distributions" like RHEL and SUSE. In short, the only thing Ubuntu is missing is a big brother that will officially declare, "Ubuntu is enterprise class." It's already there, but needs the certification by A Big Company. IBM, Sun, and others all have their own reasons for crowning it such. http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13505_1-9915064-16.html

  • Facts on Ubuntu Mobile and Moblin - What are the differences between Moblin and Ubuntu Moble? Moblin hosts the Mobile & Internet Linux Project which is an umbrella, open source project focused on the development of Linux for Intel-based devices. Ubuntu Mobile is built specifically for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs.) The goal is to provide full Web functionality including essential closed components like Flash and Java. Moblin and Ubuntu Mobile are not the same thing and they are not competitors. They work together, with both contributing their own set of components. See a breakdown of what each does here. http://www.ultramobilegeek.com/2008/04/facts-on-ubuntu-mobile-and-moblin.html

  • Ubuntu: More doomed than ever... - The ACPI bug Randall C. Kennedy encountered with Ubuntu 7.10 "Gutsy Gibbon" has been carried over to Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron." In other words, the suspend/resume "black screen of death" is back, and nastier than ever! Randall says he had high hopes for "Hardy," if for no other reason than he expected the "showstopper" ACPI issues to have been resolved. That Ubuntu 8.04 remains unpalatable because of a stale, well-documented holdover bug from the previous version is really disappointing. http://weblog.infoworld.com/enterprisedesktop/archives/2008/04/ubuntu_more_doo.html?source=rss

  • Dell: No Plans for Ubuntu Linux Servers - Canonical has plenty of momentum on the desktop, but as Canonical gears up for a server push, one key Ubuntu partner plans to sit on the sidelines. Dell has no plans to ship Ubuntu on its servers according to a Dell source. Dell does plan to support Ubuntu 8.04 (code-named Hardy Heron) on selected desktops this spring or summer. It’s hard to blame Dell for taking a “wait and see” approach on the Ubuntu server. After all, Red Hat and Novell are both firmly entrenched in the Linux server market. For Ubuntu to succeed on the server, it will need a critical mass of integrators, consultants and software developers willing to sell, service and support Ubuntu-centric systems. http://www.thevarguy.com/2008/04/10/dell-no-plans-for-ubuntu-linux-servers/

In Other News

Ubuntu UK Podcast episode three: Help Me

Ciemon Dunville, Alan Pope, Dave Walker and Tony Whitmore present the third episode of the Ubuntu UK Podcast.

  • Discussion:
    • Command line versus GUI.
    • Mythbuntu.
    • Podcast production.
  • In the news:
    • Microsoft OOXML ISO Clarification.
    • Adobe releases Air for Linux.
    • Launchpad supports OpenID.
    • UK Conservative & Labour Parties talk about Open Source.

    • Ubuntu survives Tipping point “Pwn to Own” contest.
    • Ubuntu Live.

http://podcast.ubuntu-uk.org/2008/04/07/s01e03-help-me/

EU: Euro-Parliament testing Ubuntu, OpenOffice and Firefox

The European Parliament's IT department is testing the use of Ubuntu, OpenOffice, Firefox and other Open Source applications according to a letter to Italian MEP Marco Cappato from British MEP James Nicholson. According to Nicholson the tests show this Open Source configuration meets the Parliament's office requirements. However, this does not mean that Ubuntu will immediate replace the currently used system: "This depends on long-term developments and needs and functional requirements of the Parliament. The Parliament will continue to monitor Open Source developments and if possible will try to use this type of software." http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/7565

Ubuntu Leader Praises Windows, Wants its Customers

Mark Shuttleworth, CEO of Ubuntu, offers kind words for Microsoft's Windows - Ed Moltzen think Mark Shuttleworth sounds more like someone who is plotting to steal customers away from the Windows platform. Shuttleworth calls Windows "an important platform," and then praises an open-source application called WUBI that allows Ubuntu to be installed onto a Windows PC. What makes WUBI different is that instead of creating a virtual machine, or installing Ubuntu onto a partition, it installs it into a file on the PC. According to Shuttleworth: "What I think is really classy about it is the way it uses the Windows Boot Manager sensibly to offer you the Ubuntu option. If I was a Windows user who was intrigued but nervous about Linux, this would be a really great way to get a taste of it, at low risk. Being able to install and uninstall a Linux OS as if it were a Windows app is a brilliant innovation." http://crn.com/software/207100664?cid=ChannelWebBreakingNews

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Server Team Meeting

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Desktop Team Meeting

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

Security Updates

Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Updates

Ubuntu 6.10 Updates

Ubuntu 7.04 Updates

Ubuntu 7.10 Updates

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:

and

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter.

See you next week!

Credits

The Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter is brought to you by:

  • Nick Ali
  • John Crawford
  • Isabelle Duchatelle
  • Craig A. Eddy
  • And many others

Glossary of Terms

  1. MEP - Member of the European Parliament

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.

UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue86 (last edited 2008-08-06 17:00:27 by localhost)