Issue69

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||<tablestyle="float:right; font-size: 0.9em; width:40%; background:#F1F1ED; margin: 0 0 1em 1em;" style="padding:0.5em;">'''Contents'''[[BR]][[TableOfContents]]||

## This document contains numerous comments to help make getting
## involved with the UWN easy and to help set some guidelines/standards.

## By contributing, you understand that your contribution may be appended to,
## modified, deleted, moved, copied, and redistributed without further
## consultation. Please feel free to add comments to help explain changes
## and/or additions to the UWN to other editors.

## Final revision will be approved and mailed by Corey Burger (Burgundavia),
## Martin Albisetti (beuno) or Cody Somerville (somerville32).

## For more information, please contact ubuntu-marketing@lists.ubuntu.com or
## visit #ubuntu-marketing on irc.freenode.net

## Good Luck from Cody Somerville, Corey Burger, Melissa Draper and Martin Albisetti.

{{{
WORK IN PROGRESS
}}}

## Edit the following to include issue number, date info, and a short list
## of the top articles in this release.

Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue 69 for the week December 2nd - December 8th, 2007. In this issue we cover...


## Translations are welcome by anyone. Once you've finished yours, please remove the "Start one!" text.
## Feel free to add any other languages.		 ||<tablestyle="float:right; font-size: 0.9em; width:40%; background:#F1F1ED; margin: 0 0 1em 1em;" style="padding:0.5em;"><<TableOfContents>>||

Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue 69 for the week December 2nd - December 8th, 2007. In this issue we cover Packaging Jams, MPAA being forced to remove the University Toolkit, Kubuntu Tutorials Day, an Ubuntu Forums interview, and as always, and much much more!
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 * Deutsch - Start one! https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/IssueXX/De
 * Español - Start one! https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/IssueXX/Es
 * Français - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/IssueXX/Fr		  * Deutsch - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue69/De
 * Español - http://doc.ubuntu-es.org/Proyecto:NoticiasSemanalesDeUbuntu/Edicion69
 * Français - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue69/Fr
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 * Português - Start one! https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/IssueXX/Pt  * Português - Start one! https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue69/Pt
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## In this section, list major topics of interest using bullets.
## Format: * <Topic name>
## Ex: * Ubuntu overtakes Microsoft with 90% market share		  * Packaging Jams
 * MPAA Forced To Take Down University Toolkit
 * Kubuntu Tutorials Day
 * Ubuntu Forums Interview
 * In The Press
 * In The Blogosphere
 * Meetings & Events
 * Updates & Security
 * Bug and Translation Stats
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## Make each article a subsection, via ===
## These are big articles that don't fit within another section

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/12/04/015229

http://fridge.ubuntu.com/node/1257 kubuntu tutorials day

== LoCo News ==

## Make each article a subsection, via === Section name ===
## Add notes about new locoteams, changed ones, meetings, etc.

== New in Gutsy Gibbon ==

## This list is pulled by Corey Burger and dumped here in raw form for parsing.
## Choose a something you wish to write about a write a short piece about what
## has changed since the last version in Ubuntu. This might mean several upstream
## releases. To find this data, use the changelog in the package and look on the web.
## If you cannot find a usable changelog, simply drop that package. Try and group packages
## together logically, such as X, the kernel or GNOME.

## After all the package sections are written, organize them logically, based
## on desktop or server, GNOME, KDE, or Xfce4, etc.

## Sometimes bigger changes, such as a new development policy or a major new
## thing will be mentioned under a seperate heading

== Launchpad News ==

## This section is provided by the infrequent Launchpad updates Christian Reis
## sends out via email. Copy that email into here and refactor as needed		 === Packaging Jams ===

Jono Bacon is proposing that Loco Teams begin doing Packaging Jams. These are events that Loco teams run that teach a group of people how to get started with MOTU and Ubuntu Packaging. He has written up a short guide of how to do this (based on some guidance from the Michigan Loco who ran an event) - you can read about how to organize an event at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/RunningPackagingJam. If you are planning on running an event, get in touch with Jono. Also, If you do organize one, be sure to add the date of your event on https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/Events. See https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-event-planners/2007-December/000026.html for complete details.

=== MPAA Forced To Take Down University Toolkit ===

Ubuntu developer Matthew Garrett has succeeded in getting the MPAA to remove their 'University Toolkit' after claims it violated the GNU GPL. After several unsuccessful attempts to contact the MPAA directly, Garrett eventually emailed the group's ISP and the violating software was taken down. On Oct. 24, MPAA sent a letter to the presidents of 25 universities that the association had identified as top locations for the downloading of pirated movies over online file-sharing networks. The MPAA's Toolkit software was designed to pinpoint students who may be using the University's networks to illegally download pirated movies. http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/12/04/015229

=== Kubuntu Tutorials Day ===

On Thursday, December 13th, the Kubuntu developers are holding their first ever “Tutorials Day.” The Tutorials Day will contain talks, tutorials, and a Q&A session about the development of Kubuntu. With KDE4 only a month away, now is the time to get involved in becoming a Kubuntu developer. The Kubuntu developers have set up the IRC sessions below to get you started. The sessions begin at 15:00 UTC on IRC (#kubuntu-devel on Freenode) and will consist of six different topics.
 * 15:00: Packaging 101
 * 16:00: Kubuntu Bug Triage
 * 16:30: Branch your svn with bzr
 * 17:00: Get programming with PyKDE4
 * 18:00: Get your work into Kubuntu
 * 19:00: Kubuntu and KDE Q&A

For a full run-down of the entire session, see http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/3125.
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## This section is provided to include any interesting updates from the Ubuntu Forums.
=== UF interviews ===
bodhi.zazen agreed to be next. A father of 4 living in Montana, he heads the UF Beginner Team, writes documentation (How-Longs, eheh!), contributes to Fluxbuntu and is a moderator on the forums. He is also involved locally. He refurbishes donated hardware to give to the needy and teaches Linux in the local Adult Learning Center. Read more here: http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2007/12/08/an-interview-with-bodhizazen/		 === Ubuntu Forums Interviews ===
bodhi.azaen has agreed to be our next forum interview in December. A father of 4 living in Montana, he heads the UF Beginner Team, writes documentation (How-Longs, eheh!), contributes to Fluxbuntu and is a moderator on the forums. He is also involved locally. He refurbishes donated hardware to give to the needy and teaches Linux in the local Adult Learning Center. Read more here: http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2007/12/08/an-interview-with-bodhizazen/
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## Things Ubuntu-specific are great, but general Linux goings-on are good to, to an extent.
## We don't need to replicate Digg & Slashdot, but certain things are of special interest.
## Just pulling one example from my memory, the story about Indiana schools piloting
## a classroom Linux deployment, a portion of which was Ubuntu, are good. Ubuntu
## release reviews are also common items in this section.

http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/content/view/997/4/lang,en/ (Macedonian Ubuntu book)

http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/entdev/article.php/3714986

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ubuntu-7-10-on-PS3-73272.shtml		  * First Linux book in Macedonian - European University promoted the book Ubuntu Linux by the authors Sime Arsenovski and Gjorgji Kakashevski. The book aims at supporting the idea, development and use of open source software. This is the first book on Ubuntu Linux and on Linux in general, published in Macedonian language. This book is intended for the beginners, who are coming across Linux for the first time, but also for the ones that are shifting from Microsoft Windows to Linux. The book describes how to use Ubuntu 7.10, which is localized in Macedonian language. http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/content/view/997/4/lang,en/

 * Dethroning Ubuntu -- What Would It Take? - Many people are looking to Ubuntu to be something that it is not: a mass market ready operating system designed to work with the same level of compatibility as Microsoft Windows. Ubuntu has a long way to go before catching up to other closed source operating systems with regard to GUI usability. For any Linux distribution to become remotely successful in the "non-geeky" world, it will mean developers catering to people who never want to hear the words configure, tweak, alter or update ever again. Dethroning Ubuntu is less about doing it with the specific distribution and more about being realistic about what new Linux users actually need from the overall computing experience. Users simply want a cheaper alternative to Vista and OS X. Because this is where Ubuntu differs in vision, the author believes Ubuntu developers will continue to be a runaway hit with computer geeks, but a total failure in the market place without some sort of realistic OEM-type intervention to get the distro onto standardized hardware. http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/entdev/article.php/3714986

 * Ubuntu 7.10 on PS3: Installation guide and first impressions - Learn how to install Ubuntu Gutsy (as a second OS) on your Play Station 3 gaming console. This article will give you step by step instructions for preparing and installing Gutsy on your PS3. The conclusions follow: Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon has greatly been improved for the PS3 hardware. It can now recognize all the components of your PS3 console, like the Blu-ray unit, the Gelic network card, USB and Bluetooth ports, and the sound system! Even if the installation part takes around 40 minutes (four times longer than on a regular PC), Ubuntu proved to be quite fast on the PS3 console. Visit the link for the instructions and screenshots. http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ubuntu-7-10-on-PS3-73272.shtml

 * Phillips Technologies selling energy-efficient computer with price a fraction of many others - Phillips’ computer saves money on electricity costs. The new machine is called “Green PC” because it operates with a VIA computer chip and motherboard that maximizes energy efficiency. The manufacturers of the VIA chip claim that their processors are designed to consume up to 76 percent less power than similar products on the market. The Green PC is equipped with an 80-gig hard drive, 512 megabytes of RAM, a DVD burner and six USB ports. It comes with a keyboard and mouse. The computer sells for $299. This PC uses Ubuntu a Linux-based operating system, which makes its programs somewhat different from the Microsoft-based programs commonly in use. But Ubuntu’s user-friendly design makes adjusting to the new programs easy. http://www.register-herald.com/business/local_story_335231832.html?keyword=secondarystory
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## In this section we want to highlight the blogs that are exceptionally well-written and in-depth.
## Blogs tend to make it easy for low-quality content, so be extra careful on what goes here.
## We should encourage bloggers to spread the word, so this section might be a good way to do so.



== In Other News ==

## Any news or links that don't fit neatly into other sections.		  * Linux Is About To Take Over The Low End Of PC's - Opinion -- Sometimes, several unrelated changes come to a head at the same time, with a result no one could have predicted. The PC market is at such a tipping point right now and the result will be millions of Linux-powered PCs in users' hands. Four trends: user-friendly Linux desktops, useful under-$500 laptops and desktops, near-universal broadband, and business-ready Internet office applications. Put them together and you have a revolution. For the last two decades, we've been buying expensive desktop operating systems on business PCs running from $1,000 to $2,000. On those systems, we've been putting pricey desktop-centric office suites like Microsoft Office. That's a lot of money, and the convergence of the above trends is about to knock it for a loop. In the next few quarters, low-end Linux-based PCs are going to quickly take over the bottom rung of computing. Then, as businesses continue to get comfortable with SAAS (software as a service) and open-source software, the price benefits will start leading them toward switching to the new Linux/SAAS office model. http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS2414535067.html

 * Cheap Laptops Bad for Vista, Good for Linux - Opinion: As laptops get cheaper, Linux and Windows XP are both making better business sense than Vista. The good news for everyone is that you can get a good, solid laptop for under a grand these days. The bad news for Vista users is that many of those laptops, even though they're sold with Vista, do not have enough resources to run Vista decently. When you see a cheap laptop, you're seeing one that almost certainly has a gigabyte or less RAM and some kind of embedded graphics chip, like an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 8MB to 64MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory. Here's the point, though: Home Basic offers nothing, zilch, that you can't already get with XP Home. It doesn't even give you Aero as an option. It's not a matter of "if," it's a matter of when we're going to see more Linux-powered laptops. Do the math. Vista doesn't work for today's laptop market. XP and Linux do. It's really that simple. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2222308,00.asp

 * Install and Basic Desktop Video - John Bradbury takes us on a video tour of his first experiences of Ubuntu. In this first of three videos, he shows: installation, updating, installing software, and pen drive recognition. His general impressions are very favorable and you can almost hear the surprise in his voice as things progress. Installation was straight forward and quick, taking only 12 mins. to install. Updates for the new install numbered 88 and John was impressed that he was getting not only system updates, but also software updates. After installing the updates he decided to try installing a piece of software. His impression after installing virtaulbox was that he could hardly believe how easy synaptic made it. His final trial for his new Ubuntu system was to see if it would recognize his pen drive, which it did without problem. After his first day of exploring Ubuntu, John was very favorable impression with the easy of use of Linux and Ubuntu. http://www.johnbradbury.com/ubuntu-video-first-impressions/

 * Ubuntu: Office Functionality - Day two of John Bradbury's video tour of Ubuntu, this one concentrates on the functionality of the Open Office software and file support. The first thing he does is to mount his pen drive and copy some document files made in Windows Office and test that they are compatibility with Open Office. All the documents John tried opened and allowed him to edit on command. He also tried to throw in a PDF file, a .vsd file and a .iso file. The PDF file opened write off, and the .iso file showed that he could write it to disc, something windows wouldn't do. The .vsd file was not compatible out of the box. According to John, native file support is vastly superior to Windows. John also tested flash support which had to added via a plug in, and printer support via plug and play. Another very satisfactory day with Ubuntu. http://www.johnbradbury.com/ubuntu-video-office-functionality/

 * Multimedia and Conclusions - In this third and final video, John Bradbury puts Ubuntu and its multimedia support to the test. John thinks that if Ubuntu is going to fail, it will be because of non-existent multimedia support. He chooses two file formats he believes will cause problems for Ubuntu, .avi and .wmv. Neither file will play out of the box, however, by simply installing the correct codecs both become functional. What really impressed him was the fact that the OS did the search of the repositories, found and installed the correct codecs for him. In Windows he would have had to do a search and then install them himself. DVD support was a different story. No codecs were instantly available. The biggest surprise came when he mounted his mobile phone and it popped right up in Ubuntu. It even played his mp3 music file with no problem.
  * Conclusions - John was very impressed with Ubuntu even though he only scratched the surface with these 3 videos. File support is excellent, and the interface menus are very easy to use. Being a long time Windows user, and a Windows system administrator, John thinks the best part of Ubuntu is that it is free. Free as in "no cost." "To see this kind of functionality and polished finish in an OS that is free, is Mind Blowing." Home users will especially benefit from using Ubuntu. http://www.johnbradbury.com/ubuntu-video-multimedia-support/
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## Data pulled from mailing lists and http://fridge.ubuntu.com
## Either use bullets or sub-headings to organize content.
## Format:
##
## === Friday, March 16, 2007 ===
##
## ==== MOTU Meeting ====
## * Start: 10:00
## * End: 12:00
## * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
## * Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/Meetings

== Community Spotlight ==

## Specification Spotlight

## This section highlights an approved specification that is going to be implemented
## in Feisty. See the list at https://blueprints.launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/feisty
## In general, choose user visible features, as the audience are mostly end users.
## Also try and group specs together that belong together, such as network or X.

## Feature of the week

## Pick a feature, piece of software, or package that you'd like to feature.
## Give a brief description, whats so special about it, who works on it,
## where to find it/install it, etc.

## Team of the week

## Pick a team (a ubuntu team) that you'd like to feature.
## Give a brief description of the team, what they work on, what they've
## accomplished, who is involved, how to get involved/join, etc. 		=== Tuesday, December 11, 2007 ===

==== New York LoCo Meeting ====
 * Start: 18:00 America/New York
 * End: 19:30 America/New York
 * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-newyork
 * Agenda: https://wiki.kubuntu.org/NewYorkTeam

=== Wednesday, December 12, 2007 ===

==== Kubuntu Developers Meeting ====
 * Start: 23:00 UTC
 * End: (See Next)
 * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
 * Agenda: https://wiki.kubuntu.org/Kubuntu/Meetings

=== Thursday, December 13, 2007 ===

==== Kubuntu Developers Meeting ====
 * Start: (See Previous)
 * End: 01:00 UTC
 * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
 * Agenda: https://wiki.kubuntu.org/Kubuntu/Meetings

==== Forums Council Meeting ====
 * Start: 22:30:00 UTC
 * End: 24:00 UTC
 * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting
 * Agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ForumCouncilAgenda

=== Friday, December 14, 2007 ===

==== MOTU Q&A session ====
 * Start: 13:00 UTC
 * End: 14:00 UTC
 * Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-classroom
 * Agenda: No agenda listed as of the publication
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## http://www.ubuntu.com/usn
## List all security advisories since last UWN.
## Format: * USN-###-#: <package name> vulnerability - http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-###-#
## Ex: * USN-389-1: GnuPG vulnerability - [WWW] http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-389-1		  * [USN-550-1] Cairo vulnerability - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-security-announce/2007-December/000632.html
 * [USN-551-1] OpenLDAP vulnerabilities - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-security-announce/2007-December/000633.html
 * [USN-549-2] PHP regression - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-security-announce/2007-December/000634.html
 * [USN-546-2] Firefox regression - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-security-announce/2007-December/000635.html
 * [USN-552-1] Perl vulnerability - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-security-announce/2007-December/000636.html
 * [USN-553-1] Mono vulnerability - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-security-announce/2007-December/000637.html
 * [USN-554-1] teTeX and TeX Live vulnerabilities - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-security-announce/2007-December/000638.html
 * [USN-555-1] e2fsprogs vulnerability - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-security-announce/2007-December/000639.html
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## https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes
## List all uploads since last UWN.
## Format: * <packagename> - <link to mailing list message>
## Ex: * lvm2 2.02.02-1ubuntu1.2 - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2006-November/012305.html		  * Accepted: langpack-locales 2.3.18.7 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-December/012569.html
 * Accepted: quagga 0.99.2-1ubuntu3.4 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-December/012570.html
 * Accepted: linux-backports-modules-2.6.15 2.6.15-51.5 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-December/012571.html
 * Accepted: linux-source-2.6.15 2.6.15-51.64 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-December/012572.html
 * Accepted: tetex-bin - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-December/012573.html
 * Accepted: debian-installer 20051026ubuntu36.12 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-December/012574.html
 * Accepted: linux-backports-modules-2.6.15 2.6.15-51.6 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-December/012575.html
 * Accepted: debian-installer 20051026ubuntu36.13 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-December/012576.html
 * Accepted: e2fsprogs - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/dapper-changes/2007-December/012577.html

=== Ubuntu 6.10 Updates ===

 * Accepted: tzdata 2007j-0ubuntu0.6.10 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2007-December/008451.html
 * Accepted: tetex-bin - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2007-December/008452.html
 * Accepted: e2fsprogs - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/edgy-changes/2007-December/008453.html
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## https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes
## List all uploads since last UWN.
## Format: * <packagename> - <link to mailing list message>
## Ex: * lvm2 2.02.06-2ubuntu3.2 - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-March/008083.html		  * Accepted: tzdata 2007j-0ubuntu0.7.04 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-December/008790.html
 * Accepted: tetex-bin - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-December/008791.html
 * Accepted: gajim 0.11.1-0ubuntu3.1 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-December/008792.html
 * Accepted: e2fsprogs - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/2007-December/008793.html
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## https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gutsy-changes
## List all uploads since last UWN.
## Format: * <packagename> - <link to mailing list message>
## Ex: * tzdata 2007h-0ubuntu0.7.10 - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gutsy-changes/2007-October/009951.html
  * Accepted: cupsys 1.3.2-1ubuntu7.2 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gutsy-changes/2007-December/010041.html
 * Accepted: gparted 0.3.3-2ubuntu6.1 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gutsy-changes/2007-December/010042.html
 * Accepted: update-manager 1:0.81.1 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gutsy-changes/2007-December/010043.html
 * Accepted: tzdata 2007j-0ubuntu0.7.10 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gutsy-changes/2007-December/010044.html
 * Accepted: vmware-server 1.0.4-1gutsy2 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gutsy-changes/2007-December/010045.html
 * Accepted: libcompress-zlib-perl 2.005-1ubuntu0.2 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gutsy-changes/2007-December/010046.html
 * Accepted: texlive-bin - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gutsy-changes/2007-December/010047.html
 * Accepted: linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22 2.6.22-14.38 (source) - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gutsy-changes/2007-December/010048.html
 * Accepted: e2fsprogs - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gutsy-changes/2007-December/010049.html
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## Bug stats only take a second to do.
## Data can be found at: http://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+bugs
## See last week's UWN to calculate change over last week.
## NOTE: To be done ONLY on the release date of the UWN (or latter if late).

    * Open (#) +/- # over last week
    * Critical (#) +/- # over last week
    * Unconfirmed (#) +/- # over last week
    * Unassigned (#) +/- # over last week
    * All bugs ever reported (#) +/- # over last week		  * Open (37996) +122 # over last week
 * Critical (20) +2 # over last week
 * Unconfirmed (19421) -708 # over last week
 * Unassigned (28575) -448 # over last week
 * All bugs ever reported (139158) +1145 # over last week
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=== Infamous Bugs ===

## Delete if no infamous/funny bugs for this week.
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## Translation stats only take a second to do.
## Data can be found at: https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/gutsy (or current release)
## See last week's UWN to calculate change over last week.
## NOTE: To be done ONLY on the release date of the UWN (or latter if late).

 1. Language (#) +/- # over last week
 2. Language (#) +/- # over last week
 3. Language (#) +/- # over last week
 4. Language (#) +/- # over last week
 5. Language (#) +/- # over last week		  1. Spanish (28125) -904 # over last week
 2. French (40844) -4 # over last week
 3. Swedish (55305) +/-0 # over last week
 4. English-UK (46914) -87 # over last week
 5. German (67394) +/-0 # over last week
Line 210: Line 184:


== UWN #: A sneak peek ==

## Articles that should have made it into this release but have been deferred should be listed here.
## Delete if unnecessary.
Line 244: Line 212:
## The following list is in chronological order.
Line 247: Line 213:
 * John Crawford
 * Craig A. Eddy
 * Isabelle Duchatelle
Line 256: Line 225:
## Common acronyms  * MPAA - Motion Picture Association of America
 * OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer
 * SAAS - Software As A Service

Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue 69 for the week December 2nd - December 8th, 2007. In this issue we cover Packaging Jams, MPAA being forced to remove the University Toolkit, Kubuntu Tutorials Day, an Ubuntu Forums interview, and as always, and much much more!

UWN Translations

In This Issue

  • Packaging Jams
  • MPAA Forced To Take Down University Toolkit
  • Kubuntu Tutorials Day
  • Ubuntu Forums Interview
  • In The Press
  • In The Blogosphere

  • Meetings & Events

  • Updates & Security

  • Bug and Translation Stats

General Community News

Packaging Jams

Jono Bacon is proposing that Loco Teams begin doing Packaging Jams. These are events that Loco teams run that teach a group of people how to get started with MOTU and Ubuntu Packaging. He has written up a short guide of how to do this (based on some guidance from the Michigan Loco who ran an event) - you can read about how to organize an event at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/RunningPackagingJam. If you are planning on running an event, get in touch with Jono. Also, If you do organize one, be sure to add the date of your event on https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/Events. See https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-event-planners/2007-December/000026.html for complete details.

MPAA Forced To Take Down University Toolkit

Ubuntu developer Matthew Garrett has succeeded in getting the MPAA to remove their 'University Toolkit' after claims it violated the GNU GPL. After several unsuccessful attempts to contact the MPAA directly, Garrett eventually emailed the group's ISP and the violating software was taken down. On Oct. 24, MPAA sent a letter to the presidents of 25 universities that the association had identified as top locations for the downloading of pirated movies over online file-sharing networks. The MPAA's Toolkit software was designed to pinpoint students who may be using the University's networks to illegally download pirated movies. http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/12/04/015229

Kubuntu Tutorials Day

On Thursday, December 13th, the Kubuntu developers are holding their first ever “Tutorials Day.” The Tutorials Day will contain talks, tutorials, and a Q&A session about the development of Kubuntu. With KDE4 only a month away, now is the time to get involved in becoming a Kubuntu developer. The Kubuntu developers have set up the IRC sessions below to get you started. The sessions begin at 15:00 UTC on IRC (#kubuntu-devel on Freenode) and will consist of six different topics.

  • 15:00: Packaging 101
  • 16:00: Kubuntu Bug Triage
  • 16:30: Branch your svn with bzr
  • 17:00: Get programming with PyKDE4
  • 18:00: Get your work into Kubuntu

  • 19:00: Kubuntu and KDE Q&A

For a full run-down of the entire session, see http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/3125.

Ubuntu Forum News

Ubuntu Forums Interviews

bodhi.azaen has agreed to be our next forum interview in December. A father of 4 living in Montana, he heads the UF Beginner Team, writes documentation (How-Longs, eheh!), contributes to Fluxbuntu and is a moderator on the forums. He is also involved locally. He refurbishes donated hardware to give to the needy and teaches Linux in the local Adult Learning Center. Read more here: http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2007/12/08/an-interview-with-bodhizazen/

In The Press

  • First Linux book in Macedonian - European University promoted the book Ubuntu Linux by the authors Sime Arsenovski and Gjorgji Kakashevski. The book aims at supporting the idea, development and use of open source software. This is the first book on Ubuntu Linux and on Linux in general, published in Macedonian language. This book is intended for the beginners, who are coming across Linux for the first time, but also for the ones that are shifting from Microsoft Windows to Linux. The book describes how to use Ubuntu 7.10, which is localized in Macedonian language. http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/content/view/997/4/lang,en/

  • Dethroning Ubuntu -- What Would It Take? - Many people are looking to Ubuntu to be something that it is not: a mass market ready operating system designed to work with the same level of compatibility as Microsoft Windows. Ubuntu has a long way to go before catching up to other closed source operating systems with regard to GUI usability. For any Linux distribution to become remotely successful in the "non-geeky" world, it will mean developers catering to people who never want to hear the words configure, tweak, alter or update ever again. Dethroning Ubuntu is less about doing it with the specific distribution and more about being realistic about what new Linux users actually need from the overall computing experience. Users simply want a cheaper alternative to Vista and OS X. Because this is where Ubuntu differs in vision, the author believes Ubuntu developers will continue to be a runaway hit with computer geeks, but a total failure in the market place without some sort of realistic OEM-type intervention to get the distro onto standardized hardware. http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/entdev/article.php/3714986

  • Ubuntu 7.10 on PS3: Installation guide and first impressions - Learn how to install Ubuntu Gutsy (as a second OS) on your Play Station 3 gaming console. This article will give you step by step instructions for preparing and installing Gutsy on your PS3. The conclusions follow: Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon has greatly been improved for the PS3 hardware. It can now recognize all the components of your PS3 console, like the Blu-ray unit, the Gelic network card, USB and Bluetooth ports, and the sound system! Even if the installation part takes around 40 minutes (four times longer than on a regular PC), Ubuntu proved to be quite fast on the PS3 console. Visit the link for the instructions and screenshots. http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ubuntu-7-10-on-PS3-73272.shtml

  • Phillips Technologies selling energy-efficient computer with price a fraction of many others - Phillips’ computer saves money on electricity costs. The new machine is called “Green PC” because it operates with a VIA computer chip and motherboard that maximizes energy efficiency. The manufacturers of the VIA chip claim that their processors are designed to consume up to 76 percent less power than similar products on the market. The Green PC is equipped with an 80-gig hard drive, 512 megabytes of RAM, a DVD burner and six USB ports. It comes with a keyboard and mouse. The computer sells for $299. This PC uses Ubuntu a Linux-based operating system, which makes its programs somewhat different from the Microsoft-based programs commonly in use. But Ubuntu’s user-friendly design makes adjusting to the new programs easy. http://www.register-herald.com/business/local_story_335231832.html?keyword=secondarystory

In The Blogosphere

  • Linux Is About To Take Over The Low End Of PC's - Opinion -- Sometimes, several unrelated changes come to a head at the same time, with a result no one could have predicted. The PC market is at such a tipping point right now and the result will be millions of Linux-powered PCs in users' hands. Four trends: user-friendly Linux desktops, useful under-$500 laptops and desktops, near-universal broadband, and business-ready Internet office applications. Put them together and you have a revolution. For the last two decades, we've been buying expensive desktop operating systems on business PCs running from $1,000 to $2,000. On those systems, we've been putting pricey desktop-centric office suites like Microsoft Office. That's a lot of money, and the convergence of the above trends is about to knock it for a loop. In the next few quarters, low-end Linux-based PCs are going to quickly take over the bottom rung of computing. Then, as businesses continue to get comfortable with SAAS (software as a service) and open-source software, the price benefits will start leading them toward switching to the new Linux/SAAS office model. http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS2414535067.html

  • Cheap Laptops Bad for Vista, Good for Linux - Opinion: As laptops get cheaper, Linux and Windows XP are both making better business sense than Vista. The good news for everyone is that you can get a good, solid laptop for under a grand these days. The bad news for Vista users is that many of those laptops, even though they're sold with Vista, do not have enough resources to run Vista decently. When you see a cheap laptop, you're seeing one that almost certainly has a gigabyte or less RAM and some kind of embedded graphics chip, like an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 8MB to 64MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory. Here's the point, though: Home Basic offers nothing, zilch, that you can't already get with XP Home. It doesn't even give you Aero as an option. It's not a matter of "if," it's a matter of when we're going to see more Linux-powered laptops. Do the math. Vista doesn't work for today's laptop market. XP and Linux do. It's really that simple. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2222308,00.asp

  • Install and Basic Desktop Video - John Bradbury takes us on a video tour of his first experiences of Ubuntu. In this first of three videos, he shows: installation, updating, installing software, and pen drive recognition. His general impressions are very favorable and you can almost hear the surprise in his voice as things progress. Installation was straight forward and quick, taking only 12 mins. to install. Updates for the new install numbered 88 and John was impressed that he was getting not only system updates, but also software updates. After installing the updates he decided to try installing a piece of software. His impression after installing virtaulbox was that he could hardly believe how easy synaptic made it. His final trial for his new Ubuntu system was to see if it would recognize his pen drive, which it did without problem. After his first day of exploring Ubuntu, John was very favorable impression with the easy of use of Linux and Ubuntu. http://www.johnbradbury.com/ubuntu-video-first-impressions/

  • Ubuntu: Office Functionality - Day two of John Bradbury's video tour of Ubuntu, this one concentrates on the functionality of the Open Office software and file support. The first thing he does is to mount his pen drive and copy some document files made in Windows Office and test that they are compatibility with Open Office. All the documents John tried opened and allowed him to edit on command. He also tried to throw in a PDF file, a .vsd file and a .iso file. The PDF file opened write off, and the .iso file showed that he could write it to disc, something windows wouldn't do. The .vsd file was not compatible out of the box. According to John, native file support is vastly superior to Windows. John also tested flash support which had to added via a plug in, and printer support via plug and play. Another very satisfactory day with Ubuntu. http://www.johnbradbury.com/ubuntu-video-office-functionality/

  • Multimedia and Conclusions - In this third and final video, John Bradbury puts Ubuntu and its multimedia support to the test. John thinks that if Ubuntu is going to fail, it will be because of non-existent multimedia support. He chooses two file formats he believes will cause problems for Ubuntu, .avi and .wmv. Neither file will play out of the box, however, by simply installing the correct codecs both become functional. What really impressed him was the fact that the OS did the search of the repositories, found and installed the correct codecs for him. In Windows he would have had to do a search and then install them himself. DVD support was a different story. No codecs were instantly available. The biggest surprise came when he mounted his mobile phone and it popped right up in Ubuntu. It even played his mp3 music file with no problem.

    • Conclusions - John was very impressed with Ubuntu even though he only scratched the surface with these 3 videos. File support is excellent, and the interface menus are very easy to use. Being a long time Windows user, and a Windows system administrator, John thinks the best part of Ubuntu is that it is free. Free as in "no cost." "To see this kind of functionality and polished finish in an OS that is free, is Mind Blowing." Home users will especially benefit from using Ubuntu. http://www.johnbradbury.com/ubuntu-video-multimedia-support/

Meetings and Events

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

New York LoCo Meeting

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Kubuntu Developers Meeting

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Kubuntu Developers Meeting

Forums Council Meeting

Friday, December 14, 2007

MOTU Q&A session

  • Start: 13:00 UTC
  • End: 14:00 UTC
  • Location: IRC channel #ubuntu-classroom
  • Agenda: No agenda listed as of the publication

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

Bug Stats

  • Open (37996) +122 # over last week
  • Critical (20) +2 # over last week
  • Unconfirmed (19421) -708 # over last week
  • Unassigned (28575) -448 # over last week
  • All bugs ever reported (139158) +1145 # 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

  1. Spanish (28125) -904 # over last week
  2. French (40844) -4 # over last week
  3. Swedish (55305) +/-0 # over last week
  4. English-UK (46914) -87 # over last week
  5. German (67394) +/-0 # over last week

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

Archives and RSS Feed

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Additional Ubuntu News

As always you can find more news and announcements at:

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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
  • Craig A. Eddy
  • Isabelle Duchatelle
  • Your Name Here
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RSS

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

Glossary of Terms

  • MPAA - Motion Picture Association of America
  • OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer
  • SAAS - Software As A Service

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.

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