Weekly News #19: All about releases

By boredandblogging | Published: 2006-10-26

Ubuntu Weekly News #19 is out, covering the extremely busy week of October 15th-21st. The week has been packed, continuing use 6.06LTS, building up to the final gold disk for 6.10 and even the announcement of the naming for 7.04 due out next year!

In this issue there’s coverage of:

  • The Ubuntu 6.10 release candidate
  • Mark Shuttleworth code-naming Ubuntu 7.04
  • A feel-good “Thank You!” for the Edubuntu team
  • All the latest changes in Edgy
  • Oracle relationship speculation
  • BBC World Service interview about Ubuntu and online text-books
  • Finding and scheduling release parties
  • The Toronto Free Software and Open Source Symposium
  • The lastest backports and happening with 6.06 LTS

The main weekly feature highlights the Scribus desktop publishing (DTP) package. Scribus is a fantastic tool used for creating flyers, posters, or any other similar material that requires a high-level of graphic design and control. One of the most popular features is direct PDF output for transferring high-quality output to both the Web and commercial printers, something that makes the program extremely easy to get to grips with.

Read Issue #19 and then get involved with the team behind the newsletter by joining the Ubuntu Marketing Team.

London Linux World Expo 2006: "Ubuntu Dudes" spotted

By boredandblogging | Published: 2006-10-26

The Linux World Expo is currently in full-swing at the Olympia Exhibition centre, in London. Many exhibitors including HP, IBM and and Novell/Suse are present with a lively atmosphere all around.

On hand: Ubuntu UK Locoteam

Over in the .Org village for smaller Free Software projects, are everyone from MythTV and Debian UK to the desktops KDE and GNOME. Right in the middle of the throng there’s the Ubuntu UK group which has been completely packed for most of the show. Interested punters have encircled the Ubuntu presenters watching the demonstrations in awe.

57 varieties! Credit: Simon Morris

London-based Qube Networks employed a team of African dancers to promote their stand, touring around the show floor and performing warrior dancers in front of their competitors. At the start of the exhibition, many show attendees were wondering which company or project the dancers were representing, the group were quicking nick-named the Ubuntu dancers. I think the Ubuntu UK team would like to send their appreciations to Qube for such entertainments!

Mistaken identity: “Ubuntu Dudes”
thanks to Qube. Credit: Simon Morris

Lots of Ubuntu and Kubuntus CDs have been handed by the KDE and Ubuntu-UK teams, with an amazing level of recognition and appreciation being fed back via the LoCo team. Debian UK have renewed their t-shirt stocks, bringing many of the earlier designs back to the show, including the widely appreciated Debian-Grolsch “We only release it when it’s ready!” shirt. It’s been really good to see developers from the closely related Debian and Ubuntu stands working together. Debian second-in-command Steve McIntyre is heading up the Debian booth.

As close to the .Org stands as it’s possible to be (2metres/6feet) are Canonical with many of the team not directly working on todays release of K/Ubuntu 6.10 being present. Jane Silber, Malcolm Yates and a couple new faces were all on hand, supported by the community, including Matthew Garrett. Ubuntu Community Leader Jono Bacon has been representing Ubuntu, Lug Radio and some other audio program project with a funny name.

If you’re planning in joining an Ubuntu 6.10 release party, we’ve just had word that Mark Shuttleworth will be celebrating with the Locoteam in Beijing, China!

Of course, the London exhibition continues on Thursday 26th, so if that’s closer for you, remember to pop in and say ‘Hi’ if you’re in town!

Taking you to the Edge: Kubuntu 6.10 – released today!

By boredandblogging | Published: 2006-10-26

The hard-working Kubuntu team have announced the release of the glorious Kubuntu 6.10, code-named Edgy Eft.

Included in this new release of the “blue desktop” are:

  • KDE 3.5.5: ease of use, contemporary functionality and outstanding graphical design.
  • Digikam: advanced digital photo management in the box.
  • Guidance: overhauled power management.
  • Hardware Database: helping Kubuntu work on more of your computers.
  • Laptop Buttons: many multimedia buttons work automatically.
  • Zeroconf: easy network-based sharing by just clicking a tick-box.
  • System Settings: redesigned to simplify administration.

Also included on the Kubuntu CD are additional powerful Free software for existing Microsoft Windows systems, including Firefox 2.0 and the Thunderbird email client—reclaim your inbox.

Included under the bonnet of Kubuntu 6.10 are GCC 4.1, Glibc 2.4 and the Linux 2.6.17 kernel. Read the release notes over at www.kubuntu.org.

Use Bittorrent as the fastest way to Download Kubuntu 6.10 today and spread the Freedom and power to your friends!

Ubuntu 6.10 – Edgy Eft – released today!

By boredandblogging | Published: 2006-10-26

Ubuntu 6.10The Ubuntu team have been proud to announce the release of Ubuntu 6.10, codenamed Edgy Eft!

Edgy includes some cool new stuff, including:

  • Tomboy: an easy-to-use and efficient note-taking tool.
  • F-Spot: a photo management tool that enables tagging, photo editing and automatic uploading to on-line web management sites such as Flickr.
  • GNOME 2.16: which in addition to new features such as enhanced power management, makes the GNOME desktop more secure, faster and more stable.
  • Upstart: substantially faster startup and shutdown, plus bonus high-resolution graphics.
  • Firefox 2.0: offering inline spell check support in web forms, easy recovery of crashed sessions, built-in phishing detectors, enhanced search engine management with built in OpenSearch support, and better support for previewing and subscribing to web feeds.
  • Evolution 2.8.0: which brings new features such as vertical message
    panes.
  • Proactive security features, preventing many common security vulnerabilities even before they are discovered.

Go and download Ubuntu 6.10 today, then tell the world!

Top of the table at the Linux Awards!

By boredandblogging | Published: 2006-10-26

Ubuntu has walked away with Best Distribution at the Linux Awards held in London last night.

Maggie Meer of UK Linux magazine Linux User and Developer presided over the show with guest presenter Perry McCarthy—formerly of BBC TV car show Top Gear—who kept the awards rolling.

Canonical’s Jane Silber was there to pick up the award, a transparent, and extremely sharp glass trophy with the wording UBUNTU engraved into the glassword. Jane spent the rest of the evening closely guarding her new toy.

Also at the ceremony Jon “maddog” Hall picked up the Lifetime contribution recognition, won last year by Linux kernel developer Alan Cox. Representing the four boys from Wolverhampton, Jono Bacon took home the prize for Best Open Source marketing campaign on behalf of LUG Radio Live 2006, narrowly beating Ubuntu’s Ship IT free CD-ROM scheme.

Fans will be pleased to know that following a previous incident, Jono’s famous beard has grown back.

Reading out the nominations, Perry McCarty had great fun with some of the more interesting project and company names, at one point tongue-twisting himself over Canonical (“Camomica”). After the meal and award ceremony, dancing and drinking continued at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel until late into the morning.

The trophy only mentioned Ubuntu, but we’re sure that this includes Edubuntu and Kubuntu aswell. Pictures will follow as soon as we at El Fridge have managed to wrestle the gong away from Jane’s firm grip… Congratulations all around!