Ubuntu 10.04 LTS: Free Culture Showcase Winners!

By boredandblogging | Published: 2010-03-27

We have two heroes of Free Culture who will have their pieces of art released on the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS CDs. Without further ado let me present you the two winners of this cycle’s Ubuntu Free Culture Showcase and what they have to say about themselves, their work and Ubuntu:

Audio: Colin Ross – Frustration Blues

Colin Ross

Colin Ross

I’ve been playing music since my dad started training me in classical piano at 5, and I’ve been making a living playing music-sometimes just barely-since I was a teenager. These days I play original jazz, blues, and new age music, as well as a lot of classic jazz and blues: standards and a lot of early folk and American roots music (the kind of stuff, like Robert Johnson’s, that is part of the public domain every way except legally). I live in Reno, Nevada and tour regularly in the Northwest and the northern Rockies. I’m also increasingly involved in palliative care-using music to touch, comfort and entertain people who are dealing with pain, cognitive problems, and other challenges.

I’ve recorded 5 albums, including two with my band. Frustration Blues is from Refried Boogie, an album of original piano blues that I recorded in my home studio on my vintage Steinway in 2005. I’m really excited to have my work go out to so many people. Once I realized what the web is for, from an independent musician’s
perspecitive-finding new listeners and serving as an interactive business card to help book more and better gigs, rather than selling music to the masses-it’s really helped me move to a new phase of my career, where I get to play the kinds of music *I* want to play, and earn an audience based on that (rather trying to fit into a “lounge act” mold or the like).

My son is the Ubuntu user and he put me up to this. But one thing I like about the Ubuntu philosophy is the same thing I like about the Internet, that it gives people the freedom to do what they want to do rather than what other people think they should be doing.

Video: Andrew Higginson – Ubuntu Is Humanity

Andrew Higginson

Andrew Higginson

Andrew lives in England and from a very young age was drawn to Ubuntu by a stroke of luck. Although he is only 16, he has been using Ubuntu and Free Software for 4 years, thanks to taking a risk and moving away from proprietary software – he has not looked back since. Andrew appreciates Free Software because it allows him to do great things with very little. This donation of time and energy in the form of Free Software is something that Andrew tries to pay back, whether it is through producing artwork and media, or through the small bit of Python coding here and there. Although Andrew is currently busy with GCSEs, however between exams he likes to (occasionally) write on his blog and move from project to project, helping wherever he can.

About the entry:

“I always try to contribute to the Ubuntu Free Culture Showcase and not being any form of director or cinematographer myself, I try to experiment with new techniques, rather than going for ‘mouth-watering composition’ or ‘emotional yet dramatic lighting’ (since I don’t know how to do these things!). This year I was inspired by a few videos I saw and I decided to create a video that had a simple message and used simple techniques. Well it looks like it turned out okay and so I hope you enjoy it!”

Thanks a lot to the jury and everybody who participated. You all ROCK!

[Discuss the 10.04 Free Culture Showcase Winners on the Forum]

Originally posted by Daniel Holbach here on March 26th, 2010 at 2:24 pm

Call for LoCo Council Elections

By boredandblogging | Published: 2010-03-26

Thanks to the great work Jan Claeys Alan Pope and Efrain Valles have done in the Ubuntu LoCo Council, in April their term comes to an end. We’d like to thank them for their hard work in the Ubuntu community and continued contributions.

I’m writing this mail to ask for volunteers to step forward and nominate themselves or another willing person for this position.

The LoCo Council is defined on the wiki. We meet up once a month over IRC to go through items on the team agenda. This typically involves approving new LoCo teams Re Approval of teams, resolving issues within teams, approving LoCo team mailing list requests, and anything else that comes along.

* wiki: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoCouncil

* team agenda: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoCouncilAgenda

The process by which a new member of the Council is selected is defined by the Community Council is outlined on the wiki. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CommunityCouncil/Delegation The first stage is for people to nominate themselves, or be nominated by someone else. We will confirm with each person whether they actually want to be put forward or not. We will give 2 weeks for this process.

Please create a page for your nomination as per the following template:

== General ==
* Name:
* Contact details:
=== Key Achievements ===
…

== Vision ==
(vision for the Loco Council role)

== Testimonials ==
* … (please don’t forget to sign with your `@“SIG“@`)

== Comments ==
* … (please don’t forget to sign with your `@“SIG“@`)

Please pass this mail back to your own LoCo team so everyone is aware of the process. We welcome nominations from anywhere in the world, and from any LoCo team. Nominees do not need to be a LoCo Team Contact to be nominated for this post. We are however looking for people who are active in their LoCo Team.

Please send nominations to loco-council at lists.ubuntu.com which is a private mailing list only for the LoCo Council members. The above mailing list is moderated, however all nomination mails will be approved before the end of the nomination period

If you’d like to ask any of the LoCo Council members questions privately then you contact us individually or use the above mailing list address. https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-lococouncil/+members

The nomination process starts TODAY 26-03-2010, and ends at 00:01 UTC on 09-04-2010. Once this period is over the LoCo Council will collate the nominations and double check that each person nominated is still happy to stand.

[Discuss the LoCo Council Election on the Forum]

Originally sent to the loco-contacts mailing list by Laura Czajkowski on Fri Mar 26 09:50:22 GMT 2010

Ubuntu One Music Store now in public beta

By boredandblogging | Published: 2010-03-22

Hello Lucid Testers!

Many in the Ubuntu community are excited about the Ubuntu One Music Store. The ability to search and buy popular music from within Rhythmbox is right around the corner. Today is the day that we are expanding testing by inviting all Ubuntu Lucid users to take part in the public beta of this new feature.

Testing goal

Our primary goal for this phase of testing is to ensure that the purchase and download experience is flawless. Integrating a cloud service like Ubuntu One with buying music is new for digital music stores. While it brings many benefits to users, it also adds technical complexity that increases the opportunity for problems to occur.

Testers must keep in mind that this is a beta test. We are excited to open this feature up for wider testing, but testers must understand that things will break. If something happens preventing a tester from receiving songs, there may be a delay in fulfilling their purchase. The best thing to do is to tell us about the problem using the channels below so we can resolve it quickly.

How to provide feedback

For those of you who want to test the Ubuntu One Music Store, there are a few ways for you to search for and report issues.

  • Search Launchpad [1] for your issue
  • Report new bugs against the Rhythmbox Ubuntu One Music Store project [2]
  • Chat with all beta testers on IRC: #u1msbeta on freenode

These are the primary places that the store developers will be monitoring so directing questions and issues here will ensure that they will be addressed.

The music selection

During the first few days of this expanded testing, some users may notice gaps in the songs available in the store. We are aware of it and are addressing the issue. It should be resolved very soon.

Our catalog will continue to improve and we will also look for efficient ways that users can provide more feedback about improving the selection of songs available.

How to test the store

All Lucid users around the world are invited to participate in this beta test of the Ubuntu One Music Store. If something unexpected happens, you need to tell us about it. The only way that the store will get better for everyone is if you do your part and speak up.

Some areas to test include…

  • MP3 codec detection
  • Search
  • Browse
  • Preview song samples
  • Add items to your basket
  • Checkout and buy process
  • Download to Ubuntu One
  • Sync to your computer
  • Songs added to your Rhythmbox library
  • Review purchase history in My Downloads

MP3 support

Many have had questions about MP3 support for the store and how their computer would play purchased songs. You do not have to purchase any software or codecs to play the songs on your computer. Additional details on this issue are available on the Ubuntu One Music Store FAQ page [3].

How to install the store

If Rhythmbox on your Lucid installation doesn’t already have the Ubuntu One Music Store option, use Software Center to search for and install the plugin. Enable the plugin by going to Edit > Plugins in Rhythmbox.

FAQ

We already provide a lot of great information about the store on the Ubuntu wiki [3]. This area and the FAQ content will be updated with more information as we get additional feedback from your testing.

Thank you for your help in improving the Ubuntu One Music Store for everyone!

The Ubuntu One Team

[1] https://bugs.launchpad.net/rhythmbox-ubuntuone-music-store

[2] In order for the team to capture the most information about your issue, please file a bug by opening a terminal and typing: ubuntu-bug rhythmbox-ubuntuone-music-store

[3] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuOne/MusicStore ?

[Discuss the Ubuntu One Music Store Public Beta on the Forum]

Originally posted by Matt Griffin here on MONDAY, MARCH 22ND, 2010 AT 6:50 PM

Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter #185

By boredandblogging | Published: 2010-03-21

Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter. This is Issue #185 for the week March 14th – March 20th, 2010 and is available here.

In this issue we cover:

* Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Beta 1 released
* Ubuntu Global Jam: time is ticking
* Call for Community help: Ubuntu.com Website Localization Project
* Ubuntu Stats
* Launchpad’s Bug Watch system and other animals
* Upgrade Jams – made easy!
* Server Bug Zapping – eucalyptus and euca2ools
* Nominate your favorite Ubuntu Server Papercuts
* In the Press & Blogosphere
* Full Circle Podcast #2: The Full Circle of Light (Brown)
* Upcoming Meetings & Events
* Updates & Security
* And much, much more!

This issue of The Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter is brought to you by:

* John Crawford
* Craig A. Eddy
* Dave Bush
* Amber Graner
* Liraz Siri
* And many others

If you have a story idea for the Weekly News, join the Ubuntu News Team mailing list and submit it. Ideas can also be added to the wiki!

Except where otherwise noted, content in this issue is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License BY SA Creative Commons License

Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Beta 1 released

By boredandblogging | Published: 2010-03-19

The Ubuntu team is pleased to announce the first beta release of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Long-Term Support) Desktop, Server, and Netbook editions and of Ubuntu 10.04 Server for Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (UEC) and Amazon’s EC2. Codenamed "Lucid Lynx", 10.04 LTS continues Ubuntu’s proud tradition of integrating the latest and greatest open source technologies into a high-quality, easy-to-use Linux distribution.

Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Desktop and Netbook Editions continue the trend of ever-faster boot speeds, with improved startup times and a streamlined, smoother boot experience.

Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Server Edition provides even better integration of the Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud, with its install-time cloud setup.

Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Server for UEC and EC2 brings the power and stability of the Ubuntu Server Edition to cloud computing, whether you’re using Amazon EC2 or your own Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud.

The Ubuntu 10.04 family of variants, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Edubuntu, Ubuntu Studio, and Mythbuntu, also reach beta status today.

Desktop features
————————

Social from the start: We now feature built-in integration with Twitter, identi.ca, Facebook, and other social networks with the MeMenu in the panel.

New Design: Cleaner and faster boot, new notification area, new themes, new icons, and new wallpaper bring a dramatically updated look and feel to Ubuntu.

Ubuntu One: Choose any folder in your home directory to sync, choose from millions of songs for purchase in the Ubuntu One Music store. Watch http://one.ubuntu.com/blog for the launch of the Ubuntu One Music Store public beta.

Please see http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/lucid/beta1 for details.

Server features
———————-

Cloud computing: The Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud installer has been vastly improved in order to support alternative installation topologies. UEC components are now automatically discovered and registered, even with complex topologies. Finally, UEC is now powered by Eucalyptus 1.6.2 codebase.

UEC and EC2: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS continues the tradition of official Ubuntu Server image releases for UEC and for Amazon’s EC2, giving you everything you need for rapid deployment of Ubuntu instances in a cloud computing environment. UEC images, and information on running Ubuntu 10.04 on EC2, are available at:

http://uec-images.ubuntu.com/releases/10.04/beta1

Stability and security: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS brings many improvements over Ubuntu 8.04 LTS to keep your servers safe and secure for the next five years, including AppArmor profiles for many key services, kernel hardening, and an easy-to-configure firewall.

Ubuntu Netbook features
———————————-
Ubuntu Netbook Edition is optimised to run on Intel atom based netbooks. It includes a new consumer-friendly interface that allows users to quickly and easily get on-line and use their favourite applications. This interface is optimised for a retail sales environment.

It includes the same faster boot times and improved boot experience as Ubuntu desktop.

Kubuntu features
————————

Kubuntu 10.04 LTS will be the first LTS to feature KDE 4 Platform and Applications. KDE 4 has come a long way since its early releases and is now suitable for the high demands of LTS users. Being an LTS we have focused on bug fixing and stability for this release, but we did find time to add features such as touchpad configuration, Firefox KDE integration, Kubuntu notification improvements, and cross-desktop systray menu standardisation. Kubuntu features the Plasma Desktop while Kubuntu Netbook Remix comes out of preview status with the Plasma Netbook workspace.

See https://wiki.kubuntu.org/LucidLynx/Beta1/Kubuntu for more details.

Edubuntu features
————————-

Edubuntu in Lucid features a more complete live environment containing more software from universe and all existing language packs as well as our usual educational software in their current version. For Lucid the text installer has been removed and so is LTSP for the time being. We expect to have LTSP back on the DVD for the next beta. The DVD is then much smaller than it used to be but will still provide a complete education environment based on Ubuntu Lucid.

Also included on the Edubuntu DVD is a small repository containing the required packages to transform the regular Edubuntu desktop into a LTSP server or install the Netbook edition interface.

Mythbuntu features
—————————

Mythbuntu 10.04 introduces MythTV 0.23. This new version is significantly faster and should feel more responsive and stable than older versions. It also integrates better into the OS with better support for things like ConsoleKit and Upstart.

Please see http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Release_Notes_-_0.23 for more details about changes introduced in 0.23.

See http://mythbuntu.org/10.04/beta for information about the Mythbuntu beta release.

Other
——-

* On the Desktop: GNOME 2.30, KDE SC 4.4, XFCE 4.6.1, OpenOffice.org 3.2.0, X.Org server 1.7.5

* On the Server: Apache 2.2, PostgreSQL 8.4, PHP 5.3.1, LTSP 5.2

* "Under the hood": GCC 4.4.3, eglibc 2.11, Linux 2.6.32.9, Python 2.6.5

The full release notes can be found at
http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/karmic/beta1

About Ubuntu
——————

Ubuntu is a full-featured Linux distribution for desktops, laptops, and servers, with a fast and easy installation and regular releases. A tightly-integrated selection of excellent applications is included, and an incredible variety of add-on software is just a few clicks away.

Professional technical support is available from Canonical Limited and hundreds of other companies around the world. For more information about support, visit http://www.ubuntu.com/support

To Get Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Beta 1
———————————————

To upgrade to Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Beta 1 from Ubuntu 9.10 or Ubuntu 8.04 LTS, follow these instructions:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LucidUpgrades

Or, download Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Beta 1 here (choose the mirror closest to you):

Africa:

* http://ubuntu.saix.net/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (South Africa)

Asia:

* http://mirror.rootguide.org/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (China)
* http://ubuntutym2.u-toyama.ac.jp/ubuntu/10.04 (Japan)
* http://mirror.khlug.org/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Korea, Republic of)
* http://ubuntu.qualitynet.net/releases/10.04 (Kuwait)
* http://ftp.mtu.ru/pub/ubuntu/releases/10.04 (Russian Federation)
* http://tw.releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (Taiwan)
* http://ftp.linux.org.tr/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Turkey)

Europe:

* http://ubuntu.linuxbe.com/10.04 (Belgium)
* http://ubuntu.ipacct.com/releases/10.04 (Bulgaria)
* http://hr.releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (Croatia)
* http://releases.ubuntu.mirror.dkm.cz/releases/10.04 (Czech Republic)
* http://mirrors.dotsrc.org/ubuntu-cd/10.04 (Denmark)
* http://ftp.estpak.ee/pub/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Estonia)
* http://ubuntu.trumpetti.atm.tut.fi/releases/10.04 (Finland)
* http://ftp.oleane.net/ubuntu-cd/10.04 (France)
* http://ubuntu.mirror.tudos.de/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Germany)
* http://speglar.simnet.is/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Iceland)
* http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Ireland)
* http://releases.ubuntu.fastbull.org/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Italy)
* http://nl.releases.ubuntu.com/releases/10.04 (Netherlands)
* http://no.releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (Norway)
* http://cesium.di.uminho.pt/pub/ubuntu/10.04 (Portugal)
* http://rs.releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (Serbia)
* http://ubuntu.cica.es/releases/10.04 (Spain)
* http://se.releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (Sweden)

North America:

* http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Canada)
* http://mirror.pnl.gov/releases/10.04 (United States)
* http://mirror.yellowfiber.net/ubuntu/10.04 (United States)
* http://mirrors.ccs.neu.edu/releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (United States)
* http://mirrors.gigenet.com/ubuntu/10.04 (United States)

South America:

* http://ubuntu-cd.innova-red.net/10.04 (Argentina)
* http://mirror.pop-sc.rnp.br/mirror/ubuntu/10.04 (Brazil)
* http://ubuntu.c3sl.ufpr.br/releases/10.04 (Brazil)

Rest of the world:

http://releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (Great Britain)

Please download using Bittorrent if possible.

The final version of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS is expected to be released in April 2010.

Feedback and Participation
—————————————

If you would like to help shape Ubuntu, take a look at the list of ways you can participate at

http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate/

Your comments, bug reports, patches and suggestions will help turn this Beta into the best release of Ubuntu ever. Please note that, where possible, we prefer that bugs be reported using the tools provided, rather than by visiting Launchpad directly. Instructions can be found at

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs

If you have a question, or if you think you may have found a bug but are not sure, first try asking on the #ubuntu IRC channel on FreeNode, on the Ubuntu Users mailing list, or on the Ubuntu forums:

http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/

More Information
————————

You can find out more about Ubuntu and about this preview release on our website, IRC channel and wiki. If you are new to Ubuntu, please visit:

http://www.ubuntu.com/

To sign up for future Ubuntu announcements, please subscribe to Ubuntu’s very low volume announcement list at:

http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-announce

[Discuss Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Beta 1 on the Forum]

Originally sent to the ubuntu-announce mailing list by Steve Langasek on Fri Mar 19 16:32:05 GMT 2010