news 28 Posted December 13, 2016 Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue 491 for the week December 5 - 11, 2016. == Links to UWN == * Wiki page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue491 == In This Issue == * Ubuntu Touch OTA-14 released * Ubuntu Stats * Yakkety Yak release parties * UbuCon Europe 2016 * LoCo Events * Harald Sitter: KDE Framworks 5 Content Snap Techno * Stephane Graber: Running snaps in LXD containers * Dustin Kirkland: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Security: A Comprehensive Overview * Ross Gammon: Manual Tests of Ubuntu Studio Packages * Kubuntu General News: Kubuntu and Linux Mint doing Plasma 5.8 testing * Canonical News * In The Blogosphere * Featured Audio and Video * Weekly Ubuntu Development Team Meetings * Upcoming Meetings and Events * Updates and Security for 12.04, 14.04, 16.04 and 16.10 * And much more! == General Community News == === Ubuntu Touch OTA-14 released === Lukasz Zemczak announces the release of OTA-14 which focused on less regressions and did not introduce many changes. He shares a link to the release notes and advises that all users should have received the update within one day of his announcement. https://lists.launchpad.net/ubuntu-phone/msg22961.html News of the release was covered by a number of news and blog sites including: * Ubuntu OTA-14 Released, Fixes A Number Of Bugs - http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Ubuntu-Touch-OTA-14 * Ubuntu Touch OTA-14 Officially Released with Revamped Unity 8 Interface, Fixes - http://news.softpedia.com/news/ubuntu-touch-ota-14-officially-released-with-revamped-unity-8-interface-fixes-510787.shtml * Ubuntu Touch OTA-14 Released, This Is What's New - http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2016/12/ubuntu-touch-ota-14-whats-new == Ubuntu Stats == === Bug Stats === * Open (127815) +110 over last week * Critical (411) +2 over last week * Unconfirmed (63337) +56 over last week As always, the Bug Squad needs more help. If you want to get started, please see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad === Ask Ubuntu Top 5 Questions this week === ==== Most Active Questions ==== * Script or function to return how many days from now until a given date http://askubuntu.com/questions/858160/script-or-function-to-return-how-many-days-from-now-until-a-given-date * Why is this file name truncated in Nautilus? http://askubuntu.com/questions/857896/why-is-this-file-name-truncated-in-nautilus * How to check which package created a user? http://askubuntu.com/questions/857224/how-to-check-which-package-created-a-user * Replace second instance of string in a line in an ASCII file using Bash http://askubuntu.com/questions/857284/replace-second-instance-of-string-in-a-line-in-an-ascii-file-using-bash * How to use grep for 2 different lines http://askubuntu.com/questions/859046/how-to-use-grep-for-2-different-lines ==== Top Voted New Questions ==== * Script or function to return how many days from now until a given date http://askubuntu.com/questions/858160/ * How to check which package created a user? http://askubuntu.com/questions/857224/ * Is an internal HDD with Ubuntu automatically bootable from an external USB case? http://askubuntu.com/questions/857737/ * How to use grep for 2 different lines http://askubuntu.com/questions/859046/ * Why is this file name truncated in Nautilus? http://askubuntu.com/questions/857896/ People Contributing the best questions and answers this week: themaninthewoods (http://askubuntu.com/users/275587/themaninthewoods), Luis Alvarado (http://askubuntu.com/users/7035/luis-alvarado), Zanna (http://askubuntu.com/users/527764/zanna), Oli (http://askubuntu.com/users/449/oli) and David Foerster (http://askubuntu.com/users/175814/david-foerster) Ask (and answer!) questions at http://askubuntu.com == LoCo News == === Yakkety Yak release parties === Rafael Carreras reports on the Catalan LoCo team's release party which took place on November 5th and celebrated the release of Ubuntu 16.10. He shares some photographs taken during the event and offers to provide advice to anyone interested in organizing a similar event. http://blogs.fsfe.org/rcarreras/?p=184 === UbuCon Europe 2016 === Nathan Haines writes about UbuCon Europe which was held in Germany in mid November. He records some of what he heard and saw at UbuCon EU, shares photos of the event, thanks the Ubuntu Community Reimbursement Fund for helping out with expenses and Sujeevan Vijayakumaran and the German and French LoCos for their work on the conference and hospitality. http://nhaines.livejournal.com/70741.html == LoCo Events == The following LoCo team events are currently scheduled in the next two weeks: * Encontro Ubuntu-pt ( -at -) Sintra, Ubuntu Portugal: http://loco.ubuntu.com/events/ubuntu-pt/3423-encontro-ubuntu-pt- ( -at -) -sintra/ * Ubuntu 16.10 Release Party and Offline Meeting in Japan, Ubuntu Japanese Team: http://loco.ubuntu.com/events/japaneseteam/3478-ubuntu-1610-release-party-and-offline-meeting-in-japan/ * AZLOCO Install-fest/Linux Workshop, Arizona LoCo Team: http://loco.ubuntu.com/events/ubuntu-arizona/3459-azloco-install-fest/linux-workshop/ * Sierra Vista Ubuntu Hour, Arizona LoCo Team: http://loco.ubuntu.com/events/ubuntu-arizona/3462-sierra-vista-ubuntu-hour/ * Tempe Ubuntu Hour, Arizona LoCo Team: http://loco.ubuntu.com/events/ubuntu-arizona/3461-tempe-ubuntu-hour/ Looking beyond the next two weeks? Visit the LoCo Team Portal to browse upcoming events around the world: http://loco.ubuntu.com/events/ == The Planet == === Harald Sitter: KDE Framworks 5 Content Snap Techno === Continuing on from a prior post, Harald Sitter shares more details on the actual building and workings of content snaps specific to KDE Frameworks 5. In total near one hundred KF5, Qt5 and graphics source tarballs have been built to form the Frameworks stack. He concludes his post by saying: "Using the KDE Framworks 5 content snap KDE can create application snaps that are a fraction of the size they would be if they contained all dependencies themselves." https://apachelog.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/kde-framworks-5-content-snap-techno/ === Stephane Graber: Running snaps in LXD containers === Stephane Graber tells us that the LXD and AppArmor teams have completed work on AppArmor support within LXD containers and support has landed in the latest Ubuntu kernels. Originally pushed to 16.10, it's also now available in 16.04 LTS with kernel 4.8.0 and squashfuse installed. Stephane shows us as an example the commands for Ubuntu 16.10 to install the nextcloud snap. https://www.stgraber.org/2016/12/07/running-snaps-in-lxd-containers/ === Dustin Kirkland: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Security: A Comprehensive Overview === Dustin Kirkland writes that Ubuntu 16.04 LTS strives to be the most secure Linux distribution out-of-the-box. The article is primarily a link to some slides which explain how and when Ubuntu achieved it. Dustin links to the Ubuntu wiki from which most of his material is sourced. http://blog.dustinkirkland.com/2016/12/ubuntu-16-04-lts-security.html === Ross Gammon: Manual Tests of Ubuntu Studio Packages === Ross Gammon shares with us the fact that Ubuntu Studio has been caught out a few times recently with problems in particular packages, and requests help to test Zesty 17.04. He provides step by step instructions for those that wish to aid in the testing of Ubuntu Studio. https://rossgammon68.wordpress.com/2016/12/11/manual-tests-of-ubuntu-studio-packages/ === Kubuntu General News: Kubuntu and Linux Mint doing Plasma 5.8 testing === Explaining that Linux Mint 18 KDE uses the Kubuntu backports, the Kubuntu team advises that both the Kubuntu and Linux Mint teams are asking their users to help test Plasma 5.8 which will include Frameworks 5.28 and Applications 16.04.3. They say that if anyone would like to help in the testing that some command line skills are recommended. The team show us the commands necessary to perform the upgrade. http://www.kubuntu.org/news/kubuntu-and-linux-mint-doing-plasma-5-8-testing/ == Canonical News == * LXD 2.0: LXD and OpenStack [11/12] - http://insights.ubuntu.com/2016/12/07/lxd-2-0-lxd-and-openstack-1112/ * Jamming with Ubuntu Core - http://insights.ubuntu.com/2016/12/07/jamming-with-ubuntu-core/ * Running an enterprise-grade OpenStack without the headaches - http://insights.ubuntu.com/2016/12/07/webinar-running-an-enterprise-grade-openstack-without-the-headaches/ * Mounting your home directory in LXD - http://insights.ubuntu.com/2016/12/08/mounting-your-home-directory-in-lxd/ * Using the ubuntu-app-platform content interface in app snaps - http://insights.ubuntu.com/2016/12/08/using-the-ubuntu-app-platform-content-interface-in-app-snaps/ * System76 Working with Canonical on Improving HiDPI Support in Ubuntu - https://developer.ubuntu.com/en/blog/2016/12/05/improving-hidpi-support/ * Christmas-music-carousel-snap! - http://insights.ubuntu.com/2016/12/08/christmas-music-carousel-snap/ * IoT Builders webinar series - 2016 recap! - http://insights.ubuntu.com/2016/12/09/iot-builders-webinar-series-2016-recap/ == In The Blogosphere == === 10 Reasons To Use Ubuntu Linux === Adarsh Verma of Fossbytes lists 10 "promising characteristics of Ubuntu" which have helped it gain a top spot amongst users. Amongst those reasons are that Ubuntu is user-friendly, free, secure, has a high level of customization, has "tons of flavours", has a supportive community, and that there is "Tons of free software in Software Center." He says that he chose Ubuntu as the distribution for his article as "For most of us, Ubuntu was our first Linux-based operating system." https://fossbytes.com/reasons-to-use-ubuntu-linux-advantage/ === Canonical and System76 Working on Improving Unity7 HiDPI Support in Ubuntu Linux === Marius Nestor of Softpedia informs us that Canonical and System76 are working to improve HiDPI support for Unity 7 suggesting that the recently released patches will be for Ubuntu 16.04 and 16.10. He says that Ubuntu community has been asked to help contribute patches to existing HiDPI bugs on Launchpad and reminds us that in order to receive the latest HiDPI improvements we should always keep our PCs up to date. http://news.softpedia.com/news/canonical-and-system76-working-on-improving-unity7-hidpi-support-in-ubuntu-linux-510770.shtml === Ubuntu Core has the keys to IoT security === Swapnil Bhartiya, writing for InfoWorld, reminds us that Ubuntu Core has been designed with security and ease of maintenance in mind. He explains how an independent software vendor can create a new snap and deliver an update to all internet connected Ubuntu Core devices in eight hours. Swapnil writes: "I see no reason for IoT vendors to no use systems like Ubuntu Core that offer optimum security and almost zero cost." http://www.infoworld.com/article/3147793/internet-of-things/ubuntu-core-has-the-keys-to-iot-security.html === This $90 Kit Converts an ODROID board into a Touchscreen #Ubuntu PC === Joey-Elijah Sneddon, writing for OMG! Ubuntu! informs us of a $90 kit that can turn a HardKernel ODROID board into a 8 inch touchscreen Ubuntu or Android PC. He lists what the kit contains, shares some photographs of the finished device and links to the HardKernel website where further information about the ODROID board can be found. http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2016/12/odroid-c-series-touchscreen-kit === 8 Things That Keep You Coming Back to Ubuntu === Bertel King, Jr of MakeUseOf explores the reasons why people "stick with Ubuntu" and suggest that they include a familiar name and desktop, that it can come preinstalled on new computers, it is easy to troubleshoot using web searches, and that Ubuntu is available on phones and tablets. He quickly compares Ubuntu to other distributions, admits Ubuntu isn't perfect and ends his post by writing: "But there's a reason you and millions of other people continue turning to Ubuntu." http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/keep-coming-back-ubuntu/ == Featured Audio and Video == === Ubuntu Community Q&A - 6th December 2016 === Michael Hall, Daniel Holbach and Alan Pope host their final Q&A session of 2016. As usual they answer Ubuntu related questions that are put to them on IRC. === Kubuntu Podcast #19 - 7th December 2016 === Aaron Honeycutt, Ovidiu-Florin Bogdan and Rick Timmis are joined by Ryan Sipes of System76 for another regular podcast in which they discuss Kubuntu and KDE news, user feedback, and news from the Kubuntu core development team. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7wyEwgDaSo === S09E41 - Pine In The Neck - Ubuntu Podcast === It's Season Nine Episode Forty-One of the Ubuntu Podcast! Alan Pope, Mark Johnson, Martin Wimpress and Joe Ressington are connected and speaking to your brain. We are four once more, thanks to some help from our mate Joe! In this week's show: We discuss what we've been up to recently: * Playing with Amazon Echo dot and driving "up north" and back and using lots of mobile data. We discuss the news: * The UK's contentious surveillance bill has become law * PINE64 has launched the Pinebook, a low-cost Linux laptop * Mark Shuttleworth has announced that Canonical is launching a case against a cloud provider using Ubuntu branding on unoffical images We discuss the community news: * Sujeevan Vijayakumaran: UbuCon Europe in the retrospective * Ubuntu Insights: UbuCon Europe - a sure sign of community strength * Ubuntu SDK meets snapcraft * Mir is not only about Unity8 * Ubuntu is Prepping Its 16.04 "Rolling Hardware Enablement Kernel" * Rolling HWE Stacks for 16.04 We mention some events: * BaDhack: 13th December 2016 - Basingstoke (well Chineham actually), England. * 2nd Horsham Raspberry Jam: Sunday 11th December 2016 - Horsham, England. * linux.conf.au 2017: 16 to 20 of January 2017 - Hobart, Australia. * FOSDEM 2017: 4 to 5 of February 2017 - Brussels, Belgium. That's all for this week! If there's a topic you'd like us to discuss, Share this post Link to post
