--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Debian Project News http://www.debian.org/News/project/2008/11/ Debian Project News - September 15th, 2008 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to this year's 11th issue of DPN, the newsletter for the Debian community. Some of the topics covered in this issue include: * Release Update * Should Security Enhanced Linux be priority "standard"? * Lenny Upgrade advisor * ... and much more. Release update Luk Claes [1]reported on the progress regarding the release of the new stable release Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 "Lenny". While there are still a lot of release critical bugs to be fixed, Lenny is in good enough shape to call for upgrade tests and work on the release notes. Regarding the upgrade tests, he especially asks to test the Linux 2.6.26 kernel. Regarding the release notes, he asks that any issues that should be documented should be reported as bug against the [2]release-notes pseudo package. Further discussion will happen on the [3]debian-doc mailing list. 1: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2008/09/msg00000.html 2: http://bugs.debian.org/release-notes 3: http://lists.debian.org/debian-doc Should Security Enhanced Linux be standard? Martin Michlmayr [4]wondered if the packages needed for security enhanced Linux should still be priority "standard" or if they should be lowered to "optional". Martin noticed, that the installation of these packages takes at least half an hour on popular devices like the Linksys NSLU2. Frans Pop [5]noted that the packages where far from being usable without major tweaks, but were made "standard" to gain more testing by being installed but not activated by default. Russell Coker [6]reported on the improvements during the last month. Several people [7]argued, that SELinux should either not be installed by default or activated, maybe by offering an option or task during the installation. 4: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2008/09/msg00369.html 5: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2008/09/msg00372.html 6: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2008/09/msg00374.html 7: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2008/09/msg00403.html Lenny Upgrade advisor Franklin Piat [8]started to write a script that warns users of potential problems when upgrading their system from Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 "Etch" to the upcoming version 5.0 "Lenny". The intention of his script is to notice potential problems (for instance obsoleted or discontinued package) and point out relevant documentation and solutions. He asked for further ideas, comments and patches. Christian Perrier [9]asked if the messages could be internationalized allowing them to be translated. 8: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2008/09/msg00135.html 9: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2008/09/msg00145.html Status of translations in the debian-installer When the development of the current Debian installation system [10]reached a state where changing output strings was discouraged (string freeze), Christian Perrier started coordinated translation efforts and reported daily about the progress. In the two weeks between his [11]first and his [12]latest report, the number of translations ready for inclusion with the next Debian release has been trippeled. 10: http://lists.debian.org/debian-boot/2008/08/msg00684.html 11: http://lists.debian.org/debian-i18n/2008/08/msg00166.html 12: http://lists.debian.org/debian-i18n/2008/09/msg00082.html Overall it looks, like the upcoming release of Debian GNU/Linux "Lenny" will be shipped with at least [13]60 languages activated in the installation system. 13: http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/doc/i18n/languages.html Bits from the Debian GNU/Hurd porters Michael Banck [14]sent bits from the Debian GNU/Hurd porters. Since the last bits had been posted, a lot of development took place, including the release of several snapshot releases. Michael also reports, that the base packages and the basic toolchain are in pretty good shape and most toolchain packages from Debian's repository can be used without any changes. He also refers to the possibility of testing Debian GNU/Hurd using XEN and ongoing work to make a Debian GNU/Hurd box available to all Debian Developers. He closes with a call for help, since Debian GNU/Hurd still misses an installer. 14: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2008/09/msg00004.html FAI / Emdebian work session in Extremadura Holger Levsen [15]wrote a report on the recent work session in Extremadura, Spain. 18 Debian contributors met and worked to get the fully automated install (FAI) in shape for the upcoming release of Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 "Lenny" and to work on the infrastructure for using Debian on embeded architectures. Beside that Holger reports, that 30GB of DebConf7 videos (as ntsc and pal mpeg1 file formats) where uploaded, so that DVDs can be created soon. He closed with thanks to Junta de Extremadura for sponsoring yet another successful work session. 15: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2008/09/msg00002.html Brazilian government-owned IT enterprise SERPRO selects Debian GNU/Linux for its servers and wishes to collaborate The Servico Federal de Processamento de Dados (SERPRO), a US$ 1 billion annual revenue Brazilian government-owned IT enterprise, announced during the Debian Day Brasil 2008 in Porto Alegre that it [16]has selected Debian GNU/Linux as the preferred distribution for its hundreds of GNU/Linux development and production servers. 16: http://times.debian.net/?category=success-stories#1272 SERPRO has decided to increase supplier independence, flexibility, agility, and participation in technical solutions by direct interaction with the Debian Project community. This is the first time that a federal government institution of this size has reached out to the Debian Project community for a closer relationship. Other news The 10th issue of the [17]miscellaneous news for developers has been released and covers the following topics: * Package Tracking System news * Casals replaced by mahler (MIPS porter machine for Debian Developers) * Personnel changes (Martin Zobel-Helas joins Debian System Administrators, becomes Stable Release Wizard; Philipp Kern joins Stable Release Management) * Delayed queue moves to ravel (new people.debian.org machine) * Git user survey 2008 17: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2008/09/msg00003.html Joey Schulze [18]gave an overview about the upcoming Linux and Free Software related events in Europe and asked for volunteers to organize and man booths or give talks. 18: http://lists.debian.org/debian-events-eu/2008/09/msg00008.html New Developers 5 applicants have been [19]accepted as Debian Developers since the prior issue of the Debian Project News. Please welcome Laurent Bigonville, Gregory Colpart, Timo Jyrinki, Adriaan Peeters and Soeren Sonnenburg in our project! 19: http://lists.debian.org/debian-project/2008/09/msg00040.html Important Debian Security Advisories Debian's Security Team recently released advisories for these packages (among others): [20]freetype and [21]linux-2.6.24. Please read them carefully and take the proper measures. 20: http://www.debian.org/security/2008/dsa-1635 21: http://www.debian.org/security/2008/dsa-1636 If you would like to be kept up to date about the security advisories released by the Debian Security Team, please subscribe to the [22]mailing list for security announcements. 22: http://lists.debian.org/debian-security-announce/ New and noteworthy packages The following packages were added to the unstable Debian archive recently ([23]among others): * [24]bzflag-client -- BZFlag client * [25]dnssec-tools -- DNSSEC tools, applications and wrappers * [26]scim-python -- Python input method framework for SCIM * [27]vboxgtk -- simple GTK+ frontend for VirtualBox * [28]esteidutil -- EstEID smartcard management tool * [29]js2-mode -- Emacs mode for editing Javascript programs * [30]s51dude -- In-System Programmer for 8051 MCUs using usbtiny * [31]zoomer -- generate a video from a picture by zooming from one point to another 23: http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/newpkg 24: http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/bzflag-client 25: http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/dnssec-tools 26: http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/scim-python 27: http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/vboxgtk 28: http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/esteidutil 29: http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/js2-mode 30: http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/s51dude 31: http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/zoomer [32]mythtv and [33]mrxvt where presented by Debian Package of the Day. 32: http://debaday.debian.net/2008/09/14/mythtv-a-personal-tv-recorder/ 33: http://debaday.debian.net/2008/09/07/mrxvt-fast-light-multitabbed-terminal-emulator/ Work-needing packages Currently 452 packages are orphaned and 125 packages are up for adoption. Please take a look at the [34]recent [35]reports to see if there are packages you are interested in or view the complete list of [36]packages which need your help. 34: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2008/09/msg00096.html 35: http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2008/09/msg00294.html 36: http://www.debian.org/devel/wnpp/help_requested Want to continue reading DPN? Please help us create this newsletter. We still need more volunteer writers to watch the Debian community and report about what is going on. Please see the [37]contributing page to find out how to help. We're looking forward to receiving your mail at [EMAIL PROTECTED] 37: http://wiki.debian.org/ProjectNews/HowToContribute 38: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] This issue of Debian Project News was edited by Andre Felipe Machado, Meike Reichle and Alexander Reichle-Schmehl. PS: For organisational reasons the next issue of the DPN will be published in three instead of two weeks. After that, the DPN will be continued with the usual two week intervall. We apologize for any inconveniences. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
