------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Debian Project http://www.debian.org/ Debian Project News [email protected] May 3rd, 2010 http://debian.org/News/project/2010/02/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to this year's second issue of DPN, the newsletter for the Debian community. Topics covered in this issue include: * New Debian Project Leader * Special funding for DebConf Newbies * Debian welcomes Google Summer of Code students * ... and much more. New Debian Project Leader ------------------------- The New Debian Project Leader is named Stefano Zacchiroli (IRC nick "zack"). Stefano has already posted anemail [4] to the Debian Developers Announce mailing list giving out a big thank you, updating his progress in understaning the DPL's job, and letting people know how they can get in touch with him. Stefano hopes to be a 'facilitator' and asks that developers get in touch with him to let him know about 'blockers' that stand in the way of getting work done. "We're a very nice do-ocracy, and there is no reason why enthusiastic and capable people willing to work on a specific subject should not be empowered to do so." 4 : http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2010/04/msg00011.html While he's on IRC (irc.debian.org) Stefano states the preferred way of getting in touch with him is via [email protected] [5]. He finishes his email with: "Now let's go and squash some RC bug, Squeeze is getting closer and closer, and I've already wasted enough of your time!" 5 : mailto:[email protected] Special funding for DebConf Newbies ----------------------------------- If you've never been to a DebConf, but always wanted to go, this is your year. Joey Hess wrote that a special funding for trips to DebConf10 [6] is available for Debian Developers who have either never attended a DebConf before, or who have not been to a DebConf since DebConf6 (in Mexico). DebConf10 [7] will be held in New York from August 1-7, 2010. 6 : http://kitenet.net/~joey/blog/entry/Sponsoring_non-regulars_for_DebConf10/ 7 : http://debconf10.debconf.org To apply for this funding, email Joey Hess [8]. The deadline to apply is May 15th. Please apply as early as possible. In your email, include an estimate of your travel costs, and the amount you are unable to fund yourself. Joey also need to know what dates you plan to arrive and leave. Please indicate if you will also need sponsored food and accommodation, and whether you have already registered for DebConf [9]. Also, tell Joey if you've been to DebConf before. Also, if you work with a Debian Developer in a team, wish they could go to DebConf, and would like to nominate your teammate for funding, send an email with the details of who and why. 8 : mailto:[email protected] 9 : http://debconf10.debconf.org/register.xhtml Debian welcomes Google Summer of Code students ---------------------------------------------- Obey Arthur Liu welcomed [10] this years "Google Summer of code" students, who will get their work on a specific topic financed by Google: 10 : http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2010/04/msg00015.html * Piotr Galiszweski, who will work on "Aptitude Qt" * Krzysztof Tyszecki, who will work on "Content-aware Config Files Upgrading" * David Wendt Jr., who will work on "Debbugs Bug Reporting and Manipulation API" * Dominique Belhachemi, who will work on "Debian High Performance Computing on Clouds" * Thobaut Girka, who will work on "Debian-Installer on Neo FreeRunner and Handheld Devices" * Jérémie Koenig, who will work on "Hurd port and de-Linux-ization of Debian-Installer" * David Kalnischkies, who will work on "Multi-Arch support in APT" * Ricardo O'Donell, who will work on "Package Repository Analysis and Migration Automation" * Petr Jasek, who will work on "Smart Upload Server for FTP Master" We would also thank the involved mentors! Bits from Debian Groupware Meeting ---------------------------------- Guido Günther wrote such a good bits from [11] mail that I just cut and pasted it into this issue of DPN, here it is: "Like last year the Debian Groupware Meeting was held at the LinuxHotel, Essen, Germany [12]. This is a short summary what happened during the weekend: * We worked on getting Icedove 3 (aka Thunderbird) into shape for Squeeze by fixing the remaining RC bugs and fixing many more issues along the way. Icedove 3 entered testing recently. * After many months Iceowl-extension (aka Lightning) got back it's companion standalone Iceowl (aka Sunbird). A version compatible with Icedove 3 has been uploaded to unstable and we went through almost all of the open bugs. This version also entered testing recently, * Evolution bug squashing: We went through a great pile of Evolution bugs updating their status, requesting more information to reproduce them, forwarding them upstream and closing the fixed ones along the way. * Z-push gotpackaged [13] and is ready to be uploaded once the licensing issues are resolved [14] - upstream is looking into this. * We updated the "Groupware in Debian" statuspage [15]. For more details have a look at the wiki page [16]. Being four instead of three people at the event we gained 33% more participants over last year. We hope to see even more of you around next year." 11 : http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2010/04/msg00013.html 12 : http://wiki.debian.org/GroupwareMeeting2010-04-09to11 13 : http://git.debian.org/?p=users/wolfi-guest/z-push.git;a=summary 14 : http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2010/04/msg00043.html 15 : http://wiki.debian.org/Groupware 16 : http://wiki.debian.org/GroupwareMeeting2010-04-09to11 New initramfs-tools package --------------------------- Maximillian Attems pointed out that there is a new version of the initramfs-tools [17] package released which satisfies a release goal for "Squeeze". These tools are used fairly early on in the boot process to create a initramfs which gets used by the kernel as an initial file system. The new version brings in some changes made by Ubuntu which should lead to faster boot times. There is an opportunity here to test this and send along any relevant info to the team that maintains the package, which is the Debian kernel team [18]. In addition to the ability to use other forms of compression, there are a number of new fixes and features in this package. See the complete list [19]. 17 : http://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=initramfs-tools 18 : mailto:[email protected] 19 : http://www.itp.tuwien.ac.at/~mattems/blog/2010/04/06#initramfs-tools_0.94 MIPS architecture news ---------------------- Andreas Barth send some information on the mips and mipsel buildd status [20] (buildd is a build deamon which automatically builds Debian binary packages from Debian sources). He mentioned that they have had some hardware failures leaving them with just one mipsel buildd currently. While the new buildd sorting order is helping, packages are still taking a while to be built. Andreas sees an empty build queue in sight "quite soon" and work is in progress to fix the known hardware issues with the other machines. 20 : http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2010/04/msg00010.html Berlin MiniDebConf ------------------ Jan Hauke Rahm wrote [21] that there is going to be held a MiniDebConf in the middle of LinuxTag on June 10th and 11th. The MiniDebConf will feature a talk by the new Debian Project Leader as well as a "hack lab" which will be open at night. The hack lab could use some more people to help out and the schedule of talks is almost complete. The MiniDebConf aims to be newbie friendly with help for new Debian bug squashers, not least since Debian hopes to be in a "freeze" by that point. A Bug Squashing Party be held as well. So why not join the GermanCabal in Berlin [22]? 21 : http://blog.jhr-online.de/77 22 : http://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/Miniconf-LT-Berlin/2010 Release-critical bugs statistics for the upcoming release --------------------------------------------------------- According to the unofficial RC-bugs count [23], the upcoming release, Debian 6.0 "Squeeze", is currently affected by 364 release critical bugs. 76 of them have already been fixed in Debian's "unstable" branch. Of the remaining 288 release critical bugs, 38 already have a patch (which might need testing) and 14 are marked as pending. 23 : http://bts.turmzimmer.net/details.php Ignoring these bugs as well as release critical bugs for packages in contrib or non-free, 172 release critical bugs remain to be solved for the release to happen. Important Debian Security Advisories ------------------------------------ Debian's Security Team recently released advisories for these packages (among others): phpmyadmin [24], apache2 [25], kdm (kdebase) [26], pidgin [27], cact [28] and squidguard [29]. Please read them carefully and take the proper measures. 24 : http://www.debian.org/security/2010/dsa-2034 25 : http://www.debian.org/security/2010/dsa-2035 26 : http://www.debian.org/security/2010/dsa-2037 27 : http://www.debian.org/security/2010/dsa-2038 28 : http://www.debian.org/security/2010/dsa-2039 29 : http://www.debian.org/security/2010/dsa-2040 Please note that these are a selection of the more important security advisories of the last weeks. If you need to be kept up to date about security advisories released by the Debian Security Team, please subscribe to the security mailing list [30] for announcements. 30 : http://lists.debian.org/debian-security-announce/ New and noteworthy packages --------------------------- The following packages were added to the unstable Debian archive recently (among others [31]): 31 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/newpkg * acpi-fakekey -- tool to generate fake key events [32] * ahcpd -- the Ad-Hoc Configuration Protocol [33] * aimage -- Create forensic image of devices in an open format [34] * babeld -- a loop-free distance-vector routing protocol [35] * blcr-testsuite -- Userspace tools to Checkpoint and Restart Linux processes [36] * buzztard -- Modular music composer [37] * calendar-google-provider -- Google Calendar support for lighting- and iceowl-extension [38] * calendar-timezones -- Timezone Extension for Sunbird/Iceowl (mandatory) [39] * dapl2-utils -- Utilities for use with the DAPL libraries [40] * deets -- decentralized model-based administration tool [41] * dracut -- modular, event-driven initramfs infrastructure [42] * drizzle -- Database for the cloud (meta package depending on client and server) [43] * drupal6-mod-i18n -- i18n module for Drupal 6 [44] * drupal6-mod-inline -- inline module for Drupal 6 [45] * drupal6-mod-ldap-integration -- ldap_integration module for Drupal 6 [46] * drupal6-mod-masquerade -- masquerade module for Drupal 6 [47] * drupal6-thm-arthemia -- arthemia theme for Drupal 6 [48] * drupal6-trans-ru -- Russian translation for Drupal 6 [49] * education-desktop-lxde -- Debian Edu LXDE desktop applications [50] * flush -- GTK-based BitTorrent client [51] * gameconqueror -- A GUI for scanmem, a game hacking tool [52] * gdevilspie -- A user friendly interface for devilspie [53] * gdm3 -- Next generation GNOME Display Manager [54] * gimp-gmic -- GIMP plugin for GREYC's Magic Image Converter [55] * gitolite -- ssh-based gatekeeper for git repositories [56] * gmic -- GREYC's Magic Image Converter [57] * gpsbabel-gui -- GPS file conversion plus transfer to/from GPS units - GUI [58] * gunicorn -- Event-based HTTP/WSGI server [59] * gyp -- Generate Your Projects [60] * ibus-tegaki -- tegaki engine for IBus [61] * jets3t -- graphical and command-line tools for Amazon S3 and CloudFront [62] * kfreebsd-image-7.3-1-486 -- kernel of FreeBSD 7.3 image [63] * kfreebsd-image-7.3-1-686 -- kernel of FreeBSD 7.3 image [64] * kfreebsd-image-7.3-1-686-smp -- kernel of FreeBSD 7.3 image [65] * kfreebsd-image-7.3-1-amd64 -- kernel of FreeBSD 7.3 image [66] * mediawiki-extensions-base -- Extensions for MediaWiki -- Base package [67] * mediawiki-extensions-confirmedit -- Extensions for MediaWiki -- ConfirmEdit extension [68] * mediawiki-extensions-fckeditor -- Extensions for MediaWiki -- FCKeditor extension [69] * mediawiki-extensions-geshi -- Extensions for MediaWiki -- Geshi extension [70] * mediawiki-extensions-ldapauth -- Extensions for MediaWiki -- Ldap extension [71] * mediawiki-extensions-openid -- Extensions for MediaWiki -- OpenID extension [72] * mstflint -- Mellanox firmware burning application [73] * mysql-server-core-5.1 -- MySQL database server binaries [74] * narval-utils -- An Ada framework for Distributed Acquisition Systems (utils) [75] * nautilus-sendto-empathy -- GNOME multi-protocol chat and call client (nautilus-sendto plugin) [76] * nfs4-acl-tools -- Commandline and GUI ACL utilities for the NFSv4 client [77] * ns3 -- discrete-event network simulator [78] * oasis3-examples -- Example models for the OASIS climate model coupler [79] * oasis3 -- Coupler for exchanging fields between components of Earth system models [80] * ocrfeeder -- Document layout analysis and optical character recognition system [81] * opendnssec -- dependency package to install full OpenDNSSEC suite [82] * pidgin-openpgp -- OpenPGP plugin for Pidgin [83] * pleiades -- Japanese Language package for Eclipse using Dynamic AOP, Pleiades [84] * qlvnictools -- Tools for QLogic Virtual NICs [85] * qt-sdk -- Complete Qt Software Development Kit [86] * qviaggiatreno -- Qt tool to monitor the Italian railway traffic [87] * rds-tools -- Tools for the Infiniband RDS protocol [88] * rinputd -- A server daemon for receiving user input events [89] * ruby-playerc -- Networked server for robots and sensors - Ruby wrapper [90] * slapd-smbk5pwd -- Keeps Samba and Kerberos passwords in sync within slapd. [91] * slony1-2-bin -- replication system for PostgreSQL -- daemon and administration tools [92] * spim -- MIPS R2000/R3000 emulator [93] * spring-javaai -- a modern full-3D RTS game engine (Java AIs) [94] * spyder -- A Python IDE for scientists [95] * srptools -- Tools for Infiniband attached storage (SRP) [96] * sweethome3d -- Interior 2D design application with 3D preview [97] * tracker-explorer -- metadata database, indexer and search tool - developer tool [98] * tracker-extract -- metadata database, indexer and search tool - metadata extractors [99] * tracker-gui -- metadata database, indexer and search tool - GNOME frontend [100] * tracker-miner-evolution -- metadata database, indexer and search tool - evolution plugin [101] * tracker-miner-fs -- metadata database, indexer and search tool - filesystem indexer [102] * tritium -- a tabbed/tiling window manager [103] * tvflash -- Mellanox firmware update utility [104] * xmlbeans -- Java library for accessing XML by binding it to Java types - tools [105] * xserver-xorg-video-nouveau -- X.Org X server -- Nouveau display driver (experimental) [106] * yorick-optimpack -- optimization of large scale problems for the Yorick language [107] 32 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/acpi-fakekey 33 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/ahcpd 34 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/aimage 35 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/babeld 36 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/blcr-testsuite 37 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/buzztard 38 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/calendar-google-provider 39 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/calendar-timezones 40 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/dapl2-utils 41 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/deets 42 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/dracut 43 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/drizzle 44 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/drupal6-mod-i18n 45 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/drupal6-mod-inline 46 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/drupal6-mod-ldap-integration 47 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/drupal6-mod-masquerade 48 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/drupal6-thm-arthemia 49 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/drupal6-trans-ru 50 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/education-desktop-lxde 51 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/flush 52 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/gameconqueror 53 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/gdevilspie 54 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/gdm3 55 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/gimp-gmic 56 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/gitolite 57 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/gmic 58 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/gpsbabel-gui 59 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/gunicorn 60 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/gyp 61 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/ibus-tegaki 62 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/jets3t 63 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/kfreebsd-image-7.3-1-486 64 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/kfreebsd-image-7.3-1-686 65 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/kfreebsd-image-7.3-1-686-smp 66 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/kfreebsd-image-7.3-1-amd64 67 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/mediawiki-extensions-base 68 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/mediawiki-extensions-confirmedit 69 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/mediawiki-extensions-fckeditor 70 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/mediawiki-extensions-geshi 71 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/mediawiki-extensions-ldapauth 72 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/mediawiki-extensions-openid 73 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/mstflint 74 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/mysql-server-core-5.1 75 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/narval-utils 76 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/nautilus-sendto-empathy 77 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/nfs4-acl-tools 78 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/ns3 79 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/oasis3-examples 80 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/oasis3 81 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/ocrfeeder 82 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/opendnssec 83 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/pidgin-openpgp 84 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/pleiades 85 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/qlvnictools 86 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/qt-sdk 87 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/qviaggiatreno 88 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/rds-tools 89 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/rinputd 90 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/ruby-playerc 91 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/slapd-smbk5pwd 92 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/slony1-2-bin 93 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/spim 94 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/spring-javaai 95 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/spyder 96 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/srptools 97 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/sweethome3d 98 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/tracker-explorer 99 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/tracker-extract 100 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/tracker-gui 101 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/tracker-miner-evolution 102 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/tracker-miner-fs 103 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/tritium 104 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/tvflash 105 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/xmlbeans 106 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 107 : http://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/yorick-optimpack Work-needing packages --------------------- Currently 592 packages are orphaned and 140 packages are up for adoption. Please take a look at the [108] recent [109] reports [110] to see if there are packages you are interested in or view the complete list of packages which need your help [111]. 108 : http://lists.debian.org/[email protected] 109 : http://lists.debian.org/[email protected] 110 : http://lists.debian.org/[email protected] 111 : 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 contributing page [112] to find out how to help. We're looking forward to receiving your mail at [email protected] [113]. 112 : http://wiki.debian.org/ProjectNews/HowToContribute 113 : mailto:[email protected] This issue of Debian Project News was edited by Jeremiah C. Foster and Alexander Reichle-Schmehl. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [email protected] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [email protected] Archive: http://lists.debian.org/[email protected]
