Debian Project News - May 3rd, 2010
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The Debian Project http://www.debian.org/
Debian Project News debian-publicity@lists.debian.org
May 3rd, 2010 http://debian.org/News/project/2010/02/
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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 leader@debian.org [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:leader@debian.org
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:joeyh@debian.org
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:debian-kernel@lists.debian.org
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/E1O2ZPv-0005oI-KN@merkel.debian.org
109 : http://lists.debian.org/E1O56ki-0005np-BT@merkel.debian.org
110 : http://lists.debian.org/E1O7e5a-0005vM-9y@merkel.debian.org
111 : http://www.debian.org/devel/wnpp/help_requested
Want to continue reading DPN?
-----------------------------
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Please see the contributing page [112] to find out how to help. We're
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112 : http://wiki.debian.org/ProjectNews/HowToContribute
113 : mailto:debian-publicity@lists.debian.org
This issue of Debian Project News was edited by Jeremiah C. Foster and
Alexander Reichle-Schmehl.
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