nixternal

Right now I am working with the members of the Ubuntu Chicago LoCo team on creating a solid proposal for developing “Ubuntu Development Courses” that members of the Chicago community will lead. Right now we are looking for those that are in the Chicago land are that may be interested in such events. As it stands, I have come up with a basic, college-like, course layout.

Ubuntu Development 101 - Familiarization of Ubuntu development tools
This session will provide the attendees with a breakdown and brief run-through of the tools involved with Ubuntu development. These tools would include: Launchpad, mailing lists, IRC, development applications and scripts, and more.

Ubuntu Development 102 - Bug Triage
This session will provide the attendees with the knowledge necessary to help triage Ubuntu bugs. Attendees will learn the basics as well as some of the advanced topics with triaging bugs on Launchpad.

Ubuntu Development 103 - Packaging I
This session will provide the attendees with the knowledge necessary to build their very own package. Topics covered will include development applications, scripts, setting up development environments, creating the package, and more.

Ubuntu Development 104 - Packaging II
This session will provide the attendees with the knowledge necessary to merge, sync, and request merges/syncs for Debian packages into Ubuntu’s latest development cycle. Topics covered will include those mentioned as well as proper utilizing of certain development scripts as well as how to properly fill out a request, create a debdiff, and more.

Ubuntu Development 105 - Packaging III
This session will provide the attendees with the knowledge necessary to work with Debian on patches, request backports properly, how to do Stable Release Update requests, and anything else not covered by Packaging I or II.

Obviously none of this is set in stone at this time, as we are working on getting an infrastructure in place. One thing I would like to do, is keep these away from local LUG meetings as to not a) disturb the meeting process, or b) have our session disturbed due to socializing. We are currently looking for an ideal venue for this that will a) be easy to access, b) be free, c) have a projector, and d) have Internet. There are many places in the Chicago land area that fits this bill, so now we are just looking for the best place.

We figure that each event would take anywhere between 4 to 6 hours per session and may possibly be separated into mini-sessions. If we get this off the ground and have enough interest, we could keep it going and turn it into its own little BuntuCamp (BarCamp style) just for Ubuntu!

The reasoning behind this is not only teach interested individuals Ubuntu development, but also provide them the tools necessary to properly advocate the use of Ubuntu and its partner projects. I think once our members understand as many of the aspects involved with the development of Ubuntu, they will be able to better portray to future users the importance of Ubuntu and free software. Also, you get to learn Ubuntu hacking, what could be more fun?

If you are interested in such an event, I urge you to track the Ubuntu Chicago mailing list and let us know. If other LoCo teams are interested, feel free to contact me at nixternal - kubuntu - org.

Tomorrow afternoon Jeff, Gabriel (if he is feeling better), and I will set out from Chicago to Troy, Michigan for Penguicon. Looks like I will be hanging out with the Ubuntu Michigan crowd for the weekend, listening to some talks, drinking Jorge’s and Jono’s beer when they aren’t looking. Hey, I am a starving student, flat out broke. I have $20 in my name right now and searching for more before leaving tomorrow I don’t even have a place to stay yet, but I think Jorge said it best, who sleeps at a geek fest

Anyways, if you are heading to Penguicon, drop me a note here in the comments and if you want to buy me beer, food, or just hang out during the weekend, let me know

I have decided that I am going to step down from all LoCo work including both Ubuntu Illinois and Ubuntu Chicago. The Ubuntu Illinois team is ran by Michael Stemle Jr. (manchicken) and the Ubuntu Chicago team is now ran by Eddie Martinez (posingaspopular) with the help of Jim Campbell (j1mc) hopefully. All 3 of these individuals are great people and community members and I know both of the LoCo teams are in great hands.

If you noticed me pull out of a few locations on Launchpad and IRC channels this evening that doesn’t mean I am leaving here totally. I am now going to dedicate 100% of my time to development for Kubuntu, Debian, Foresight, and KDE and will go back to advocating Linux in general with an emphasis on Kubuntu, Debian, and Foresight.

I had a great time over the past 2 years doing all types of LoCo stuff and I thank everyone who has helped along the way, especially Joey Stanford as it was him and I who decided to take the LoCo stuff by the horns in the beginning of 2006 and go official with it. Thanks Joey!

So with that said, lets get back to hacking!

https://wiki.kubuntu.org/ChicagoTeam/PackagingJam

Sunday, December 16^th from 10am until 4pm, the Ubuntu Chicago LoCo team will be holding its first ever Packaging Jam in order to teach users how to correctly package for Ubuntu. Tomorrow will be an introduction to get new packagers familiar with the tools and operations of the MOTU and Ubuntu packaging in general. If you would like to make it out, check out the link above for more information as well as complete the instructions located on our mailing list in this post. Hope to see you there tomorrow!

This Sunday, December 16^th, 2007 from 10am until 4pm, Central Standard Time, myself and the Ubuntu Chicago group, as well as help from the College of DuPage Linux Users’ Group, will be holding our first ever “Packaging Jam.”

What exactly is a packaging jam? It will be an all day session in which a couple of Ubuntu MOTUs, myself and Mario (superm1) will teach the essence of packaging for Ubuntu in order to get new packages into the repositories, how to merge, how to submit patches, and then some. Mario will be traveling the day prior, so we are hoping that he will be there, if not, then you have to look at my ugly mug all day

The location of this packaging jam will be at the College of DuPage main campus in Glen Ellyn. Here is the address:

College of DuPage
427 Fawell Blvd.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

You can find directions HERE. The room is in the Student Resource Center, the big white building, and is in room 1544.

There is a train to Glen Ellyn from the city, so if you need a ride, pop into #ubuntu-chicago on irc.freenode.net or send an email to our list at ubuntu-us-chicago AT lists DOT ubuntu DOT com.

Hope to see you there!

HERE are some pictures from yesterday’s (Sunday) Ubuntu 7.10 Release Party and Install Fest. It was a good time, and probably the busiest yet. We were interviewed for the local paper and plus I did an interview on Saturday with another news paper. It seems our event was posted in either the Chicago Sun Times or the Daily Herald, as 2 people showed up saying that is how they found out about it. Good to see nobody still reads them papers