Category: News

GNOME 3.8.2 is available right now on, full of fixes, documentation and
translation updates, get its sources from our servers, or binaries from
your distribution servers, and enjoy this second update to GNOME 3.8.

We are now moving back deep into development territory, there will be
no further coordinated 3.8 releases (individual module maintainers may
still publish new stable tarballs); our next release will be 3.9.2, to
be published at the end of the month.

 Full Announcement

At Google we believe that open systems win. Open-source software has been at the root of many innovations in cloud computing, the mobile web, and the Internet generally. And while open platforms have faced growing patent attacks, requiring companies to defensively acquire ever more patents, we remain committed to an open Internet—one that protects real innovation and continues to deliver great products and services.

Today, we’re taking another step towards that goal by announcing the Open Patent Non-Assertion (OPN) Pledge: we pledge not to sue any user, distributor or developer of open-source software on specified patents, unless first attacked.

We’ve begun by identifying 10 patents relating to MapReduce, a computing model for processing large data sets first developed at Google—open-source versions of which are now widely used. Over time, we intend to expand the set of Google’s patents covered by the pledge to other technologies.

Full announcement

The long awaited final version of Kolab 3 has been made available. Compared to the old 2.3.4 stable release, this brand new version of Kolab features a new modern webclient that integrates Roundcube instead of Horde. It integrates a lot better into existing user directory setups. Security as well as scalability has been greatly improved. It is now possible to scale all functional components of Kolab separately. Also, there is a new unified command line utility for administrative tasks.

Kolab 3 dropped OpenPKG and can now be installed with native packages on Redhat Enterprise Linux, CentOS and Debian. OpenSUSE packages are also available, but still experimental and packages for Mageia are a work in progress. With native packages, Kolab is now seamlessly integrated into the rest of the system, can easily be upgraded and allows for a rolling release. This keeps updates fast, simple and makes sure everybody can benefit from latest fixes and new features without big complicated upgrade procedures. From Kolab 3.0 onwards, we are aiming for a six months release cycle, so you can expect Kolab 3.1 in Summer. Development is already in full swing.

….

Read full press release at: http://www.kolab.org/news/2012/12/17/final-version-kolab-3.0-released

Ubuntu

London 2nd January, 2013: Canonical today announced a distinctive smartphone interface for its popular operating system, Ubuntu, using all four edges of the screen for a more immersive experience. Ubuntu uniquely gives handset OEMs and mobile operators the ability to converge phone, PC and thin client into a single enterprise superphone.

“We expect Ubuntu to be popular in the enterprise market, enabling customers to provision a single secure device for all PC, thin client and phone functions. Ubuntu is already the most widely used Linux enterprise desktop, with customers in a wide range of sectors focused on security, cost and manageability” said Jane Silber, CEO of Canonical. “We also see an opportunity in basic smartphones that are used for the phone, SMS, web and email, where Ubuntu outperforms thanks to its native core apps and stylish presentation.”

Ubuntu is aimed at two core mobile segments: the high-end superphone, and the entry-level basic smartphone, helping operators grow the use of data amongst consumers who typically use only the phone and messaging but who might embrace the use of web and email on their phone. Ubuntu also appeals to aspirational prosumers who want a fresh experience with faster, richer performance on a lower bill-of-materials device.

Full announcement: Canonical announcement

The Malta Information Technology Agency launched a Survey to evaluation the state of Open Source Software in Malta.  The Survey was launched during the Government of Malta Open Source End User Group meeting held at MITA in December.

The Survey is intended to any Maltese resident, business owner, students and workers, amonsgt others.  More information about Open Source Software, together with the Survey are available on the OSS section of the MITA Website at http://www.mita.gov.mt/oss

• Ubuntu 12.10 integrates the desktop and the Internet, enabling people to easily access content and applications – whether the live locally or online.

• Ubuntu 12.10 makes it possible to integrate the most popular web-based applications as if they were native applications

• Ubuntu 12.10 is the perfect alternative for anyone considering a move to Windows 8 – providing a modern operating system that works naturally across devices.

London 18th October, 2012: Canonical today announces the desktop version of Ubuntu 12.10, the latest release of the popular open source operating system, will be available for public download on the 18th October 2012. As part of Canonical’s objective to make all content easier to access, Ubuntu 12.10 introduces innovations that bring together desktop and cloud-based experiences, representing the next stage in the transition to a multi-device, cloud-based world.

Read full press release at  http://www.canonical.com/content/ubuntu-1210-breaks-down-barrier-between-pc-and-web

The Apache Software Foundation (ASF), the all-volunteer developers, stewards, and incubators of nearly 150 Open Source projects and initiatives, today announced that Apache Open Office has graduated from the Apache Incubator to become a Top-Level Project (TLP), signifying that the Project’s community and products have been well-governed under the ASF’s meritocratic process and principles.

“The graduation of OpenOffice is testament to The Apache Way successfully scaling from incubating ‘ingredient brands’ to a highly-established end-user product,” said ASF Executive Vice President and Apache OpenOffice mentor Ross Gardler. “The incubation process allowed experienced Apache contributors to mentor the project, helping both new and established OpenOffice contributors build an Apache-style community that is both open and diverse.”

“The OpenOffice graduation is the official recognition that the project is now able to self-manage not only in technical matters, but also in community issues,” said Andrea Pescetti, Vice President of Apache OpenOffice. “The ‘Apache Way’ and its methods, such as taking every decision in public with total transparency, have allowed the project to attract and successfully engage new volunteers, and to elect an active and diverse Project Management Committee that will be able to guarantee a stable future to Apache OpenOffice.”

Read full Announcement at https://blogs.apache.org/foundation/entry/the_apache_software_foundation_announces35