Ubuntu Linux loves Python

[Martin Maney]

Apologies if this isn't news here - I've been too busy this last week
or so for even skimming the traffic here, in part because I've been
messing around with Ubuntu's preview release on a spare machine... and,
of course, spending time on their very busy mailing list. I didn't
find any mention of Ubuntu in a quick scan of recent messages, so...

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution that starts with the breadth of Debian
and adds regular releases (every six months), a clear focus on the
user and usability (it should "Just Work", TM) and a commitment to
security updates with 18 months of support for every release.

The first release is scheduled for October 20th if I recall the
announcement correctly. But I started out to write about the Python
aspect of this. A while ago I had seen one of the project members make
a passing remark about how dedicated they were to having "insanely
great support for Python" in Ubuntu, but I only realized that this was
a literal statement of policy when I finally wandered over to their
"bounties" page (http://www.ubuntulinux.org/community/bounties):

Here are some software projects for Ubuntu that are available as paid
bounties. ... The 2004 budget for these bounties is USD 100,000. ...

Ubuntu prefer the community to do the work in Python. Here are some
Python-related projects that are up for bounties:

Python scripting everywhere ... Bounties will be offered on Python
scripting interfaces for the following tools: OpenOffice, Blender,
AbiWord, Gnumeric, The GIMP

Mozilla work [each of these is a separate bounty item]: Thunderbird
message filing quick access; Thunderbird message filing intelligence;
Browser error pages Thunderbird SMTP message queueing

Bugzilla bounty tracking

And they list a few bounties that have already been awarded (I'm not
sure if that means completed or just "contracted", but I suspect both
are represented). With the emphasis on Python, as well as the overall
quality of the work I've seen in the work still in progress, I think
Ubuntu is of more than passing interest to anyone interested in Linux
or Python, and especially to those interested in both.

 

[Peter L Hansen]

Apologies if this isn't news here -

It is!

With the emphasis on Python, as well as the overall
quality of the work I've seen in the work still in progress, I think
Ubuntu is of more than passing interest to anyone interested in Linux
or Python, and especially to those interested in both.

Thank you for the pointer, Martin. I'm find this very
interesting.

-Peter

 

[Harald Armin Massa]

Apologies if this isn't news here -

It is great news ...

just one thing to mention: ubutu linux AND it's dedication to Python
was allready announced on Europython 2004 in Goetheborg, Sweden.

Mark Shuttleworth (= first Python programmer in space) explained his
plans to initiate another Linux distribution (also knowing that there
is not really a shortage of Linux distributions)


To get important information earlier ... I recommend staying tuned to
http://www.europython.org - there will be one in 2005

Harald

 

[Martin Maney]

Mark Shuttleworth (= first Python programmer in space) explained his
plans to initiate another Linux distribution (also knowing that there
is not really a shortage of Linux distributions)

I hadn't realized that Mark was also known for his interest in Python,
but that would help explain the enthusiasm.

There are, indeed, many Linux distributions; too many to keep track of.
Ubuntu is leaping for the target of the average user's desktop, and
from what I've seen so far they're certainly headed in the right
direction, while keeping most of the advantages of Debian's solid
underpinnings. I think Cally's new AMD machine is going to be running
Ubuntu when it lands on her desk... sometime Real Soon Now. ;-)

The first official release, Warty Warthog, is scheduled for October
20th, a week after the final RC. But really, you just grab the daily
CD and then keep current - just like Debian, though the last week's been
very busy as they work over the rough edges. I guess that's a
characteristic difference that goes with having a release schedule:
package churn peaks near the end of the run-up rather than dwindling
away to a trickle as things settle down.

(I'm only following up on-list because it's not gotten out of hand.
I'm actually feeling a little guilty, as I've been too busy to look
into Ubuntu's Python support any more deeply than noticing that, yep,
they do install a lot of those add-on batteries in the default setup.)

 

[Thomas]

I've been looking for a linux distro with focus on python development
for years, even dreamed about making one myself, and when it's based
on debian as well, it's like a dream come true.

Installation is short and sweet, the Gnome desktop is functional and
nice to look at and the debian package system is awsome. BUT I've
allready found some outdated packages, like pysqlite, which doesn't
work with code I've made on Windows using pysqlite 1.0.

If the packages can be kept up to date, this distro will be the
ultimate python development platform, without a doubt.

Download and install it now!!! ( And make an updated ubuntu-package of
pysqlite while you're at it ;-) )

Thomas

Apologies if this isn't news here - I've been too busy this last week
or so for even skimming the traffic here, in part because I've been
messing around with Ubuntu's preview release on a spare machine... and,
of course, spending time on their very busy mailing list. I didn't
find any mention of Ubuntu in a quick scan of recent messages, so...

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution that starts with the breadth of Debian
and adds regular releases (every six months), a clear focus on the
user and usability (it should "Just Work", TM) and a commitment to
security updates with 18 months of support for every release.

The first release is scheduled for October 20th if I recall the
announcement correctly. But I started out to write about the Python
aspect of this. A while ago I had seen one of the project members make
a passing remark about how dedicated they were to having "insanely
great support for Python" in Ubuntu, but I only realized that this was
a literal statement of policy when I finally wandered over to their
"bounties" page (http://www.ubuntulinux.org/community/bounties):

Here are some software projects for Ubuntu that are available as paid
bounties. ... The 2004 budget for these bounties is USD 100,000. ...

Ubuntu prefer the community to do the work in Python. Here are some
Python-related projects that are up for bounties:

Python scripting everywhere ... Bounties will be offered on Python
scripting interfaces for the following tools: OpenOffice, Blender,
AbiWord, Gnumeric, The GIMP

Mozilla work [each of these is a separate bounty item]: Thunderbird
message filing quick access; Thunderbird message filing intelligence;
Browser error pages Thunderbird SMTP message queueing

Bugzilla bounty tracking

And they list a few bounties that have already been awarded (I'm not
sure if that means completed or just "contracted", but I suspect both
are represented). With the emphasis on Python, as well as the overall
quality of the work I've seen in the work still in progress, I think
Ubuntu is of more than passing interest to anyone interested in Linux
or Python, and especially to those interested in both.

 

[Corey Coughlin]

I'm also in the eval process with it, I've been looking to put a linux
distro on one of my smp machines for a while now, tried ubuntu over
the weekend, and so far it's pretty nice. I'm still wrestling with
some Samba issues (nothing's as easy as Xandros XFM, sadly), but it's
coming along. I do like having synaptic package install built in,
that's pretty cool. And desktop sharing in a gnome system is awesome.
Generally, it's a nice and clean distro, not too bloated, but not
lacking in the essentials. If I can get past the samba trouble
without too much hassle, I fully expect it to replace my xandros and
suse machines.

----- Corey

I've been looking for a linux distro with focus on python development
for years, even dreamed about making one myself, and when it's based
on debian as well, it's like a dream come true.

Installation is short and sweet, the Gnome desktop is functional and
nice to look at and the debian package system is awsome. BUT I've
allready found some outdated packages, like pysqlite, which doesn't
work with code I've made on Windows using pysqlite 1.0.

If the packages can be kept up to date, this distro will be the
ultimate python development platform, without a doubt.

Download and install it now!!! ( And make an updated ubuntu-package of
pysqlite while you're at it ;-) )

Thomas

Apologies if this isn't news here - I've been too busy this last week
or so for even skimming the traffic here, in part because I've been
messing around with Ubuntu's preview release on a spare machine... and,
of course, spending time on their very busy mailing list. I didn't
find any mention of Ubuntu in a quick scan of recent messages, so...

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution that starts with the breadth of Debian
and adds regular releases (every six months), a clear focus on the
user and usability (it should "Just Work", TM) and a commitment to
security updates with 18 months of support for every release.

The first release is scheduled for October 20th if I recall the
announcement correctly. But I started out to write about the Python
aspect of this. A while ago I had seen one of the project members make
a passing remark about how dedicated they were to having "insanely
great support for Python" in Ubuntu, but I only realized that this was
a literal statement of policy when I finally wandered over to their
"bounties" page (http://www.ubuntulinux.org/community/bounties):

Here are some software projects for Ubuntu that are available as paid
bounties. ... The 2004 budget for these bounties is USD 100,000. ...

Ubuntu prefer the community to do the work in Python. Here are some
Python-related projects that are up for bounties:

Python scripting everywhere ... Bounties will be offered on Python
scripting interfaces for the following tools: OpenOffice, Blender,
AbiWord, Gnumeric, The GIMP

Mozilla work [each of these is a separate bounty item]: Thunderbird
message filing quick access; Thunderbird message filing intelligence;
Browser error pages Thunderbird SMTP message queueing

Bugzilla bounty tracking

And they list a few bounties that have already been awarded (I'm not
sure if that means completed or just "contracted", but I suspect both
are represented). With the emphasis on Python, as well as the overall
quality of the work I've seen in the work still in progress, I think
Ubuntu is of more than passing interest to anyone interested in Linux
or Python, and especially to those interested in both.

 

[Steve Zatz]

allready found some outdated packages, like pysqlite, which doesn't

work with code I've made on Windows using pysqlite 1.0.

I know little about ubuntu and debian but I installed ubuntu a couple
of days ago. It appears that you can generally use debian package
repositories with ubuntu although there may be an occasional
incompatibility. For example, I upgraded pysqlite to 0.5.1 from the
Debian "testing" repository and it is working fine; pysqlite 1.0 is in
debian "unstable."

 

[Konrad Koller]

Installation is short and sweet, the Gnome desktop is functional and

nice to look at and the debian package system is awsome. BUT I've
allready found some outdated packages, like pysqlite, which doesn't
work with code I've made on Windows using pysqlite 1.0.
Download and install it now!!! ( And make an updated ubuntu-package of
pysqlite while you're at it ;-) )

Sorry, but I do not know what pysqlite is.

 

[Alex Martelli]

Sorry, but I do not know what pysqlite is.

An embedded SQL RDBMS. <http://freshmeat.net/projects/pysqlite/>.


Alex