I was messing about before my Data Structures class today when the guy in front of me mentioned to the person next to him that he had written his assignment under Linux and needed to make sure it would compile using Visual Studio in Windows. I (unashamedly) interjected “What distribution of Linux are you using?” “Ubuntu,” he replied, “I installed the base server packages and then put kubuntu-desktop on top of that.” I mentioned that I did some work for Ubuntu, so I was always happy to see someone using it. Then I found out that he was Joshua Gay, who does some work for the FSF, including editing 2 of rms’ last 3 books (for example this one). He’s a graduate student who went to Massachusetts for his undergrad. It was interesting to hear him talk about rms and mako and other big names in the free-software world as people he’d actually met and talked to, rather than seen as screennames on #ubuntu or such.
Having come from out east, where Linux and Free Software are perhaps more common household words, Josh really wanted to increase and encourage free software use here at OU. It would be terribly interesting to get an organization started…
…I need to get cracking on distributing these Kubuntu CDs Riddell sent me.
I suspect the box in which he sent them is a Magic Box that replenishes the supply whenever I am not looking.
Dapper has been the first Ubuntu release to which I’ve really gotten to contribute significantly. As I’ve honed my packaging techniques (practicing with backports first), I’ve moved from simple updates of current packages in Dapper to Debianizing brand-new packages. I’ve started to work more closely with Riddell in #kubuntu-devel, and he’s been extremely helpful in pointing towards ways I can help, fixing problems in my packages, and reviewing candidates for Dapper.
As I stay around the dev channels more and more, it’s become rather apparent that we have too few hands for too much work. Although the core Ubuntu issues are of course getting lots of attention and polish (and are looking great), it’s especially hard to get KDE packages worked on. As a Kubuntu user, it’s hard to reconcile sabdfl’s proclamation that Kubuntu would become a distro on par with Ubuntu with the sad fact that when I need KDE packages reviewed, I have a rather sparse list of devs whom I can bug. Riddell does a fantastic job with the resources he has; he has the package output of a dozen lesser mortals 
However, I would really suggest that anyone interested in KDE and Kubuntu come poke us in #kubuntu-devel. There are jobs that anyone can do, even things as simple as bug triage.
I’m hoping to apply for MOTU soon, which will increase the number of devs that favor KDE by one 
and hopefully raphink will be able to apply soon as well. But if Dapper is going to be all it can be, we need far more people committed to making Kubuntu as cool as it can be.
That said, some of the packages I’ve brought in for Dapper include:
- kmobiletools, a sweet app for syncing your mobile with Kontact. It can also be used to control your phone (make calls, read / write text messages) from the computer.
- kflickr, a nice KDE interface to upload photos to flickr.
- md5deep, a set of tools to perform MD5, SHA1, and other hashes on files
- Several KDE styles
I’m hoping to get in a few more packages before upstream version freeze, but we’ll just have to see
Haha, if Linus Torvalds isn’t going to convince you, no one will!
I personally just encourage people to switch to KDE.
Gooooo KDE! 
Hooray! My first upload into the Ubuntu archives, even though I should’ve had a few before except for bad luck
Accepted zsnes 1.420-0.1ubuntu1 (source)