Older blog entries for hypatia (starting at number 83)

linux.conf.au stuff

1. Registration is open, starting from the low low price of $99 for students and proceeding to $300 for self-funded attendees and $690 for professional attendees
2. the LinuxChix miniconference programme is available in draft form (waiting for some speakers to confirm that they can make it); and
3. if you'd like partial reimbursement of registration costs, you can volunteer to help out.

Syndicated 2006-11-21 23:29:05 from puzzling dot org: tech

Ubuntu code names

A relatively idle thought after doing Ubuntu support on LinuxChix lists for a while: are the code names really such a good idea? People have an enormous amount of trouble correctly identifying their Ubuntu version. I've seen the following problems:

1. people not realising that the zeros are significant in the version number and asking for support with Ubuntu 6.1 (they probably mean 6.10/Edgy Eft) or 6.6 (they probably mean 6.06 LTS/Dapper Drake);
2. at least half the time people quoting the Ubuntu version number and codename together quote a mismatched name and number (Ubuntu Breezy 6.06, Ubuntu Dapper 6.10 and that's not even getting into Ubuntu Breezy 6.1 or Ubontoo/Urbanto/Obonto Dragon and so on), which means that you have no idea which version they actually mean; and
3. the code names are memorable, but seemingly not memorable enough, there's a lot of people out there talking about the Edgy Elf, which sounds like a bad drug pusher.

Ubuntu is far from the only software using well publicised release code names. I remember the good old days pre-Windows 95 (the good old days are always more than a decade ago), when you couldn't talk computers without talking about 'Chicago'. Debian's release code names are also very commonly used; potato, woody, sarge, how well I remember thee, and I have no idea what thy version numbers were. In fact, the problem might perhaps be that the release code names and the version numbers are essentially equally well known when it comes to Ubuntu, so people feel the need to state both and aren't clear on the mapping between them.

I suspect also the regular releases are hard on people: people know that there's lots of Ubuntus and they have to identify their one, but there's changes often enough that casual onlookers and users are more confused by the release names than they are aided by them. The release numbers map to the release date (4.10 was released in October—month 10—of 2004, 5.04 in April 2005 and so on) but most people, I believe, treat version numbers as Marketing Magic the like of which mortals do not ken and question no further. The six month release cycle means that the current system always has several easily confused releases too (you can confuse either the first number, mixing up 5.04 with 5.10, say, or the second one, mixing up 5.10 with 6.10).

I don't have any particular suggestion about an alternative, and suspect that the developer community is wedded to their names even if the users are a bit puzzled. I suppose simpler would be better: Ubuntu 1, Ubuntu 2... but then the numbers get high quickly.

Syndicated 2006-11-12 07:20:38 from puzzling dot org: tech

As an update to my note about advogato.org's mooted closure, the new maintainer Steven Rainwater emailed me to let me know about the all new, inclusive Advogato: they've added an aggregator. If you have an Advogato account, you can now return to the recentlog by going to your account settings, ticking the <q>Syndicate your blog from another site?</q> box and then putting an RSS or Atom feed in.

linux.conf.au payments (attention earlybirds)

Just spreading the word, since neither Andrew nor I received an email invoice for our registration: credit card payments for linux.conf.au are now being accepted. (We did get the announcement, but previous conference experience—ACL, HCSNet—this year has unfortunately taught me that registration information is not sent out using titles like Countdown to linux.conf.au 2007: 48 DAYS TO GO, those kind of titles now indicate to me we've updated the website! and now we have a directory of attendees!, ie, not action items. So, I didn't actually read it. Oops.)

People who got the earlybird price (which closed Nov 15) must pay by December 8. You can also still register now and get the regular price, although as the announcement (also) pointed out, if you want to stay on campus in the pre-arranged accommodation, or you want to go to the dinner, register soon. (It's unpredictable how full they really are, until they start re-opening spots that people haven't paid for. But 450 attendees who haven't put down money yet is still a goodly number when I believe the aim is 800.)

Syndicated 2006-12-01 21:12:44 from puzzling dot org: tech

In Melbourne Dec 5–10

Dear universe, Andrew and I are in Melbourne for OSDC from Tuesday December 5 to Sunday December 10 (in the morning, anyway). If any of you are in Melbourne that week and would like to meet us for breakfast/lunch/dinner/drinkies, get in touch.

Syndicated 2006-11-23 23:29:37 from puzzling dot org: tech

linux.conf.au stuff

1. Registration is open, starting from the low low price of $99 for students and proceeding to $300 for self-funded attendees and $690 for professional attendees
2. the LinuxChix miniconference programme is available in draft form (waiting for some speakers to confirm that they can make it); and
3. if you'd like partial reimbursement of registration costs, you can volunteer to help out.

Syndicated 2006-11-21 23:29:05 from puzzling dot org: tech

Ubuntu code names

A relatively idle thought after doing Ubuntu support on LinuxChix lists for a while: are the code names really such a good idea? People have an enormous amount of trouble correctly identifying their Ubuntu version. I've seen the following problems:

1. people not realising that the zeros are significant in the version number and asking for support with Ubuntu 6.1 (they probably mean 6.10/Edgy Eft) or 6.6 (they probably mean 6.06 LTS/Dapper Drake);
2. at least half the time people quoting the Ubuntu version number and codename together quote a mismatched name and number (Ubuntu Breezy 6.06, Ubuntu Dapper 6.10 and that's not even getting into Ubuntu Breezy 6.1 or Ubontoo/Urbanto/Obonto Dragon and so on), which means that you have no idea which version they actually mean; and
3. the code names are memorable, but seemingly not memorable enough, there's a lot of people out there talking about the Edgy Elf, which sounds like a bad drug pusher.

Ubuntu is far from the only software using well publicised release code names. I remember the good old days pre-Windows 95 (the good old days are always more than a decade ago), when you couldn't talk computers without talking about 'Chicago'. Debian's release code names are also very commonly used; potato, woody, sarge, how well I remember thee, and I have no idea what thy version numbers were. In fact, the problem might perhaps be that the release code names and the version numbers are essentially equally well known when it comes to Ubuntu, so people feel the need to state both and aren't clear on the mapping between them.

I suspect also the regular releases are hard on people: people know that there's lots of Ubuntus and they have to identify their one, but there's changes often enough that casual onlookers and users are more confused by the release names than they are aided by them. The release numbers map to the release date (4.10 was released in October—month 10—of 2004, 5.04 in April 2005 and so on) but most people, I believe, treat version numbers as Marketing Magic the like of which mortals do not ken and question no further. The six month release cycle means that the current system always has several easily confused releases too (you can confuse either the first number, mixing up 5.04 with 5.10, say, or the second one, mixing up 5.10 with 6.10).

I don't have any particular suggestion about an alternative, and suspect that the developer community is wedded to their names even if the users are a bit puzzled. I suppose simpler would be better: Ubuntu 1, Ubuntu 2... but then the numbers get high quickly.

Syndicated 2006-11-12 07:20:38 from puzzling dot org: tech

Really final evaluation of edgy

Really final, because last time I hadn't upgraded a server, and yesterday I did. It made me very sad indeed.

Syndicated 2006-11-09 22:56:09 from puzzling dot org: tech

Python papers at the Australian Open Source Developers' Conference

Heads up: A call for Python related papers for the first Australian OSDC (Open Source Developers' Conference) went to the python-au list this afternoon.

The OSDC is between the 1st and 3rd December 2004 in Melbourne. It sounds like there will be a whole 12 hours between that and ALTA's summer school and workshop... in Sydney! Pfft, there's just about time to drive between them with that kind of timing.

I'm tempted to work up a paper for OSDC, because I sure won't have one for ALTW. It's a pity my Python expertise is a proper subset of spiv's. And I've been doing web development again anyway, and it lacks awesomeness. Perhaps I need to develop newer and cooler Python expertise in a hurry.

Trip planning update

Thanks to everyone who responded to the last one. It seems on the face of it that I know about a million people in DC (OK, about five), and no one anywhere else in the northern hemisphere. Or perhaps I was at fault for not saying that we are interested in adding to that itinerary, especially in North America and Asia.

If you want to try and sell me a stop that wasn't already on the list... I want to hear from you!

Travel advice

The Universal Packing List is one of those insanely detailed things that inspires a certain mixture of awe and trepidation. Labours of love are great, but it's amazing what people labour on!