OSGeo-Live UAT in one week: Testing and doc updates required

In this OSGeo-Live 8.0 development cycle we have seen major upgrades: moving to the light weight Lubuntu distribution, moving to a new Long Time Support release (LTS), and moving even more applications to make use of Debian packaging. It should be our best distribution yet. But this has impacted our schedule, as the Ubuntu LTS has only become stable within the last week (14.04.1 release), and we need help in order to deliver OSGeo-Live to FOSS4G-PDX with our usual high level of quality and reliability. In particular, we need help:

1. Testing to verify everything works in this new system and fixing bugs. Download alpha1 here [0].
2. Updating version number in your Project Overview (if changed), and possibly mention a new feature or two. Doc howtos [4].
3. Re-running the Quickstart and ensure each step is still valid, and screenshots match the implementation.
4. Updating status of the Project Overview and Quickstart to "8.0draft" in our status sheet. [1]

Due to our tight timelines, we might need to hide applications which we can't get stablised, tested, or docs updated in time. Please check our current list of open issues [2][3] to verify that your project is working as expected.

Schedule

• 27 July 2014 Alpha4 released [3]. Please verify all applications work and fix bugs.
• 03 August 2014 Beta1 release - start taking screen shots with new background.
• 07 August 2014 Community Testing Sprint (UAT).
• 07 August 2014 English docs complete.
• 14 August 2014 Translations complete.
• 17 August 2014 OSGeo-Live 8.0 sent to the printers.

[0] http://osprey.ucdavis.edu/downloads/osgeo/gisvm/gisvm/8.0alpha4/osgeo-live-mini-8.0alpha4-i386.iso
[1] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Al9zh8DjmU_RdGIzd0VLLTBpQVJuNVlHMlBWSDhKLXc#gid=13
[2] http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo/report/10
[3] http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/live-demo/2014-July/009274.html
[4] http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Live_GIS_Disc#Documentation

Inclusive OSGeo Charter membership - invite your team

In response to community suggestions in previous years, the OSGeo board has updated the voting process for OSGeo Charter Membership to be more inclusive. In particular, there is now no upper cap on the number of new Charter Members who can be voted in. This will avoid the disappointing situation where we our process denied respected community members from charter membership because we didn't have enough slots.  Now, new charter members need only demonstrate positive OSGeo attributes as confirmed by existing Charter Members.

The official responsibilities of Charter Members is very light, consisting of voting in the OSGeo Board and other OSGeo Charter members. However, it is also a way we officially acknowledge the number of volunteers who help out in many ways with OSGeo activities.

So now the process is updated, I encourage existing Charter Members and community leaders to be proactive about nominating people from their community.

Here is an email I sent to people within the OSGeo-Live community:

OSGeo-Live contributors,
As you have probably seen, the voting process for new OSGeo charter members has changed in order to ensure OSGeo charter membership is more inclusive and representative of the greater OSGeo membership.In line with this new direction, I'd like to nominate all active OSGeo-Live contributors for OSGeo Charter membership.I believe all active contributors that I've worked with meet the recommended membership selection criteria [1] which includes:

• Previous participation in or support of OSGeo activities (you have contributed to OSGeo-Live) 

• The person should already have made a contribution to free and open source geospatial software, education or open data. (you have contributed to OSGeo-Live)

• The person should be willing to put in time and effort on the Foundation, perhaps joining committee(s), or volunteering in some other way that gets the Foundation going. (Do you wish to continue contributing?) 

• Members should believe in the general goals of the Foundation. To support and promote the use of free and open source geospatial software, education and data in a collaborative manner. (I expect this is the case, as you have committed to OSGeo-Live license requirements) 

• Members selected should provide a diversity of geographic regions, diversity of projects, diversity of programming languages and diversity of interests e.g., corporate, hobbyist, educational, scientific. (Lots of project, language and geographic diversity in OSGeo-Live)

• Members should be prepared to work constructively and positively towards the goals of the Foundation. Good teamwork skills are an asset. (All OSGeo-Live contributors I've worked with fit this criteria)

If you are ok being nominated, then please email me to let me know. Ideally, can you please also point at your OSGeo Advocate profile which I can reference when nominating you. (You might need to create your profile first).
[1] http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Membership_Process#Positive_Attributes
[2] http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Advocate#Process_for_becoming_an_OSGeo_Advocate