It’s now just over a week until the final release of Ubuntu 17.10 (Artful Aardvark), on 19th October.
If you haven’t done so already, now would be a great time to organise an Ubuntu Release Party!
Release Parties are a long standing tradition in the Ubuntu community. They’re a great opportunity to get together with others from your Local Community to celebrate the release, and meet & help new users.
(photo via NickThom in Greece)
There’s no hard & fast rules for how to run an Ubuntu Release Party, but we have some tips which will help.
Some prefer to have large parties on the weekend, with food & drink provided, and a set schedule of events. Others go for a more low-key style, perhaps in a small coffee shop, bar, student union or community centre. Maybe get students involved by holding it in or near a local University, or partner with local businesses to use their premises.
If you’re an Ubuntu Member you could apply for community funds via the Community Donations fund to help finance the event. Funds are limited however, and have strict guidelines detailed on the donations page.
(photo via Noumaan Yaqoob, in Pakistan)
As always, the final release goes out on Thursday 19th. Some teams prefer to have a party on the night of the release, while others will postpone to the weekend, or maybe even a week or so later. It’s entirely up to you and your team what you do, and where you choose to hold it.
(photo via Massol Panjava, in Indonesia)
With Ubuntu 17.10 switching to GNOME Shell by default, this is a great opportunity to try out the new desktop and features with friends. Perhaps have a bug hunt while you celebrate.
(Ubuntu 17.10 desktop)
You could assist Unity users to transition to 17.10, maybe helping with the upgrade and getting them familiar with the new UI. Perhaps some of your friends would prefer to use one of the many flavours of Ubuntu, or would like to create something new based on Ubuntu. The release party is a great way for new and existing users to get together and build cool stuff with Ubuntu.
Or maybe you just want to get together and have a drink, a slice of cake, and a sit down after the rush leading up to the release. It’s up to you!
Let us know what you’re planning!