Lightworks Video Editor Going Open-Source

While there have been video editors on Linux like Cinelerra and Kino for some length of time, and more recently there have been new open-source projects that aim to better non-linear video editing on Linux like OpenShot and PiTiVi, up to this point it's been an area just like gaming: the Linux solutions haven't been great compared to other platforms. However, there's a lot more potential for that to change now that a professional video editor for Linux is being open-sourced.

LightWorks is a software product currently owned by EditShare that has won scientific and technical Academy Awards and Emmy Awards, has been used to produce a number of popular films, and has many other "wins", is being open-sourced. Work on the LightsWorks software was started over two decades ago, but only recently was it acquired by EditShare, and they now find it in their interest to open-source this code. Shutter Island, Centurion, and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy are among the films that have been edited using Lightworks.

Lightworks Open Source as its known is expected to be released in the third quarter of this year as a free download. It's a pity that the code cannot be immediately accessed, but you can sign up to stay informed on the process. Hopefully this means the soon-to-be-open-sourced code is currently undergoing some revitalization and being brought into a state where it's more likely to succeed as a free software project with documentation, a clean build process, etc.

As was said in their press release announcing this open-source endeavor, "EditShare is completely committed to turning out a superior professional editor through the Lightworks Open Source program. We are increasing our development and support staff, and all contributed code will be thoroughly managed by our distinguished Lightworks team, ensuring the reliability of the new Lightworks Open Source editor."


Source: www.phoronix.com

Ubuntu Claims 12 Million Users as Lucid Linux Desktop Nears

Sean Michael Kerner writes:

Ubuntu is gearing up for the debut of its latest release with Ubuntu 10.04, codenamed "the Lucid Lynx" and scheduled for general availability at the end of the month. It's a release that offers multiple new features on the desktop and a new look to Ubuntu Linux. The Lucid release could also help to further accelerate adoption of Ubuntu, which has been growing over the last several years. In 2008, Canonical, the lead commercial sponsor behind Ubuntu, pegged the number of Ubuntu users at 8 million. It's a figure that could have increased by as much as 50 percent or more since then, insiders say. Ubuntu One Music Store "We have no phone home or registration process, so it's always a guesstimate. But based on the same methodology that we came up with for the 2008 number, our present belief is that it's somewhere north of 12 million users at the moment," Chris Kenyon, vice president for OEM at Canonical, told InternetNews.com In contrast, as of March 29, Red Hat's Fedora Linux was reporting usage of its Linux distribution at approximately 24 million installations. Source:  http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reports/7032/1/

Ubuntu 10.10 - Maverick Meerkat

Mark Shuttleworth has just announced the mascot name for Ubuntu 10.10 - Maverick Meerkat.

Mark writes:

Our mascot for 10.10 is the Maverick Meerkat.

This is a time of change, and we’re not afraid to surprise people with a bold move if the opportunity for dramatic improvement presents itself. We want to put Ubuntu and free software on every single consumer PC that ships from a major manufacturer, the ultimate maverick move. We will deliver on time, but we have huge scope for innovation in what we deliver this cycle. Once we have released the LTS we have plenty of room to shake things up a little. Let’s hear the best ideas, gather the best talent, and be a little radical in how we approach the next two year major cycle.

Meerkats are, of course, light, fast and social – everything we want in a Perfect 10. We’re booting really fast these days, but the final push remains. Changes in the toolchain may make us even faster for every application. We’re Social from the Start, but we could get even more tightly connected, and we could bring social features into even more applications. Meerkats are family-oriented, and we aspire to having Ubuntu being the safe and efficient solution for all the family netbooks. They are also clever – meerkats teach one another new skills. And that’s what makes this such a great community.

Meerkats - like Ubuntu they are light, fast and social.

Read the entire post here: http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/336