Designing Ubuntu

“On 20 October 2004, the first version of a new and unknown
project called Ubuntu was released. It was called the Warty
Warthog. The only thing that most Linux users knew about Ubuntu was
that it was based on Debian and bankrolled by some millionaire they
had never heard of.

“Little did anyone know that said millionaire, Mark
Shuttleworth, would invest so significantly in a much needed aspect
of open source – the user experience. I’m not going to talk
about how Ubuntu was formed, the impact it’s had on Linux or the
growth of the project and community; much of that has already been
said.

“Instead, I’m going to tell the story of Ayatana, the design
project that powers Ubuntu, sharing some of the behind-the-scenes
stories of what went on. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and
let’s talk about how Ayatana might revolutionise Linux and bring it
to the masses.”

Complete Story