As 2009 draws to a close, it’s time to take a look back at what Ubuntu and its community have accomplished in the outgoing year.  There may be nothing revolutionary to report, but there have nonetheless been some notable changes to Ubuntu itself and the community around it over the last year.  Here’s a look at the most memorable ones.

If you’ve checked out Ubuntu’s website lately, you’ve probably noticed that it’s looking pretty slick, especially compared to a few years ago.  Here’s a look at how ubuntu.com has evolved over time, and why it matters.

The big news in the Ubuntu world this week is Mark Shuttleworth’s announcement that he’ll be stepping down as CEO of Canonical and transitioning the CEO crown to Canonical insider Jane Silber.  Here’s the news, with some thoughts on what this means for Ubuntu and Canonical.

Canonical and Ubuntu founder/CEO Mark Shuttleworth apparently has a conference call slated for December 17. Channel Marker speculates that the call has something to do with Shuttleworth delegating some day-to-day responsibilities (and maybe even his CEO title…) to COO Jane Silber. I’m on a flight at the moment but will check the situation when I land later today. In the meantime here’s some background on Canonical’s management team.

One of Ubuntu’s most useful but rarely discussed features is one-click installation of a variety of popular webapps via Mozilla’s Prism. Here’s a look at what Prism can do in Ubuntu, with some thoughts on why Canonical should work harder to push features like this.

For roughly two years, readers have told WorksWithU they have a difficult time finding Ubuntu desktop and laptop options on Dell’s U.S. Website. Apparently, Dell heard the constructive criticism. Only a few weeks after Windows 7’s launch, Dell is giving Ubuntu more real estate on the Dell U.S. website. Here’s the scoop.

In news that will be of interest to both open- and closed-source developers, Canonical is about to open a new revenue stream by offering a suite of commercial services for deploying and managing Bazaar, the open-source version-control system.  Here’s the scoop, with some thoughts.

I recently came into the market for a new Ubuntu netbook, and have been scouring the Internet looking for the best deal.  It’s been a fun experience, but also one replete with frustration at certain large computer vendors with byzantine websites that treat Linux as a dirty word.  Read on for details.

This is part two of WorksWithU’s podcast with Ken Drachnik, Landscape manager at Canonical. This discussion specifically covers Landscape Dedicated Server Edition — which runs on-premise and allows IT administrators to manage Ubuntu systems. Here’s a minute-by-minute list describing the conversation…

 

 Landscape Dedicated Server Edition Overview: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Ubuntu 10.04, which will appear next April 2010 as Canonical’s long-anticipated third LTS (Long Term Support) release, will feature substantial changes in the lineup of applications installed by default.  Here’s a look at the biggest ones, with some thoughts.