Robert Collins writes: "Added to my list of 'things we need'... a version of icheck that requires less configuration to hook into package builds. Ideally one that we can get running automatically on any package build."

There's only so much you can do without having debug information from both versions, which of course we don't keep at present. However, Steve Langasek implemented some basic checks on exported symbols in the unixodbc package which you can find in its debian directory.

I'm slowly starting to work on a more comprehensive ABI checker that would use debug information. This would require someone to keep or rebuild debug information from the previous version (and to delay stripping it from the new version) so I don't think it could be automatic.

As posted to debian-devel-announce and debconf-announce (and partially written by Holger):

On behalf of the DebConf6 video team I'm proud to announce the DebConf6 DVDs!

They include all formal sessions from Debian Day and DebConf, plus the group photos, the video team BoF, and some documentary videos made by Gabriella Coleman. They are divided into

• 2 discs with all English sessions, DebConf sessions, and extras (1, 2)
• 1 disc with all Spanish sessions and all Debian Day sessions

(there is a small overlap between these).

The DVD images are now available for download along with the source videos, as are the software and menu design used for them. You can also order DVDs to be shipped to you in a nice box.

Many thanks to the sponsors, organisers and other people who made DebConf6 a fun and productive event to be remembered.

See you at DebConf7 in Edinbourgh - or maybe DebConf8 in your town!

Finally, I apologise for the delay in producing these discs. We ran into a number of technical problems along the way but it's primarily a result of discouragement and procrastination on my part. However I believe that the VideoLink software is now sufficiently reliable and that next year's DVDs need not be so dependent on me.

They're very nearly done. Menus are available for preview: English disc 1, English disc 2, Spanish disc (you can preview them in a Mozilla-based browser but you need to use VideoLink to see them exactly as they will appear).

To do: add background pictures where missing, adjust some menus that are slightly too long in an "NTSC" frame, add the day trip if we ever find some music for it, test, release. I'm also considering moving or duplicating the Debian Day session that's in English to English disc 1.

I uploaded VideoLink 0.11 this morning and intend to put up the DebConf6 DVD sources (other than video) this evening.

Update: Done. Still lacking the day trip, and I pulled the logo because I forgot to ask permission to use it yet.

I fixed the known bugs in WebDVD, renamed it to VideoLink and uploaded it to Debian. To get it into Debian, I had to make it work with Mozilla/XULRunner 1.8 (roughly the same code base as Firefox 1.5) since Mozilla 1.7 is no longer supported. In the process of doing that I also fixed a bug in setting the nominal screen resolution - I tell Mozilla it's 40 dpi because I reckon that's the average resolution when the video is played full-screen - which is likely to change existing layouts. The sarge version still seems to ignore the claimed screen resolution which I'll need to investigate and fix as I really don't want layout to depend on which version of Mozilla was used.

I have stopped procrastinating on finishing off the DebConf video files, put all the information I have into a database and used that to work out what's left to do. The answer to that was, not that much really. Based on the database you can see the status of all the recordings and final files which shows that we have all the final files for all the official sessions. About 20 of the final files (mostly Theora unscaled versions) have still to be uploaded, which will take a few days over my 448 kbps uplink. (Due to a deficiency of my schema, the lightning talks are shown as not having final files. Actually they just weren't split up into separate files.)

I'm intending to produce 3 DVDs this time - two for DebConf sessions and one for Debian Day plus any Spanish-language material from DebConf - because these recordings just won't fit on 2 single-layer DVDs. There should be room for some extras such as Biella's recordings and the day trip, which I have still to deal with. I need to sort out menus for the DVDs. Please suggest good background pictures that can be distributed under the DebConf video licence.

You'll need to refer to the schedules for Debian Day (en español) and the main conference. (Local time is GMT-5.)

Point your media player at http://video.debconf.org:8000/tower.ogg or http://video.debconf.org:8000/hacklab.ogg depending on the session venue. We have multiple servers; use us.video.debconf.org or eu.video.debconf.org to select one nearer to you.

The magic switch for the Debconf wireless network is sharing its socket with a TV. When the TV is plugged in or unplugged, sometimes the switch's plug comes loose, and the whole wireless network goes down.

Our Internet connection is dependent on an antenna on the roof of the local Internet café that sometimes comes down in high wind, and which has a flaky power connection.

And now the route from the airport is blocked too. (Maybe not any more.. we don't know.)

On a more personal note, my laptop's power cable is now held together with insulating tape.

Courtesy of my phrasebook:

I noticed this morning that the book has a section on romance, going from "asking someone out" through "sex" to "problems". Suddenly this book became more interesting to my breakfast companions.

This is rather belated; I seem to have trouble summarising long events. tea_cantata posted about the trip earlier and I'll assume you've already read what she wrote.

Thursday

Sledge and I settled on leaving Cambridge at 11:30 the next day to catch the ferry departing at 14:45. I had to take the car in for its "MoT" test, having put it off almost to the last minute, and around 18:00 I realised the garage had closed without calling to let me know it was ready.

Friday

Thankfully the car was ready early on Friday morning and I was able to collect it and get some fuel by around 11:10. Our additional passenger, tbm, arrived at our house by bus shortly afterwards, and Sledge arrived with passengers shortly after 11:30. The journey was fairly long - about 230 miles by road and 2 hours plus waiting time on the ferry - but uneventful. This was my first time trying to drive "in convoy" and my first time driving on the right, but I coped reasonably well, I think.

Most of the FOSDEM attendees at the youth hostel had a round of drinks there, then left for the Roy d'Espagne in two groups a few minutes apart; I was among the laggards and, lacking a map, I attempted to lead the way to the Grand Place based on what I remembered from my previous weekend trip. This was surprisingly successful; it helped that I had stayed nearby on that trip.

The Roy was terribly crowded; not so much as to make me uncomfortable, but enough to make it difficult to get served. I shortly joined a group going elsewhere for dinner, consisting mostly of Debian-UK people, and we ended up in the Leon restaurant not far off the Grand Place. I dithered over the menu but eventually decided to take a risk and ordered a dish marked with a Belgian flag, Anguille (eel) aux verts. This turned out to be quite tasty; the "verts" consisted of an oil and herb sauce not wholly unlike pesto, and some cress on the side. I'm not sure whether the flag indicated this as a particularly Belgian dish or that it would come with a miniature flag and flagpole stuck in it (which it did).

Back at the Roy, greeted many people that I had met previously at Debconf and other events, talked to some - but fewer than I would have liked - and had a a few beers. All too soon it was 1a.m. and time to walk back to the hostel.

Saturday

I dragged myself out of bed on Saturday morning, and, finding our wash-bag entirely absent of soap, shower gel or shaving cream, had to make do with a minimal wash in the communal toilets and letting my bristles grow. At breakfast, to the digust of most of those sharing the table, tea_cantata got a bowl of cornflakes with what appeared to be mayonnaise, though it was actually yogurt. Shortly after 9, Sledge and I drove over to the FOSDEM venue, the UBL. I think I would rather have taken public transport, but the daily parking charges by the hostel would have been €30.

I found the Debian stand was always well-staffed, so I spent most of the day going to various talks. I'll post the details in a later entry.

I booked flights for this year's DebConf in Mexico. I'm taking 2 weeks and 2 days off to allow me to go to the whole conference plus the preceding DebCamp and/or some tourism. I've also arranged to drive via ferry to FOSDEM in Brussels at the end of February, which should be fun and a good opportunity to stock up on fine Belgian beer.

I submitted packages of Maypole and several other Perl modules for sponsorship into Debian. They're now waiting in the NEW queue for approval, which should hopefully happen some time this week. If that all goes OK, I should be able to get the very cool Memories application into Debian fairly soon.

Meanwhile my sponsor, maulkin_rss, arranged to be the Application Manager for my application for membership of the Debian project. I've now answered his first two sets of questions, which hopefully puts me well on the way there.