Sudo is used by millions of Linux and Unix users to delegate permission to users to run Unix commands as root or another privileged user. Sudo Project Maintainer, Todd Miller will introduce the next major release of Sudo. He will highlight new “pluggability” features that allows developers to add policy check and keystroke logging functionality to Sudo.

One of the biggest challenges for new users coming to Ubuntu is figuring out where to find help using and doing common (and not so common!) tasks with their new operating system. This talk will cover the primary official and unofficial help resources available for users and best practices for seeking help for optimal results.

Mac users are a different breed, and their expectations are high. Fortunately Ubuntu is up to the task. But the road from OS X to Ubuntu is not without some bumps, and this session aims to help those coming from a Mac background make the ride as smooth as possible. We'll start with a brief review of installation options, including running Ubuntu as a VM within your Mac, but we'll quickly get to the more daunting issues Mac users face, like how to choose among a much wider range of hardware options than you've ever known before. Some Mac users like to get as much of a Mac-like experience from their new Ubuntu system as possible, while others prefer to dive into the Ubuntu way head first. We'll cover both, outlining the differences between the two systems and exploring some of the options like Cairo Dock to make your new Ubuntu system feel more familiar as you get started. The command line is considered exotically geeky to most Mac users, but here we'll cover some of the basics of using Terminal to show why it's so very useful and can even be fun. Perhaps the biggest challenge moving from Mac to Ubuntu is finding the sorts of applications you've come to rely on with your Mac, and we'll find some favorite from the Ubuntu Software Center and elsewhere, noting the strengths and weaknesses relative to their Mac counterparts. One of the biggest differences advantages Ubuntu offers over Mac is its customization, and we'll take some time to explore some of the many ways you can personalize your system to work just the way you like, leaving plenty of time for Q&A discussion to help with any specific issues you've had in your own transition to Ubuntu.

Unity is an exciting new direction that Ubuntu is taking to revolutionize the Linux desktop. How can you get involved and become a part of it? From bugs, to code, to documentation, to helping users make the transition there is an incredible number of opportunities. Figure out how to get started on a part of the Unity program that best scratches your itch.