code: def validate_conf(asset_conf):
      
      if 'name' not in asset_conf:
          raise AssetBuilderException('The asset configuration does not contain the required field "name".')
      # TODO: this default is not a good idea, and we will have to remove it once we ask customers to always provide release
      if 'release' not in asset_conf:
          asset_conf['release'] = "12.04"
      elif asset_conf['release'] not in ['16.04', '14.04', '12.04']:
          raise AssetBuilderException('The "release" field value should be either "12.04" (DEPRECATED), "14.04", "16.04".')
      if 'version' not in asset_conf:
          raise AssetBuilderException('The asset configuration does not contain the required field "version". ')
      if 'title' not in asset_conf:
          raise AssetBuilderException('The asset configuration does not contain the required field "title". ')
      if 'description' not in asset_conf:
          raise AssetBuilderException('The asset configuration does not contain the required field "description".')
      if 'distribution' in asset_conf:
          if asset_conf['distribution'] != 'Ubuntu':
              raise AssetBuilderException('The distribution may only take the value "Ubuntu".')
      else:
          asset_conf['distribution'] = "Ubuntu"
docs: Validates the contents of the conf file and makes sure that the required information
      is provided.
          {
              "name": "asset_library_name",
              "title": "A human readable name",
              "description": " A detailed description abput the asset",
              "version": "0.0.1",
              "distribution": "Ubuntu",# (Optional)
              "release": "12.04",
              "execDepends":
                          [
                              {"name": "samtools", "package_manager": "apt"},
                              {"name": "bamtools"},
                              {"name": "bio", "package_manager": "gem", "version": "1.4.3"},
                              {"name": "pysam","package_manager": "pip", "version": "0.7.4"},
                              {"name": "Bio::SeqIO", "package_manager": "cpan", "version": "1.006924"}
                          ]
          }