I've been using Free Software for many years. My first introduction to Linux was around the year 2000. I've been using Debian or Debian-derivative systems (e.g. Ubuntu) since at least 2006.
I've been involved as a developer on Pidgin (formerly Gaim), ZFS-on-Linux (aka OpenZFS), and NTPsec. I have written application code, coordinated translators, maintained documentation, etc. My work on the Debian/Ubuntu Root-on-ZFS HOWTOs was the foundation on which Ubuntu's ZFS installer support was designed. I have also acted as "rescue" maintainer for a couple of projects that needed a home: PKS (the PGP Key Server software, until it was replaced by SKS) and docsis (a utility for generating cable modem configuration files). In Debian, I have maintained packages for gbonds (since initial packaging in 2006), imapproxy (since adopting in 2016), and ntpsec (since initial packaging in 2017).
My .deb packaging experience is significantly more than my Debian work would suggest. I maintained a Pidgin PPA for Ubuntu for a while. Beyond my public efforts, at my day job, I maintained ~30 source packages building ~64 binary packages from 2006. These were configuration management packages, which we replaced with Ansible in the fall of 2019.
My day job is with Wikstrom Telephone Company, a small, independent, rural telephone company / Internet Service Provider / cable company in northwest Minnesota. I volunteer a director and the Chief Manager (aka President) of MICE, the Midwest Cooperative Internet Exchange, a non-profit Internet exchange in Minneapolis, MN. I also volunteer as a director of Instant Messaging Freedom, a non-profit supporting Pidgin, et al.
I have many interests. Some work I do because of my day job (e.g. we use imapproxy for our webmail). Other work is because I personally need some piece of software (e.g. gbonds). Other work is because I find it interesting (e.g. security and time intersect with ntpsec). I've recently obtained an amateur radio license and played around with software defined radio; I'm not sure where that road will take me.
My immediate plans are to continue maintaining my existing packages. In the medium term, I may need to package (or team maintain or adopt existing packages) for a couple things we are using at work.
I've been using Free Software for many years. My first introduction to Linux was around the year 2000. I've been using Debian o… Expand