Luca Falavigna

Age: 24

Location: Guastalla, a small city in northern Italy

IRC Nick: DktrKranz

 

 

 

 

 

How long have you used Linux and what was your first distro?

I started using GNU/Linux in 2000 with Mandrake, soon replaced by Debian, which has been my O.S. until late 2005.

 

 

How long have you been using Ubuntu?

Since 2005, after installing Breezy Badger.

 

 

When did you get involved with the MOTU team and how?

My first package was merge of nttcp in March 2007, during late Feisty development cycle. I just discovered http://merges.ubuntu.com and I wanted to help out. After reading Ubuntu Packaging Guide and some documents in http://www.debian.org/devel, I started to understand packaging logic and began give my contribution.

 

What helped you learn packaging and how Ubuntu teams work?

I learned packaging by reading technical documentation (Ubuntu Packaging Guide, www.debian.org/devel) and following my sponsors’ advices. I found very useful looking at some debdiffs already published in Ubuntu too, they help a lot if you are unsure about a fix..

 

Favorite part of working with the MOTU?

Being aware your work is important for many people. Solve problems and make Ubuntu rock for all is a great goal, every little step is important because a minimal fix can be important for someone, and I am happy to give my contribution where I am able to.

 

Any advice for people wanting to help out MOTU?

Many people are not comfortable with development because they feel strong programming skills are required. Sometimes it is not so hard and everyone’s help is appreciated by fixing easy issues. I have the pleasure to work with some Italian contributors who show interest in the project: even if they are not programmers, they contributed actively and some of them uploaded more than 40 packages so far! Being curious is the key: join #ubuntu-motu, ask questions about development processes and start to work on a bug you feel important, when your efforts lead to a package upload, you will know why we are all so enthusiast to contribute to MOTU activities

 

You have been working on a lot of different packages in the last cycles, what are you going to focus on in Hardy?

I do not have a limited set of packages to look at (unless the ones I maintain in Debian), so I would like to help where there is need to, basically by fixing unmetdeps and FTBFS, reviewing patches and additional QA efforts.

 

How do you think Hardy will special for our users?

Plans to make Universe usable by everyone are very important and MOTU community started with enthusiasm to gather some tools to help this way (see http://qa.ubuntuwire.com). These activities will improve overall quality of Universe packages and our users will surely benefit of this. I hope new contributors will pursue this target too, Universe is huge and there is a lot of work to do!

 

Favorite quote?

“Politicians look at the next elections, statesmen look at the next generations” – A. De Gasperi

 

 

What do you do in your spare time?

I like playing basketball, I usually take shots on playgrounds when I have time to.

I like food too, Italy is a great place to pursue this kind of interest

 

Soren Hansen

Continuing our Server Team theme again this week we are talking with Soren Hansen. Soren is working in Canonical’s server efforts (most notably he’s working on getting ebox ready for Ubuntu Server) , and is the latest addition to the Ubuntu Core Developer ranks.

Age: 26
Location: Nørresundby, Denmark
IRC Nick: soren

How long have you used Linux and what was your first distro?
I started running Linux back in 1996, I believe. I bought a CD set called “Infomagic “LINUX Developer’s Resource CD-ROM” which had a few different distributions on it. I knew nothing about the various distros, so I just went with whatever they had put on the first disk which was Slackware. After a few years I switched to RedHat, then Debian (around 2000, I think), and now finally Ubuntu.

How long have you been using Ubuntu?
I’ve been running Ubuntu since a few months after Hoary came out.

When did you get involved with the MOTU team and how?
I’ve been involved in free software for quite a few years now, so it felt natural to take active part in the development of the distribution I used, so I got involved pretty much right away. I had my first self-made package included in Breezy a few months later, and I’m quite sure I must have contributed a few patches for other packages during Breezy as well, but Launchpad doesn’t have that on record.

What helped you learning packaging and learning how the Ubuntu teams work?
Being a Debian user before, it took a bit of reading to work out the differences between Debian and Ubuntu, and while reading up on what the different components (main, restricted, universe, and multiverse) were for, I also read about the MOTU team etc. I had previously worked on some packages used internally in the company I used to work for, and I also contributed a couple of packages to Debian (for which I never found a sponsor, though), so the technical bits of packaging weren’t that alien to me.

Favorite part of working with MOTU?
I love hanging out in the Ubuntu IRC channels People are friendly, helpful, and we have lots of fun. The presence of all the more experienced people is also an infinite source of inspiration to me.

Any advice for people wanting to help with MOTU?
Just realise that it’s really not that hard. We’re a friendly bunch, and even the smallest contribution is very welcome. You don’t have to start out with packaging a new complex package.

You are the latest MOTU to join the Ubuntu Core Developer ranks how would you compare working in Universe and Main?
Well, personally, I’ve felt that I requires a more holistic view of Ubuntu. A lot of the stuff I’ve worked on in universe was “safe” to fiddle around with. Nothing huge would break if it didn’t work out as planned. Recently, I’ve found myself patching the kernel and I needed to do make a tiny change to module-init-tools as well. I think I stared at my two-line patch for 5 minutes trying to convince myself it wouldn’t break anything. AFAIK, it hasn’t. Yet.

Any Plans for Hardy Heron?
Oh yes, plenty! We’re discussing a lot of different things here at UDS. Integration into existing networks is going to be a big thing, simplifying various system management use cases, virtualisation. It’s a bit too soon to say what we’ll actually be doing, but there’s certainly a lot of ideas, and I’m really excited about the Ubuntu server edition.

Favorite quote?
There is one that cracks me up every time:

“It has been said that XML is like violence; if a little doesn’t solve the problem, use more.”

If you’ve ever been pulled into a project using XML, you’ll know what this is all about

What do you do in your other spare time?
Sleep.

Pic of you, your work area, and/or your screen?

You realise of course, you’ve forced me to clean my office now, don’t you?

Mathias Gug

Today we’re talking to Mathias Gug, a member of Canonical’s Server Team.

Age: 28
Location: Montreal, Canada
IRC Nick: mathiaz

How long have you used Linux and what was your first distro?

The first time I saw linux was in 1997, Redhat IIRC.  The first time I downloaded it was in September 1999, Debian. But I gave up after a couple of weeks. I came back during summer of 2000 with Mandrake Linux and the 2.4 kernel. I’ve never left since then.

How long have you been using Ubuntu?

I installed Ubuntu one and half year ago, it was Xubuntu 6.06 IIRC.

When did you get involved with the MOTU team and how?

I was hired by Canonical as the first member of the Ubuntu Server Team last May. I started packaging AppArmor and other server-related software which lead me to become a member of the MOTU team.

What helped you learn packaging and how Ubuntu teams work?

I’m using the packaging guide from help.ubuntu.com, the Debian New Maintainer Guide and the Debian Policy. For processes, I just keep referring to wiki.ubuntu.com where they’re all outlined. And last, but not least, the irc channels (#ubuntu-motu and #ubuntu-devel), are great resources. I’ve always find someone to help me there.

Favorite part of working with the MOTU?

Being part of a great team trying to deliver the best of the free software world. There are lots of interesting challenges when it comes to packaging – you get to learn how things work under the hood.

Any advice for people wanting to help out MOTU?

Start simple, start small. Pick one bug or one package and try to fix it. Ask for sponsorship and you’ll learn a lot of things in no time.

You have been working a lot in the Server Team, what can MOTU do to better the Ubuntu Server experience?

One of the project I’ll try to work one is a better packaging framework for web applications. So that such application can be added to the universe easily and in a consistent manner.

Any plans for Hardy Heron?

Most of them are in the server area – I’ll keep on working on security with AppArmor. Server hardware testing is another area I’m interested in.

Favorite quote?

“I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.”
Plutarch quoting Socrates

What do you do in your spare time?

Among others things, I go swing dancing several nights a week, both in Montreal and in other places in North America. I’m also a big traveller: I’ve just returned from an eight month backpacking experience in Asia covering Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal and India.