Ubuntu Wiki

Hello, I am Alan, one of the directors of Libertus Solutions, a Canonical partner and software solution consultancy business. I am also the Team Leader of the Ubuntu UK LoCo and a member of the IRC Council.

Contact information

Stuff I have done

• I assisted with Software Freedom Day 2008 and 2009 at the Bracknell event.
• I often provide support in the #ubuntu-uk irc channel.
• In association with Elonex and Carphone Warehouse and Canonical we helped get Ubuntu based netbooks in stores all over the UK in an insanely short timescale when their original operating system did not work.

• As part of the webbook project I ran a blog supporting all the customers of the Ubuntu webbook http://webbookblog.com

• I have worked with Open Forum Europe to present Free software including Ubuntu and the OLPC XO to teachers and other educationalists at the BETT educational tradeshow in 2008 and 2009.

• We were interviewed by the Ubuntu UK podcast and I have submitted a recorded tip to the podcast too.

• I have submitted a number of bugs in launchpad, and made an effort to fix them. In particular for an issue with OpenERP I provided a patch from an upstream changeset that allows it to work with libxml2 rather than python-xml.

• I have been studying packaging and whilst I have some way to go it is a subject I would like to continue with, becoming a MOTU one day.

• I set up the Naked Computers site to list and promote vendors who will sell a computer without any operating system, the intention being to contribute to the fix to bug #1.

• We are producing a range of packaged server appliances running Ubuntu and a useful application targeted at small businesses, more details at http://www.theopenlearningcentre.com/libertus

• I sponsored and presented at the OggCamp event

• I organised and co-authored a white paper for the National Computing Centre on Open Source Software

• I presented at the OGGCamp 10 event along with sponsoring it again
• Attended UDS-M and working on various blueprints in the Maverick cycle
• Joined the Ubuntu Accessibility team, working on some bugs in Dasher

• Helped to organise the Ubuntu in Business event, a jointly hosted Ubuntu-UK and Canonical event in London aimed at the business community.

• Ran a UserDays session on Partitioning

• Ran an UbuntuAppDeveloperWeek session on Python

• I am now the team lead for the Ubuntu UK LoCo

• Delivered a presentation for Ubuntu Community Week

• Ran the video production for the OggCamp free culture event

• Organise regular meetups around the country for our LoCo team Happy Hour project

• Joined the Ubuntu IRCC Council

Future plans for Ubuntu

This is a bit of a todo list for me for my non-work projects, mostly ubuntuish, but not exclusively so

• Accessibility Personas
• Text tracking in compiz ezoom
• Android app and relaunch for astoryforbedtime.com
• Ubuntu UK Precise launch
• Ubuntu UK University Installfests
• Oggcamp videos and intro sequence

IRC Council

I am standing for a position on the IRC Council. If you think I would be suitable for this role it would be great if you could leave a short testimonial below. There are some testimonials from the last round, please feel free to renew/add more.

Vision for the IRCC

I think the IRCC needs a fresh start, it needs a bunch of active people who can cover different areas roughly as outlined in the proposal to have IRC champions, however these champions should be the people who make up the IRCC. The IRCC needs people who can be diplomatic leaders who can reach consensus on issues and communicate decisions promptly and in a way that they are understood and enthusiastically welcomed.

Testimonials

Alan Bell has provides good guidance and direction on the channels I see him on. He would be a great asset on the IRC Council -- Dan Fish

I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Alan to the IRC Council, this wiki page and the help he gives across so many teams says far more than I put into a testimonial. phillw

I've collaborated with Alan on different #ubuntu-* channels, and he is a 'gift to the Ubuntu community' . Definitely a +1. -- Bilal Akhtar

Testimonials

Alan Bell is a friendly, patient, knowledgeable member of the community. He frequently provides support and encouragement to new users. Alan is an asset to the Ubuntu community -- AlanPope

I had the opportunity to meet Alan Bell at the Karmic release party in London. Alan is helpful and very active on the Ubuntu Women Project and in the Ubuntu Women IRC channel. He makes the novice community member feel welcome and is always a source of encouragement. Alan will be an asset to the Ubuntu membership rolls as he is already an awesome part of the Ubuntu Community. -- akgraner 2009-12-01 19:00:11

AlanBell has been a great help to me. I'd only just joined the Ubuntu UK group, and he was extremely welcoming and helpful towards me, (almost making me feel like I had been on the channel many times before). He has a vast knowledge of many, many things, and is always willing to share it with others. He's really helpful! Also, he has a great sense of humour, and he helps to make the #ubuntu-uk IRC channel the great community that it is. Thanks Alan! -- ascenseur / Joe O'Dell Jan 2010

Alan Bell has provided me with a lot of support and suggestions over the past year, that I has helped me to become active in the ubuntu-uk community. Very welcoming and much appreciated! -- Dan Fish

In the short time I've known Alan, he's shown himself to be an outstanding example of the Ubuntu ethos. He has helped one young project, and then again on another young project. Nothing seems to be too great a trouble for him to help in. I wish him every success and know he will be there for people seeking information and help. I'd like to say thank-you for what he has done. phillw

Alan's been doing a bunch of great work all over the project, specifically his attention to detail on the new wiki skin (and improving the wiki itself) have been great. -- jorge 2010-12-16 21:37:55

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