Short Description

My name is Brett Alton and I am a Canadian web developer and computer science undergrad. Introduced to Linux in 2004 by a friend, we setup a tri-boot system between Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog), Mandrake 4.2 and Windows XP. I started using Ubuntu full-time with Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger) and have since made a number of contributions to the Ubuntu community: I have installed Ubuntu on over 70+ personal computers and 10+ servers (including a server with 1 million+ hits per day); I have posted ~1,300 posts on Ubuntu Forums, including 6+ tutorials, 3 of which are scripts that are regularly updated; Submitted 50+ bugs related to Ubuntu, including many more to projects hosted on Launchpad and have performed hundreds of translations; Submitted 16 ideas to Ubuntu Brainstorm, ideas so popular I am the top 161st contributor, with over 2000 votes on other ideas and 259 comments; Wrote a 4-part series in Full Circle Magazine regarding Web Development in Ubuntu; Joined the Ubuntu Canada LoCo team and became an Ubuntu Member in February 2010; Started a blog in 2009, making many posts related to Ubuntu; Started the Open Home Server project (now called Satega); contribute to many Ubuntu-related websites such as http://getdeb.net, http://ground-control.org, http://omgubuntu.co.uk (mobile site), http://quickshot.org.

Long Description

Ubuntu Installations

• Since Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger)
• Personal computers: 70+
  • family
  • friends
  • neighbours
  • commercially for companies
• Servers: 10+
  • personal (ssh/backup/HTTP/MySQL/NFS/print)
  • commercial (ssh/backup/HTTP/MySQL/NFS)
    • one HTTP server had 1 million+ hits per day

Ubuntu Forums

• Joined: 2006/03/02

• Posts: 1,290 (2010/09/05)
• HOWTOs: (see also Ubuntu Scripts)

  • HOWTO: VMWare Player / Windows XP / Ubuntu Repositories (2007/01/20)

  • HOWTO: Install VMware Server in Hardy (and later) (2008/05/09)

  • HOWTO: Fix GPG errors for bad/deleted keys (2009/07/23)

Launchpad

• Joined: 2006/07/22

• Karma: 863 (2010/09/05)
• Ubuntu-releated bugs reported: 50 (2010/02/16)

  • https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/~brett-alton/+reportedbugs

• Teams:
  • Ubuntu English (Canada) Translation Team (2008/07/11)
  • Ubuntu Canada Team (2008/07/17)

  • GetDeb Collaboration Team (2009/07/30)

  • Launchpad Beta Testers (2009/07/31)
  • APT-Portal Developers (2009/11/13)
  • Planet Ubuntu Users (2009/12/24)
  • Ubuntu Manual Team (2010/01/11)
  • Ubuntu Gaming Team (2010/02/13)
  • Ground Controllers (2010/04/26)
  • infinityOS Team (2010/05/18)

  • PlayDeb Developers (2010/05/19)

  • infinityOS Core Team (2010/06/15)
  • Infinity Team (2010/07/08)
  • Quickshot Developers (2010/09/05)
• Past teams:
  • Satega devs (2008/07/21)
  • Ubuntu Welcome Window Team (2010/02/03)

Ubuntu Scripts

• Started: 2007/06/20

• VMware helper:

  • http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=788169

  • http://brettalton.com/?page=computer_services&subpage=vmware_helper

• rsync over ssh:

  • http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=639979

  • http://github.com/brettalton/rsync-over-ssh

• Ubuntu Assistant:

  • http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=972037

  • http://github.com/brettalton/ubuntu-assistant

Wikipedia

• Ubuntu (operating system)

  • Introductory paragraph

  • Grammar & spelling fixes

• List of Ubuntu releases

  • Introductory paragraph
  • Paragraphs and screenshots for Ubuntu 4.10 to 8.04
  • Release history
  • Version history of common programs

  • Release timeline

Ubuntu-related Projects (in chronological order)

• OpenHomeServer / Satega

  • started project (was project lead for a time)
  • own the satega.org domain
• Pidgin IM
  • submitted slight GUI modification mockups to developers

    • considered: http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/3135

  • submitted bugs

    • implemented: http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/2295

• GetDeb.net

  • http://getdeb.net

  • http://playdeb.net

  • presented mockups to GetDeb.net programmers

  • help smooth out front-end user interface
  • created more in-depth instructions for their README/HACKING file
• Ground Control

  • http://ground-control.org

  • submitted bugs and feature requests
  • in the process of creating a website for Martin Owens (project lead)

  • http://github.com/brettalton/Rockets-in-Flight

  • https://code.edge.launchpad.net/~groundcontrollers/groundcontrol/website

• Ubuntu Manual / Quickshot

  • http://quickshot.org

  • helped with initial Lucid manual

  • helped with, layout & programming

• OMG! Ubuntu!

  • http://omgubuntu.co.uk

  • working on mobile site

Ubuntu Brainstorm

• Started: 2008/02/29

• Link: http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/contributor/brettalton

• Stats: (2010/02/16)
  • 16 ideas submitted
  • 161st best solution contributor
  • over 2000 votes
  • 259 comments

Push at work/schools (at which I worked)

Commercial company

• Moved commercial server from CentOS to Ubuntu for an employer (they are still using to this day)

School board

• Had various emails and phone calls with Matthew Barker (Corporate Sales Manager at Canonical) to have a discussion with the Manager of Information Technology regarding a move from Windows-based thin-clients to Ubuntu-based installs around the end of September 2008.
• Attempted to push Ubuntu thin-clients to kindergarten classrooms. Problem was a lack of driver support for current Ubuntu releases

University

• Currently pushing to dual-boot Ubuntu and Windows in Computer Science lab

Full Circle Magazine

• Range: 2008/11 - 2009/03

• Description: Wrote a 4-part tutorial for Web Development in Ubuntu
• Links:

  • Part 1 - Software for web development in Ubuntu

  • Part 2 - Basic HTML and CSS

  • Part 3 - Install a LAMP (web) server

  • Part 4 - Basic PHP

Blog

• Started: 2009/12/01

• Site: http://blog.brettalton.com/

  • Ubuntu-related posts: http://blog.brettalton.com/category/ubuntu/

  • aggregated on http://planet.ubuntu.com

Other

Weblog Subscriptions

Over 30 Linux-related subscriptions, including:

• Mark Shuttleworth
• DoctorMO's Blog
• jono@home
• OMG! Ubuntu!
• webup8
• Open Ended
• Planet Debian
• Planet GNOME
• Planet Ubuntu
• Slashdot Linux
• etc.

Future

• Become an Ubuntu Certified Professional

• Learn pyGTK so I can hack on more projects or start my own
• Learn how to package programs and eventually become a maintainer
• Work for Canonical

Ideas for Ubuntu

Short-Term

• Introduce the ability to install commercial software, allowing companies such as Adobe or Rockstar Games to release their software for a price through Software Centre (now implemented in Maverick)

• Create a better historical archival of Ubuntu history (e.g. Make an external website that contains the data I've added to en.wikipedia.org and add more information on sprints, the community, changes made per release, etc.)

Long-Term

• I want to make a Ubuntu-related development website with feature parity to MSDN to attract more developers
• I want to see Ubuntu with at least 10% of the desktop market share
• I want to see Ubuntu-related TV and website advertisements (maybe even product placements in American shows like The Office)

Testimonials

• Martin Owens - I've been working with Brett on improving the information around ground control with a new website. He's worked well, proficiently, politely and in a way that is very suited to the Ubuntu community. His enthusiasm and hard work will hopefully show off when the project is complete.

• Christoph Korn - Brett's work on the GetDeb project has been very helpful. He has been enthusiastic and eager to help, looking to improve the user interface for all GetDeb users. We look forward to working with him in the future.