I'm ROCHE Didier, aka DidRocks.

About Me

I am a 32 years old French Ubuntu Developer, living near Lyon.

I am a Core Ubuntu Developer, technical leader of the ubuntu Desktop Team working at Canonical since 2010. I am a member of multiple teams like the archive admin team, main inclusion reviewers… Thanks to the patch pilot program, I am reviewing and sponsoring other community contributor's work.

As a developer, I'm able to dive into various code domain and languages to fix bugs. Pinpoint and browse code developed by others to fix crashes, unexpected behavior or add glue code. Reports the bugs and work with upstream on a solution if applicable to them, sending patches as appropriate.

I consider having strong programming skills: python, C, C++, shell, javascript (es6), HTML). Some more distant knowledge of Java, Dart, Go, PHP, Basic, Perl, and familiarities with glib, GTK, Qt/QML, Django and Polymer libraries and frameworks.

I regular developer and architect multiple projects from scratch (ubuntu-make, oneconf, citrain, quickly, unify, unity-lens-radios, session-migration...). On those, I try to interact with a community of external benevolent contributors and keep them motivated over time. All those projects adopt a strong testing-oriented approach.

About my Linux profile, I started using Linux with Red Hat 6 in 1999. I then really become a regular Linux user since Mandrake 7.0 with a KDE based interface. I used Mandrake until 9.0 release of Mandrake, and then decided to try debian, and was truly satisfied with it, despite the long configuration time it took to have a working environment. I found the apt tools really cool compared to rpm one.

I was seeking for an easy-to-use and install Linux distribution. I found the "no-name-yet", known as Ubuntu today, and become to take some test with it and immediatly loved it) I have sticked with it and Ubuntu makes me love the GNOME environment since this date.

Ubuntu Involvement beyond development

• I am involved in french ubuntu-fr loco team as a member of the administration team and part of the chair (as the secretary) of ubuntu-fr french association.

• I am also the author of Simple Comme Ubuntu, free book (under CC:By-Sa licence), part of framabook collection, solded at more than 10 000 copies only by the Internet, and downloaded more than 300 000 times at the very moment. This book is always updated with the last version of Ubuntu. A version to be integrated with Dell PC is in preparation.

• I contribute to French documentation and wrote some wiki pages like ndiswrapper page or Smartmontools page.

• I also went in Africa for 1 month with a non-governemental organisation, Africedu : (project 2006: Lome, capital city of Togo), shipping in a school 60 computers set up with Ubuntu 5.10 (and upgraded there to 6.06 from on old hard drive!). We made some training there.

• Few (unfortunately) translations on Rosetta

• I have for long time promoted Ubuntu in France, and particularly when I was living in Paris with Ubuntu Party. This is why I am one of the main organizers of Ubuntu events in Paris (like "Ubuntu Gutsy" and recently "Ubuntu Hardy"). In November 2007, 3rd & 4th: Gutsy Party was and amazed party with more than 3 000 visitors in two days. We had 4 000 people coming for the "Ubuntu Intrepid Party", making huats known as the 4K man Main channels : #ubuntu-fr-party@Freenode

• Gave with huats also a talk in the last UbuntuDeveloperWeek#The%20Timetable about patching packages.

• I runned bugjams during the ubuntu global bug jams also in Paris

• Finally, I try to represent the French community at big events (like RMLL, Linux Solution, Fête de l'humanité, http://paris-libre.org/) or smaller one (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braderie_de_Lille and LibreAcces, festival of free music in Paris where people can download the music from Ubuntu workstation).

Page that can help futur ubuntu developer

• DidierRoche/MOTU/memorandum

Testimonials

JonathanMarsaud : Didier Roche has many times showed how he is involved on ubuntu-fr LoCoTeam : from the view of a moderator of #ubuntu-fr, I saw how his book has helped a lot of new users to use Ubuntu. His participation to Ubuntu Party and administration of ubuntu-fr.org merits to be granted

NicolasBarcet : Didier is a very committed Ubuntu actor in the french speaking community, and a very well known one, through his involment in documentation, translation, his book and participation in install party and numerous events. I therefore recommend to the board to grant him a membership he could have claim a long time ago. (Update Sept 5th) Didier also started contributing to ufw (uncomplicated firewall) by providing default rules for various packages and did a great job at it. I was also impressed by his class during Ubuntu Developper day.

JulienRottenberg : Didrocks is a very valuable asset of the Ubuntu french speaking community, he is really committed to any task he accepts to take upon (see the book "Simple comme Ubuntu"). He is very skilled (multiple patchs to the wiki engine doc.ubuntu-fr.org uses to accommodate ubuntu-fr growth) and passionate about Ubuntu, I got the opportunity to meet him on a few occasions, he is a very nice person.

ChristopheSauthier: Speaking as the leader of the french Loco, I can only say that I am surprised that Didier is not a member yet. He has proved a real commitment to Ubuntu and its community through a hard and great work for many years. He is always nice with people, and has showed that he is a real asset in every team he participates in. Therefore I recommend also that the board grant him the Ubuntu Membership.