Ubuntu Wiki

• Name: Michael Andrew Casadevall

• Project: Xfce 4.6 packaging, mentoring, and Xubuntu Release Tasks

• Project for Jaunty: Improving PowerPC for Jaunty.

• Completed Project: GNAT 4.2 transition for hardy and intrepid

• Location: Rochester, NY, USA

• IRC: NCommander

• Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/~mcasadevall

• Email: <sonicmctails@gmail.com>

I've been using Ubuntu since feisty, and Debian before that; I'm currently an active porter for Debian m68k, and I have done porting for kfreebsd-i386, and hurd-i386 with a Debian Developer application pending since March of '08 (as of July, I was finally approved by the Front Desk, and now am waiting an application maintainer).

I switched from Debian to Ubuntu after getting tired of constantly fighting to getting my old laptop working (it's always fun that neither ethernet nor wireless worked out of the box on that machine). As I knew packages were synced from Debian to Ubuntu, I kept working on my packages that I maintain in Debian (cvsps and nrss) like that, but I eventually decided that I should be working more directly with the distribution I was using as my desktop OS.

I started working on FTBFS fixes learning the Ubuntu rules for versioning (as a porter, fixing FTBFS for me is breathing oxygen; it just comes naturally). I also posted an update to my cvsps package, which has needed a minor fix on amd64 platforms; I had not been able to find an Debian sponsor to commit the fix, but was amazed how quickly my debdiff was accepted once I posted it.

Since then I've been working on resolving FTBFS fixes, packaging, running and running down various bugs. Of all the bugs I've currently run down, I'm most proud of Bug which required a lot of effort and has currently been causing various issues all over the place with mono and a few FTBFS of mono packages.

I've also done some security fixes such as handling the backporting of security fixes for scponly, and clamav.

One of my first projects, in addition to working on FTBFS fixes involves adding support in REVU for importing source packages from a Launchpad PPA to make it easier for reviewers to see if a package builds, and having easy and direct access to the build logs. The code is kept here on Launchpad: https://code.edge.launchpad.net/~sonicmctails/revu/ppa-import. It's stalled out since other features require implementation before I can properly finish it.

With respect to REVU, I oversaw and coded the recent changes that gave it is new, more sleek look, and integrated its login and GPG managing against Launchpad directly, removing a rather ugly hack known as the REVU Uploaders group. I've also made changes to increase the usability, and I've worked with many Ubuntu team members to resolve FTBFS failures.

I've also done heavy work with members of the desktop team to help keep GNOME up to date, and I've worked getting packages merged back into Debian, such as pangomm.

I worked on helping packaging an Xfce snapshot end to end, and I was tapped to become an Xubuntu developer because of my work. I accepted the position when it was offered, and have been working on triaging any Xubuntu bugs received, and ensuring that Xfce builds properly on all architectures.

Even though I'm an Xubuntu developer, I am active in resolving GNOME and KDE bugs, and have worked with ScottK to help resolve portability issues with respect to glibc and the Ubuntu ports architectures, ensuring intrepid has full KDE support on all port architectures.

As of now, I'm working to help resolve a GNAT transition that needs to be undertaken in both Hardy and Intrepid with respect to Ada packages. I am also headed the new key team policy for handling promotions to motu-{sru|release}, which is now finally resolved.

The GNAT transition test building and for gnat-4.2, as well as porting and patching any Ada code was finished on my end, I'm working with motu-sru to get these packages uploaded into Hardy.

As we enter beta freeze, I'm working to help manage and oversee the Xubuntu hug day, checking and confirming fixes, and general polish tasks. I've also been working on bring Xubuntu (and Kubuntu to a lesser extent) to PowerPC by working with the PPC porters, and making Xubuntu a first class distribution on that architecture.

As a powerpc lover (I only got an i386/amd64 when Apple killed the PowerPC on the desktop, something I'm kinda bitter about :-/), I'm sadden by the state of PowerPC in Ubuntu. As it stands, the kernel packages for Intrepid are non-installable due to a lack of a linux-ports-meta package, meaning that intrepid is not directly installable. I intend to correct that for Jaunty, as well as work at providing unoffical LiveCDs for Xubuntu and Kubuntu with the assistance of TheMuso.

My current dream for Ubuntu is to help extend the ports to all architectures supported by Debian, and more if possible. I believe I scare the archive admins by the strange idea I have of porting Ubuntu to the Motorola 680x0 and Coldfire architectures :-).