Ubuntu Wiki

About Me

I'm a web developer who tried out Fedora a few years back and liked Linux. I moved to Ubuntu a year after I bought my laptop (2008). I've started using Ubuntu from Hardy and I love it. Now, I have joined the Ubuntu Community to help spread the word and help make Ubuntu better.

Team Memberships

Ubuntu Accessibility Team

I have been tasked with cleaning up the wiki pages for the team at UDS-M. Since I've done similar work for the ReviewersTeam, I volunteered to help out along with Charlie who's already helping the team with bug triage.

Bug Control

Bug Squad I'm part of the Bug Control and help triage bugs as often as possible. I led a session about Launchpad for the Ubuntu User Day based on my experience as a bug triager. Recently, I made the decision that again due to lack of time, I'd rather prefer to pass on my triaging skills through the mentorship program to other new comers and as such am an active mentor. I try to help out as often as possible in the channel. See the session logs See all the bugs I've triaged.

I adopted the Rhythmbox package helped clear the old bugs. Later on, I handed this responsibility over to kamusin who is rocking it. I coordinated an effort to spread the knowledge of apport hooks to other Bug triagers and I'm happy to see the great work that kermiac and ddecator are doing on this front.

Ubuntu Classroom Team

I'm part of the classroom team and my main job is to recruit instructors to fill up the calender. I'm also part of Ubuntu User Days Team, a sub-team of ubuntu-classroom and ubuntu-learning. Initially, even though I wasn't part of the team, I helped out. I joined hands with Chris in getting instructors for the first User Day. I went onto to design the current logo and volunteer to lead a session myself about Using Launchpad. I was honoured to be accepted to this team, and help host the event and be added as one of the drivers of the Ubuntu User Days Team. I blogged and tweeted about the User Days to bring it to the attention of as many people as possible. I continue to help the team organize User Days, Ubuntu Open Week, and Ubuntu Developer Week. See original logo on Flickr See my session logs See User Days Team See Blog post

Reviewers Team

The ReviewersTeam deals with the patches that are attached to bug reports in Launchpad. When I joined the team, it just existed. My mentors encouraged me to revive and bring more attention to it. The patch review process was discussed at UDS-M, which lead to the launch of OperationCleansweep with the goal of getting the number of unreviewed patches down 0 by Maverick release. I've been spearheading this operation along with Daniel Holbach and other community members.

Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter

I'm an off and on contributor to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter. I help in the Loco News section and anything else that might need work.

Ubuntu Women

I've been an encourager and supporter of the team for some time. I've helped whenever possible in whatever capabilities that I could help with including being a member of the Pollka team and helping mentor folks who'd be interested in learning development.

Old Teams

Beginners Team

Beginners Team The Beginners Team was my stepping stone to Ubuntu contribution. I met a lot of people with whom I worked with later on. I occasionally help on LP Answers and on the Ubuntu Forums (rarely). At times when users ask help on IRC and I know the answer I used to help out on the BT help channel, #ubuntu-beginners. My first contribution to Ubuntu was with BT, revamping the Swap FAQ page. I was given the role of leading the Education FG. However, a few months after being on the post, due to lack of time, I have given up Education FG leadership and my BT membership. I no longer take part in these activities. See Answers Profile See Forums Profile See Swap FAQ page

Ubuntu Community Learning Project

Ubuntu Community Learning Project I used to be a course writer and started writing one course. However, again, due to lack of time and the need to optimize, I have given up my membership in the Ubuntu Community Learning Project. See the course

Development Contributions

Apport Hook for Rhythmbox

I've created an apport hook for Rhythmbox, which is ready in Lucid. See the bug opened for this Ubuntu Changelog

Fixing Unmet Deps

I recently made the mistake of telling there was nothing much to do during in #ubuntu-motu when persia was around ;). He got me set up for fixing umet dependencies and now I try my hand at it when I get the time. As a result, I've requested a few packages to be removed that cannot be fixed sugar-chat-activity-0.84 and sugar-read-activity-0.84. I built and tested epiphany-extensions-more and have request an FFe to sync from the latest Debian version. With persia's guidance and help from #ubuntu-motu, I fixed the boa-constructor bug listed below.

Bug Fixes

I have been trying my hand at packaging and I've fixed the following bugs recently.

• #351509 vmbuilder should provide an option to choose which libvirt virtual network (applied Jack Coulter's patch)

• #398873 Typo in gnome-keyboard-properties

• #527084 Boa-constructor cannot be installed in Lucid

• #525888 Apport hook for rhythmbox

• #529744 When creating a new user, "Shortname" should really be "Username" (applied Anzenketh's patch)

IRC

I lurk in the following channels on Freenode
#ayatana #kubuntu-devel #launchpad #launchpad-dev #ubuntu+1 #ubuntu-beginners #ubuntu-beginners-dev #ubuntu-beginners-team #ubuntu-bugs #ubuntu-classroom #ubuntu-classroom-backstage #ubuntu-classroom-chat #ubuntu-community-team #ubuntu-desktop #ubuntu-devel #ubuntu-in #ubuntu-learning #ubuntu-learning #ubuntu-meeting #ubuntu-motu #ubuntu-women #ubuntu-women-project

LoCo Work

I've always been scared about actual work in the LoCo though lately, I finally got around to it. I hosted an Ubuntu Hour at a coffee shop in my city. It was a fun time meeting up with folks interested in Ubuntu. We've planned to meet up every month and be part of UbuntuGlobalJam.

Future Plan

My roadmap for the next 6 months includes the following
Be part of MOTU.
Help mentor more folks into Ubuntu.

Testimonials

• Martin Owens - I've worked with nigel in the Ubuntu Learning project where he's been an enthusiastic and productive member. Helping to write courses and writing one himself, helping to push other people along and always being friendly and polite.

• I have mentored Nigel (and truth be said, pretty much all of the usual suspects in #ubuntu-bugs also mentored him). He shows the enthusiasm, commitment, and interest we need so much -- not counting with his (bug) adoption of rhythmbox, and the writing of apport hooks, and the upstreaming of bugs. Definitely a +1. C de-Avillez

• I met Nigel during the organization of the first Ubuntu Users Days. I have found him to be easy to work with, enthusiastic and tolerant of my foibles. I look forward to working with him on future UUD's and kidding him about his bike riding habits. Mark

• I have worked with Nigel on many different projects. Nigel helped me to put together and run the first Ubuntu User Day, has worked with me scheduling instructors for the Ubuntu Classroom, and has done good work with the BugSquad. Nigel would make a great addition to the Ubuntu Membership, and I am looking forward to watching the amazing work that he will continue to do with Ubuntu. -- chrisjohnston 2010-02-27 14:42:39

• I see Nigel very active in various things around the Ubuntu community such as the bug squad and especially Ubuntu User Days. Nigel is very willing to help and get involved in new things. His contributions are of a high quality and his dedication is strong! issyl0

• Nigel is one of the most enthusiastic people I've worked with in the Ubuntu community. He is always willing to lend a hand to get something done, including anything he has to learn to do it. During the Ubuntu User Day he even ended up going to pay for internet in an internet cafe when his power at home was shut off, rather than not be there. I definitely think he would be a great Ubuntu Member and I am excited to continue to work with him. -- pendulum 2010-02-27 20:59:06

• Nigel is very enthusiastic in his help with the Beginners Team, especially in our support channel. His method of help to new users is an inspiration to many. talsemgeest

• Having gotten to know Nigel over the last several months i have been very impressed with his drive and work ethic. He does the work of two or three community members easy. I have a hard time joining a freenode channel he is not in, and by no means is he just idling. The progress he has made over the last 6 months has been amazing. He has worked hard to organize online classroom sessions, triage bugs, learn the MOTU ropes, and he somehow still manages to find time to give support in #ubuntu-beginners. He is definitely one of the communities rising stars. I fully and emphatically support Nigel for Ubuntu Membership. duanedesign

• Nigel is an awesome person. Always willing to help, from what I have seen he is continuously working on one project or another and to top it off. He is always available for good conversation. Most deserving of Membership. -- idleone

• Many people have already commented on Nigel's enthusiasm, but it really can't be mentioned enough. Nigel is one of those people who is pretty much always there, and always offering to help, not matter the project. I watched him work to make Ubuntu User Day a rocking success, and have continued to be helped by him in planning other classroom sessions. Nigel is already a valuable addition to the Ubuntu community, and I highly recommend him for membership. -- mhall119 2010-03-07 02:35:37

• Nigel has been a great asset to the Ubuntu Bug Control team and has recently was granted membership in that team. He can frequently be found in the #ubuntu-bugs channel triaging and helping users. He is also expanding his horizons and trying to learn packaging as well. I believe he is and will continue to be a great asset to Ubuntu and should be granted membership.micahg

• Nigel is constantly enthusiastic and constructive and a valued member of all the teams he is involved in. Certainly recommended for membership from me. AlanBell