I, Ricardo Salveti, apply for universe-contributor.

Who I am

• Linux user since 2002
• Ubuntu and Debian user since 2007 (x86, amd64, armel)
• Canonical ARM developer since 2010 (working together with the Ubuntu ARM team)
• Contributions to many OSS over the past few years (OE, Mamona, Maemo, Linux, Gentoo, Ubuntu, etc)

Working with OSS development since 2003, and doing general distro development since 2006. While Gentoo user I contributed with package and kernel fixes. From 2008-10 worked helping created an OpenEmbedded based distro called Mamona. Since 2010 I've being working at Canonical, at the Ubuntu on ARM team, doing development and fixes for the Omap images.

Large experience with SW development, mainly using Python and C. Being a generalist, worked from Kernel to X11, also doing a lot of distro development.

My Ubuntu story

After some long years using Gentoo (also Debian, but mostly at the University), I decided to move to a package oriented distro, and by 2007 Ubuntu seemed the best option around (it was getting quite famous, and most friends were using it already). After using it at most of my X86 servers, I started using it with my EeePC for desktop purposes, helping debugging and fixing the RT2860 wireless driver.

Since July 2010 I've being working at Canonical as an ARM developer, participating at the Ubuntu on ARM team, helping improving the Ubuntu on ARM experience in general.

As a free software enthusiastic I've being always promoting Linux as the main operation system, and Ubuntu was always my recommendation for new users. I'm really happy to see how easy Ubuntu is for general users nowadays.

My involvement

Examples of my work / Things I'm proud of

Contributions to existing packages:

Natty:

• x-loader: new upstream releases and package maintenance (5 package updates)
• netbook-launcher-efl: fixing the gnome-session call, and adding proper une-efl.session file to make it work again at Natty
• evas:
  • Changing OpenGL backend from GL to GLES 2 for ARM

  • Enabling runtime shader compiler for GLES (LP: #727591)

• mesa-demos: new release based on current git tree and fixes for es2gears
• clutter: changing default OpenGL backend from GL to GLES2 plus 3 additional GLES patches

• qt4-x11: changing OpenGL backend from GL to GLES 2 for ARM (LP: #707794)

• webkit: fixing JIT ARM crashes (LP: #728211)

• jasper-initramfs: workaround to increase kernel min_free_kbytes to avoid page allocation failures (LP: #746137)

• opengles-sgx-omap3: new upstream release
• powervr-omap3: new upstream release

Maverick:

• pybootchartgui: make pybootchartgui run in devices like beagleboard (LP: #619026)

• x-loader: make it properly work with Beagle xM (LP: #628243)

• x-loader-omap4: added all needed patches to have proper Panda support (3 packages update).
• rootstock: new upstream release
• jasper-initramfs:

  • Add correct mem argument for Panda ES2 (for 1gb) (LP: #629269)

  • fixing swap file creation, as it can't use a sparse file (LP: #627201)

New Packages:

• devmem2: LP: #607752

• powervr-omap3: LP: #652347

• mesa-utils-extra: mesa EGL/GLES2 demos

Kernel fixes:

• 2.6.35-20.2 and 2.6.35-903.9: Fixing beagle and panda LED support

• 2.6.35-23.36: Remove CONFIG_FIXED_PHY and move CONFIG_SMSC911X from m to y for omap (LP: #645689)

• 2.6.38-1.28: fix display for Beagle
• 2.6.38-2.29: don't warn the user with a trace in case of PM34XX_ERRATUM
• 2.6.35-903.13: OMAP: Enable needed Errata for OMAP4 to work with DMA based device drivers

• 2.6.35-903.21: Display fixes for Panda (LP: #653002)

• 2.6.35-1101.4: enabling CONFIG_TASK_ options for iotop to work (LP: #694461)

• Linaro 2.6.35-1007.13: Fixing IGEPv2 video output (LP: #607250)

• 2.6.35-23.39 and Linaro 2.6.35-1008.15: SRU: Fix DVI for Beagle xM rev A3 (LP: #663642)

• 2.6.38-1206.7: Making it work with SGX

Some few bugs bugs I worked on:

• 619981: mono apps crash on omap4 due to no smp support for armel

• 707794: libqt4-opengl on armel should be compiled with OpenGL ES 2.x support

• 746023: No sound on omap4

• 664431: Qt on armel is built with NEON by default

• 770679: Missing proper support for Beagle XM rev B and C

• 624652: Panda ES2.0: No working x-loader

• 566645: OTG configuration is broken on omap kernel

• 633227: instabilities with highmem activated

Worked with normal bugfixing and also with the SRU process (mostly with the kernel updates).

Areas of work

• Ubuntu Kernel fixes
• X-Loader maintenance
• GLES support at the archive
• Usual image testing and bugfixing (jasper, webkit, pvr support for omap)

As a result of my work I've being mostly working with the Ubuntu on ARM team, with the following core developers:

• Oliver Grawert
• Michael Casadevall
• Jani Monoses

Also worked with the Kernel Team improving the ARM support when possible.

Things I could do better

Spending more time helping and fixing the FTBFS for ARM (usually the arch with most FTBFS).

Plans for the future

General

Continue working on improving the ARM experience on Ubuntu, by helping fixing the images and developing new features. Also plan to help maintaining the Beagleboard support, by providing kernel fixes and new releases of the PVR driver.

What I like least in Ubuntu

The SRU process for the kernel takes too much time. During Maverick one simple fix took more than one month to hit the archive, with many test requests until it was released (same test request).

I believe the SRU process could have an easier way to work with, trying to spend less time between bugfixing and actual release of new packages. It's quite frustrated to have a fix and know that it'll only be released for users in a few weeks, or even months.

Comments

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== <SPONSORS NAME> ==
=== General feedback ===
## Please fill us in on your shared experience. (How many packages did you sponsor? How would you judge the quality? How would you describe the improvements? Do you trust the applicant?)

=== Specific Experiences of working together ===
''Please add good examples of your work together, but also cases that could have handled better.''
=== Areas of Improvement ===