Ubuntu Wiki

About Me

I am a second year undergraduate student majoring in Physics at Trent University and in the Concurrent Education program with Queen's University, both in Ontario, Canada. During breaks I live in Minnesota, USA.

Contact Info

Launchpad profile: https://launchpad.net/people/tonyyarusso

E-Mail: tonyyarusso@earthlink.net

AIM: tonyyarusso

MSN: Same as my e-mail

IRC: tonyyarusso on freenode, also in ##tonyyarusso

PGP Key ID: 2C32D771

Other Web Presences (aka My Links)

[http://www.xanga.com/tonyyarusso/ Blog]

[http://home.earthlink.net/~tonyyarusso/ Main Web Page]

[http://www.tonyyarusso.is-a-geek.com/ Personal server] BR Currently hosting live logs of Ubuntu Open Week sessions, at http://www.tonyyarusso.is-a-geek.com/irclogs/openweek/

Contributions

I can be regularly found in ##tonyyarusso, #ubuntu, #ubuntu-offtopic, #ubuntu+1, #ubuntu-ca, #ubuntu-marketing, #ubuntu-doc, #ubuntu-classroom, and #ubuntu-meeting, both asking questions and answering others', with varying activity levels (some I mostly watch, others I'm more active in). I also keep summarized logs of answers to many of my questions, for ready retrieval when someone else has the same one (and my own use!). (You can see some by [http://www.google.ca/search?q=site%3Apeople.ubuntu.com+tonyyarusso&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=com.ubuntu:en-US:official&client=firefox-a Googling logs].)

In December 2006 I was invited to help as a member of the [https://launchpad.net/people/ubuntu-irc IRC team].

I have answered [https://answers.launchpad.net/people/tonyyarusso/+tickets support requests on Launchpad], and frequently use the Wiki, and make contributions and corrections where it seems fitting on that (mostly small stuff here and there).

I wrote the second page of [http://doc.ubuntu.com/~marketing/DIY%20Material/DIY-at-home/Posters,%20Filip%20Dominec%20&%20Jenda%20Van%c4%8dura/ubuntu-letter-dev.pdf ubuntu-letter-dev.pdf], which was designed as a letter for inclusion with ShipIt CDs being handed out to people with no prior knowledge of Ubuntu or Linux.

I am a member of the NewUserNetwork - a list of members is available both [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/NewUserMentors on the wiki] and [https://launchpad.ubuntu.com/people/unp on Launchpad], and the CanadianTeam - members listed [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CanadianTeam on the wiki] and [https://launchpad.net/people/ubuntu-ca on Launchpad].

On 19 November 2006 I taught a [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ClassroomTranscripts#head-b787da88ea1f9d431c1649d8cfaac71824eb4563 class on GPG encryption and signing] in the ["Classroom"].

I helped out in the Classroom during UbuntuOpenWeek, mostly by changing the topic for the current session since everyone was so well behaved. Way to go everybody!

I have worked on the UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter, Issues [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue19 19] and [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue22 22].

I've added some [https://blueprints.launchpad.net/people/tonyyarusso/+specs?role=registrant specifications], although many still need full Wiki page write-ups when I have the time.

I hand out as many CDs as I can, my most recent unexpected opportunities being half a dozen 6th graders from my last Con-Ed placement who became interested after seeing my laptop running something they didn't recognize and random folks on the street the morning of the Edgy release.

I did a series on my blog a while back relating to open source software alternatives, as a lead-up to Dapper release. My main target audience is Windows users who have never used anything else, and I hope to raise general awareness, and ideally get a few to try at least cross-platform FOSS apps, or hopefully even Ubuntu Linux itself. On that note, I do take the stance that it's okay to dual-boot, and stress that possible new users do not have to leave their Windows comfort zone unless they decide later that they want to. My primary goal is to make people aware and get them to try things; I am confident that they will make the decision to switch later largely on their own accord as I work with them to point out the numerous advantages and they become reassured that this is a usable alternative for them. More [http://www.xanga.com/tonyyarusso/tags/ubuntu/ discontinuous blog posts] have followed, and I hope to do another series type thing soon.

I've started work towards getting an Ojibwe translation of Ubuntu going. It will likely be a slow process and take a lot of work, but it's been exciting so far to see interest from a few people. I'm hoping to get a formal announcement out asking for volunteers in coming months, and am currently looking for help putting together a document explaining what Ubuntu and FLOSS translation is all about to people who have never encountered it, if even a computer, before.

Things to come (ie my Ubuntu future)

Continuing the translation effort Adapting and learning in my new role as an IRC operator Writing up my specifications more formally

Things I'd like to do some day

Bug triaging Packaging (perhaps adopt some and/or backport) And much more long-term, FLOSS in education is of interest to me (see current enrollment at top)

Linux and Me (personal background)

I have come to Linux relatively recently from a long background of other OSs, including a Commodore 64, DOS, Old World Macintosh, and every MS Windows from 3.1 through XP. After getting frustrated with Windows, and with the new concept of buying my own computer, which I would then have full control over rather than it being a shared family one, I starting thinking about other options. I had heard of Linux, but honestly had never seen it in use. So I hit up Google. I was tentative about the concept, so not looking for anything with significant investment, which ruled out all "Enterprise" editions. When I found out that Ubuntu was free, and would even ship to me for free, I figured I'd hit gold, and would try it out. I had. ShipIt came through and I installed Ubuntu Linux for the first time in August 2005. I started with Hoary (5.04), and have used each version on up, to currently running Edgy on both a server and laptop, with the laptop using Feisty whenever it's not broken.

My System

I run an IBM/Lenovo T43, model 2668-49U (laptop), and just got an IBM Netvista M42, model 8303-AGU (desktop-server)

Specs for T43: Pentium M 750 1.86 GHz processor (686 architecture) 1024 MB RAM 40GB 5200rpm hard drive 64MB ATI Radeon X300 video card CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive Intel Pro Wireless 2915 a/b/g Conexant chipset built-in winmodem Gigabit ethernet card Came with MS Windows XP Pro - I dual-booted in the past, but now am all-Ubuntu. Meaning, I have it on the system, and can support dual-booting and Windows questions, but don't actually use it for my own use anymore.

Specs for M42: Celeron 1.70 GHz processor 512 MB RAM 40 GB 7200rpm hard drive Intel Extreme embedded graphics CD/DVD+RW drive 3 Ethernet NICs Conexant chipset PCI winmodem Came with MS Windows XP Home - I may try to get a refund for this.

Follow-up

For a broader view of me, just [http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=com.ubuntu%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=fzO&q=tonyyarusso&btnG=Search&meta= hit up Google]. If you'd like to know more, have a question about Ubuntu or an app, or whatever, contact me by any of the means listed above, and I'll see you in #ubuntu!

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