I, Heather Ellsworth, apply for Ubuntu Contributing Developer.

I am applying because:

• I'd like to eliminate delays in getting my work sponsored.
• I'd like to reduce the burden on my sponsors.

Who I am

I am a Canonical employee that cares greatly about Ubuntu desktop. While I focus on snap maintenance, I enjoy debian packaging and keeping the archive up to date. I am based out of Colorado, USA and have been a passionate open source advocate for 8 years.

My Ubuntu story

My first use of Linux was with Ubuntu 7.04 and I found it to be both much more beautiful than Windows and also much less frustrating. I then tried other distros before landing on Debian for quite some time until rediscovering Ubuntu with 19.04. I've been a daily desktop user of Ubuntu since then and am proud to contribute to each release.

My involvement

Examples of my work / Things I'm proud of

Include your existing sponsored uploads for the packages for which you are seeking upload rights. You can link directly to an upload by following this pattern.

• gnome-shell-extension-manager: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-shell-extension-manager

  • I've built and submitted this upstream for inclusion in Debian and maintain the package, and it's dependencies (blueprint-compiler and text-engine), in Debian. This is how Ubuntu consumes the packages for distribution in the archive

• iwd to replace wpa_supplicant with network-manager: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/iwd/+bug/1990705

Areas of work

As part of the desktop team, I have fixed bugs and prepared package uploads that have been sponsored. Some examples are:

• autopkgtest SRUs:

  • https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/autopkgtest/+bug/2015290

  • https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/autopkgtest/+bug/2015285

  • https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/autopkgtest/+bug/2008026

  • I used to be involved with package fixes and new releases of Libreoffice

    • https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/1886692

    • https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/1906684

    • https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/1904478

    • https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/1913353

    • https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/1913353

    • and more

Other Ubuntu contributions outside of deb package maintenance:

• I have added the gnome-3-38 snapcraft extension, used for GNOME snaps within Ubuntu desktop (and others).
• I have been key in migrating snap packaging under the ubuntu namespace in github, and implementing the initial steps of automation key to scaling snap maintainability.

• I have run monthly Ubuntu desktop team indabas, which are an AMA style live stream to YouTube and Twitch, with some Ubuntu theme every month. I have been doing this since April 2021. My goal with these streams is to both spread key information to new users and generate excitement about new things happening in and around Ubuntu.

• I am one of the project organizers of the Linux Application Summit, where I do my best to represent Ubuntu and Canonical well with talks, running booths, office hours, and release parties.
• I am known in the GNOME space as one to maintain GNOME snaps, and volunteer at the annual GNOME conference, GUADEC.

Things I could do better

I can be better about time boxing tasks and asking for help a little bit sooner.

Plans for the future

General

What I like least in Ubuntu

I think Ubuntu lacks testing in many areas, so I plan to continue helping to test ISOs for releases, participate in the community testing week, and hopefully add to our test cases.

Comments

If you'd like to comment, but are not the applicant or a sponsor, do it here. Don't forget to sign with @SIG@.

Endorsements

Jeremy Bicha

General feedback

I believe Heather has significantly exceeded the requirements for Ubuntu Contributing Developer, in particular with her work on .deb and Snap packaging. I strongly recommend her application be approved.

Specific Experiences of working together

• I mentored, reviewed & sponsored Heather's packaging for blueprint-compiler, text-engine, and gnome-shell-extension-manager. She did the initial packaging of this app and libraries and has packaged new releases of them.

• Heather & I work on the Canonical Desktop team.

Areas of Improvement

• I am eager to see Heather get upload rights. I encourage her to apply for Debian Maintainer now.
• I think she needs to do more Ubuntu .deb packaging work to successfully apply for membership in Ubuntu Desktop, MOTU, or Core Dev. Some ways this work can be demonstrated:

  • StableReleaseUpdates

  • merging new updates from Debian where Ubuntu has made changes to the package

As a sponsor, just copy the template below, fill it out and add it to this section.

TEMPLATE

== <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.''
## Full list of sponsored packages can be generated here:
##  https://udd.debian.org/cgi-bin/ubuntu-sponsorships.cgi
=== Areas of Improvement ===

CategoryUniverseContributorApplication