I, Mate Kukri, apply for upload rights for package(s) grub2, grub2-unsigned, grub2-signed, shim, shim-signed, ubuntu-boot-test, python-uefivars, efivar, efibootmgr.
Name |
Mate Kukri |
Launchpad Page |
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Wiki Page |
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 systems programmer, and big believer in free and open source software. I keep an interest in computer and software design down to the hardware level. I strive for a future where our computers are well-designed and secure to the lowest level and respect their users freedom. I mainly enjoy working on systems software such as operating system kernels, bootloaders and firmware. I've been a contributor to the coreboot open source firmware project since 2020.
My Ubuntu story
I've joined Canonical's Foundations Team in September 2023 as a maintainer of early boot software such as shim, and GRUB. I've since then became the primary maintainer of GRUB and shim in Ubuntu. I've also dabbled in fixing bugs in a number of other unrelated packages. (See link to my sponsored uploads below).
My involvement
Examples of my work / Things I'm proud of
Signed bootloader uploads in Ubuntu follow a different process from "normal" packages:
- They are initially built in the "Ubuntu UEFI build PPA"
- They are then submitted for signing via ~canonical-signing-jobs, which is done via internal signing PPAs
- Signed binaries get copied to the "Ubuntu UEFI Proposed PPA" (which is private), they get manually checked, then copied to the "Ubuntu UEFI Proposed Public archive"
- Finally, from the "Ubuntu UEFI Proposed Public archive", they get binary copied to the main archive
Based on the above, examples of my boot uploads can be found in the following PPAs:
Other sponsored uploads are listed here:
My previous work includes security updates, merges, simple bugfixes, SRUs, MIRs, upstream version updates, and the creation of some new packages (ubuntu-boot-test and python-uefivars).
Areas of work
- My main area is the development and maintenance of bootloaders for various platforms.
- As a member of the Canonical Foundations team I also regularly participate in resolving autopkgtest regression, doing merges with Debian, MIR-ing new packages, etc.
Things I could do better
- Document processes and software in my area so that its more transparent to others.
- Be more proactive at getting my SRUs through.
- Engage more with the community.
Plans for the future
General
- Spend more time on general Ubuntu packaging work outside bootloaders.
- Become a Ubuntu Core Developer.
What I like least in Ubuntu
- Popularity means many things are set in stone, so some historical (design) mistakes are hard to fix. (However working on an OS that serves so many is also satisfying).
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
As a sponsor, just copy the template below, fill it out and add it to this section.
Julian Andres Klode
General feedback
I don't really know how many packages it has been but we've certainly done grub, shim, ubuntu-boot-test, python-uefivars - that is, the boot stack, or the UEFI/PC one anyway.
Mate is getting on well with packaging, testing, and also development of those boot components.
Given the way these updates are published with external signing PPAs, and Mate already having access to request signing and unembargo those we already trust him arguably more than the PPU 
Overall I am happy to endorse his application!
Specific Experiences of working together
I'd like to highlight the final grub 2.12-1 Debian release and Ubuntu merge, and the shim update which Mate prepared himself. These were excellent quality.
The ubuntu-boot-test package is an excellent project that I reviewed and sponsored. I was overlooking a couple of things during sponsoring the first version that lead to a reject (the copyright file was incomplete), but Mate quickly addressed that in a followup.
Areas of Improvement
I can't really think of any. There were some minor issues months ago when he first started working on this, but everything in the past months has been solid.
Chris Coulson
General feedback
I'm not sponsoring packages directly, but Mate has increasingly taken over maintaining the main early boot packages, such as shim and grub, in Ubuntu. As these binaries have to be signed directly, the processes here are already a lot more complex than those associated with other packages.
He is also increasingly involved with a cross-vendor community that is focused on improving the security of shim and grub. He has largely become our representative here along with Julian - to the point where I feel like I don't need to spend as much time on this as I used to as part of my own role.
Mate has a lot of deep knowledge about how these parts of the stack work, and understands and considers interactions with firmware when investigating bugs in shim and grub. Mate has a lot of knowledge about firmware as well.
As well as working on packaging in Ubuntu, Mate is also very active in the grub development community, working closely with Julian to help push features such as NX support and general improvements to the loader framework.
Specific Experiences of working together
Like I said, I'm not sponsoring packages directly, but we do work together.
Just recently, Mate has helped me a lot with some work I'm doing to understand how firmware features such as Intel BootGuard work and how to automatically test that these are properly configured.
He has spent some time helping me with some work to deconstruct some firmware updates for an internal project I am working on when he didn't need to spend time doing this.
Areas of Improvement
Like Julian, I'm struggling to think of any areas of improvement.
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 ===