UbuntuPerPackageUploaderApplication

I, Nikhil Kshirsagar, apply for Per Package Uploader rights for sosreport.

Name

Nikhil Kshirsagar

Launchpad Page

https://launchpad.net/~nkshirsagar

Wiki Page

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/nkshirsagar

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 spent the first 10 years of my career being a Linux userspace programmer, developing C/C++ storage based applications for various flavors of Linux. My first open-source related job was when I began working at Red Hat as a storage SME (SEG) in 2015, and have used Linux exclusively since then. During this role I got acquainted with several folks in the upstream community, particularly in the domains of performance and storage. This role led me to submit several upstream contributions, and I also presented talks at conferences like DevConf and PCPConf on topics like Modern C++, block layer caching, performance monitoring and LVM2.

Among the distributions I have used on my personal machine at various times are RHEL 7+, Debian, Fedora and Ubuntu. (all releases since xenial)

I joined the Sustaining Engineering team at Canonical in July 2021, working on Cloud as well as Platform storage customer issues. I then became familiar with the Debian/Ubuntu universe, including from a packaging point of view, as I took over the role of the maintainer of the sosreport packages in Ubuntu from slashd. I also work on multiple levels of the storage stack at Canonical, helping customers resolve (escalated) issues related to juju/charms, ceph, bcache, lvm, device-mapper and also the kernel.

My Ubuntu story

My first contact with Ubuntu was more than a decade ago, when I was curious about the fact that the Linux Laptops that were available for purchase online or in the stores always only ever had Ubuntu installed on them, and I wondered why. I had then installed Ubuntu on my own laptop to give it a try, and found it a stable alternative to the crashes I routinely experienced on Windows. I became an instant fan of Ubuntu for its stability, its optimal use of the hardware and the wonderful community.

Examples of my work / Things I'm proud of

Ubuntu:

Upstream:

Areas of work

My main focus is ceph, but I have also been helping on lvm/kernel related issues, as well as cinder/osd charm bugs. I have also contributed in other areas like anbox and maas. And with mentoring from Dariusz and Eric, I have been priviliged to now be the maintainer of the sosreport package.

Things I could do better

I could definitely get more involved in the upstream Ubuntu community, and plan to do this by being at and also presenting at near-future Ubuntu conferences.

Plans for the future

General

Keep improving Ubuntu, maintain the sosreport packages for Ubuntu.

What I like least in Ubuntu

There are tweaks that are needed when Ubuntu is installed (say from ISO) before 'my grandmother' can use it (my grandmother = any person who has only used windows/mac in the past). I believe the default out of the box install should make it as easy as possible to use Ubuntu for the layman with no tweaks required like needing customization to get a taskbar. I also think the Ubuntu knowledge base articles need improvement, in terms of quality as well as quantity.

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.

slashd

General feedback

The package (only sosreport and for version v4.3) I've sponsored and other updates I've witnessed from Nikhil were always high quality.

Specific Experiences of working together

I've worked with Nikhil at Canonical, both in the same team, the "Sustaining Engineering Group". Over this period, we exchange a lot about sosreport improvement, and Nikhil did the last sosreport bump alone with some minor help from my part.

Areas of Improvement

As a next step for Nikhil, I would like to see more involvement in development release aspect.

-- slashd 2023-02-03 08:30:00

dgadomski

General feedback

I've been working with Nikhil on several sosreport releases since 4.3. I have been sponsoring his patches for stable releases. He learns very fast, is capable of communicating with upstream in regards to the releases and shows great determination in bringing things to conclusion.

Specific Experiences of working together

We are both members of the Sustaining Engineering team at Canonical. I have worked with Nikhil on a number of occasions, but only sponsored his sosreport work.

Areas of Improvement

I would love to see Nikhil more involved in upstream sosreport work so his name gets more recognition for him as the sos SME.

-- dgadomski 2023-06-26 12:45:48

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 ===

CategoryPerPackageUploaderApplication

nkshirsagar/UbuntuPerPackageUploaderApplication (last edited 2023-06-26 12:45:48 by dgadomski)