superm1

Revision 7 as of 2006-09-18 21:49:07

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Mario Limonciello

Launchpad:..https://launchpad.net/people/superm1

e-mail:............MailTo(superm1 AT gmail.com)

e-mail:............MailTo(mario.mailing AT gmail.com)

e-mail:............MailTo(superm1 AT iastate.edu)

IRC nickname:.....superm1 on Freenode network

Physical Location:.......Rochester, MN.

Linux Usage History:

Began experimenting with Gentoo during December, 2003. Solely used Gentoo from July 2004 through September 2005. Experimented with Ubuntu, September 2005 - December 2005. Soley used Ubuntu January 2006 - Present.

I originally got into Linux because a friend had told be it was the best thing to use for running a web server. I was quite stubborn at the time, and struggled with Gentoo Linux. As most people know, it's not the most "user friendly" operating system to start with if your coming from Windows. I went cold turkey in December of 2003, and stuck with it until March the next year. I went back to Windows for gaming purposes, and then toyed with the idea of exclusively using Linux again until July that year.

During May & June of 2004, I experimented with several time shifting solutions for my television. In looking around, I found MythTV. This was a perfect excuse for me to come back to Gentoo. I used Gentoo as my only OS for a little over a year. I used Ubuntu as a secondary OS (Breezy RC, and Dapper immediately when Breezy went gold) through December. Once I was convinced, I switched to Ubuntu as a primary OS. Since then, I have been a strong supporter of the open source movement, and done my best to show people how great it is.

Linux Community Contributions

I have some level of programming in many different languages. Between taking classes in High School & College, I developed skills for programming in C++ & Java. During two internships, I learned how to use BASH scripting, perl, Tcl/Tk, and some OCEAN scripting.

If I'm presented with code in a language I haven't used, I very often can interpret the code and what its attempting to achieve. When I run into a bug in a program, I check the bug tracker for the project. If there is nothing listed for it, I will very often download the source package, and try to trace it down myself.

Outside Ubuntu

Gentoo


Before using Ubuntu, I maintained a network of machines for using MythTV on Gentoo. I was very active on the forums, about a large variety of things including AMD64 support, Madwifi support, and MythTV support.

A quick search on the gentoo forums can show my posts. My user name on Gentoo Forums is sm1: [http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Aforums.gentoo.org+sm1&btnG=Google+Search Google Search of forums.gentoo.org for sm1]

Bugs that I have reported to Gentoo Bugzilla: [http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&long_desc_type=substring&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&status_whiteboard_type=allwordssubstr&status_whiteboard=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=VERIFIED&bug_status=CLOSED&emailassigned_to1=1&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailassigned_to2=1&emailreporter2=1&emailcc2=1&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&chfieldfrom=&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=reporter&type0-0-0=substring&value0-0-0=superm1&field0-0-1=noop&type0-0-1=noop&value0-0-1= Gentoo Bugzilla Search]


Compiz


Ever since I heard of the "idea" of Compiz/Xgl/Aiglx, I've been very excited about it. I set it up on both my primary desktop and laptop. I actively maintain a unique HOWTO that I put together by experimentation at the compiz forums showing how to setup compiz in an Xgl session and still be able to use Xv & GL acceleration.

I also put together a howto explaining howto use compiz on one screen of a two screen setup, while using the other for media related things like MythTV.

Compiz/Xgl Howto with Xv Acceleration: [http://www.compiz.net/topic-1623-howto-opengl-acceleration-with-session-still Compiz/Xgl w/ Xv HOWTO]

Compiz/Xgl on one screen & Media Apps on other Screen: [http://www.compiz.net/post-31787#p31787 Multiple Display Compiz usage]


MythTV

Like most people, I was quite overwhelmed when I started using MythTV. I joined all three myth mailing lists, and did the best I could to keep up :). As anyone on the myth list knows, it's impossible to do. I eventually made a gmail account just to get all my mailing list mail to keep things sorted. I have tracked the bleeding edge of the project for a long time, and have tried to be helpful to new users on the list and the friends that I converted to use myth.

[http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/engine?list=mythtv&do=search_results&search_forum=forum_1&search_string=&search_type=AND&search_fields=sb&search_time=&search_user_username=mario.mailing%40gmail.com&sb=score&mh=25 my posts from mariomailing] [http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/engine?list=mythtv&do=search_results&search_forum=forum_1&search_string=&search_type=AND&search_fields=sb&search_time=&search_user_username=superm1%40gmail.com&sb=score&mh=25 my posts from superm1]

I also helped to basically "write" the book on how far you have to go with your cable company with firewire support. See my thread on this if you want to read all about my troubles. After going through this with one cable company, I had less trouble with my second cable company. [http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/130619?search_string=firewire%20time%20warner;#130619 My Time Warner Firewire Fiasco] [http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/204161?search_string=rochester%20firewire;#204161 My Charter Firewire Fiasco]

Since I became more active in Ubuntu, I still track myth development, but I don't follow the mailing list as religously.


Ubuntu Contributions

When I first came to Ubuntu, I have to admit my first reaction. It was seriously "WOW so much just works". I was very used to having to do so much by hand in gentoo, and learn about rocket science when trying to install support for something like DVB in all my apps and build the right kernel modules. As I used Ubuntu, of course I came across bugs here and there, but the community was very receptive to the bugs reported and the user base was willing to help in any way possible.

ATI Drivers


Earlier this year, I joined the ATI linux beta team. ATM, I was the only Ubuntu dapper user. The dapper build target was fairly non-existant. I got in contact with the maintainer for the drivers and helped him organize where things should be placed for dapper.

Also, I was in contact with Adam Conrad about a solution to having linux-restricted-modules installed with ATI's packaged driver installed at the same time. When linux-restricted-modules-common was released, I got the maintainer of the driver to add in code to suport this.

Right about when compiz was released, Ubuntu added a diversion for the old mesa GLX library. Most people didn't know about this diversion (including the maintainer of the ATI packaging). ATI was diverting the old library somewhere entirely different then where Ubuntu was diverting the library. Once I recognized this problem, I sent the maintainer a patch to match up with Ubuntu's location and it got released into the next driver. Lone behold, the mess of people with some people's "new ati drivers not working" dissapeared.


MythTV


When I came into using Ubuntu, I was very happy to see very recent versions available directly in Breezy's repository. For a good period of time, this worked out very well for me. As I kept up with the MythTV mailing list, I started to hear about newer features and wanted these available in Ubuntu. I quickly learned how grueling of a process it was to try to modify packages and rebuild binaries on something without an ebuild. I hunted for other people's repositories, and used other people's packages as I learned.

Eventually a new version of myth was released. Unfortunately, 0.19 never made it into dapper, and it was pretty unheard of to have a package built in the correct debian format. After .19 was released, there was a good number of bugs found in it. A .19.1 loomed on the horizon, but never got released. Instead, all the patches were put into a SVN branch.

I used a Gentoo backend still, which had an ebuild pulling from this SVN branch. I decided it was time for me to learn how to properly package this for Ubuntu, since no one else really had.

I learned what was necessary to host a repository, and how to properly build a debian package. I then ported the gentoo patchset into an Ubuntu debian package. I put the source, an amd64 build, and an i386 build on a repository, and announced them on LP, the forums, and myth list.

Repository: #mario mythtv repo deb http://home.eng.iastate.edu/~superm1 dapper main deb-src http://home.eng.iastate.edu/~superm1 dapper main

LP Bug: [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/mythtv/+bug/32169/+index Bug 32169]

Myth Mailing List Announce:[http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/201115#201115 Announce]

I maintained these against the Gentoo patchset for a good period of time.


Once 0.20 was announced and released, I updated my packages to 0.20 and released newer packages to the same repository. I heard that Christian Marillat from debian multimedia was also working packages, that we would sync from.

I contacted Christian, and verified. Once he released, I backported my gnome-screensaver patch to them, and rebuilt them for edgy. I released his packaged version with my patch on my repo, as well as on REVU. ATM, they have been accepted and placed into edgy.

Revu Packages: [http://revu.tauware.de/details.py?upid=3101 MythTV Package] [http://revu.tauware.de/details.py?upid=3155 MythTV Plugins Package]

Ubuntu Membership

I have a goal to become a MOTU, and join the MOTU media team. I'd like to help maintain packages on a larger scale and learn more about the packaging and testing process. I'm particularly interested in the build process for building for many architectures. I am very dedicated to the community and would be glad to give back whatever I could. ...


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