Older blog entries for ztf (starting at number 7)

Wow, over two months since a diary entry. I must not be doing anything worth writing about. :^)

I've actually gotten a production Linux server in use where I work now. The odd advantage about working in a place that is in the "stone knives and bearskins" stage of computing is that we don't have much established infrastructure, and people here don't have the MSFT religion. So I'm (mostly) free to adopt the best Free Software solutions.

And I've actually submitted a patch to gnome-print in my Copious Free Time(tm); now to see if it gets accepted ...

Not only am I not moving to Boston to work on free software, I'm not moving (back) to Ann Arbor to work on a proprietary/free mix of software with a nasty non-compete agreement. I guess if I can give up working at a hot Linux startup for family reasons, I can give up working at a warm telecom startup for family reasons too.

Instead, I'm going to stay in the wilds of rural Ohio, keep my kids in the country near their cousins and grandparents, and make the jump to being a controls engineer and automation specialist. Plus, being the all- around local computer guru. Hmm, a perfect opportunity for Linux evangelization, wouldn't you say ... :^)

And since I don't have one of those nasty IP/noncompete agreements in place anymore, I'm actually freer to help write free software than I've been in over a decade.

Now, if only I had free time ...

(*sigh*)

Bummer.

Well, it's official -- I won't be moving to Boston to make a living by joining the Free Software revolution. It's the right decision, family-wise -- but it's still a bummer.

Wahoo!

(... in case anybody actually reads this and cares, more details later as I can make them public ...)

Last week at the office, it struck home how Free Software / Open Source is really winning the battle for the "hearts and minds" of developers.

My job, at the moment, is to help do the legwork for people doing the real work on buzzwordy, web- based technologies. So, I'm looking at web servers, XML and XSL software, CORBA, etc.

And every single developer that I work with has expressed the equivalent of "don't even bother me with some proprietary crap, I want the good 'open source' stuff."

So, my sample is no doubt biased because we're a Unix-centric shop, but still, it's interesting ...


GNU does not eliminate all the world's problems, only some of them.
-- RMS, "The GNU Manifesto"

Nothing to do about free software ...

Tonight my daughter Rachel was baptized at the Easter Vigil service at Grace Episcopal Church, Defiance, Ohio. This is the first time I've been to an Easter Vigil service. It's pretty neat (although long); the readings and the prayers give an overview of salvation history from Creation through the Resurrection.

Some small children cry or scream when baptized -- Rachel giggled. And gave everybody one of her 1000 watt smiles. It was too cute for words.

My family very graciously turned out, and the sheer Catholicity of it all didn't send them running out screaming in terror, so I guess we're all OK. :^)

Good music selections (I should hope so, Nancy was on the worship comittee), but the execution was ... lacking. (*sigh*) Oh well, there's no way to learn to walk without a few stumbles, right? But I think this may have been the whitest performance of "Go Down, Moses" in history -- I don't know if that means we need to try singing spirituals more often, or just give it up as hopeless. :^/

He is Risen! Alleluia!

Well, I bit the bullet and subscribed to gnome-devel-list, and I find myself unswamped with email. So I guess I was being a pessimist. Too bad I'm swamped with Real Life(tm) at the moment.

I really should get together with Steve, figure out what he wants gnome-terminal to do, and submit a wishlist bug report.

Silly test diary entry.

ObContent: A coworker mentioned that he likes gnome-terminal, but he would really like the ability to add custom macro automation to the menus/keybindings, like some PC terminal programs that he's familiar with. [I knew that if I just installed GNOME at work I'd get some nibbles!] We took a quick look through the source, but it wasn't Blindingly Obvious to us GTK+ newbies what a good way to begin would be.

Ideally, one of us would subscribe to gnome-devel and start by asking opinions, but that's such a high-traffic list. :^(

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