Moving to Wordpress

I've decided to move my blog to Wordpress.  I've moved my archive over there and I'm starting to get everything setup over there.  Please update your links.

Web: https://sparkslinux.wordpress.com/

RSS: https://sparkslinux.wordpress.com/feed/


Sparks' Fedora Project Journal by Eric H Christensen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Wanted: New blog software and new hosting.

If you were going to start over with your blog or move it to a new site where would you go?  I've been using Google's Blogger for a while and while it's okay I wonder what I'm missing. 

I'd prefer to use an energy efficient, IPv6 implemented, open source provider.  Anyone know of one?

Removing the Fedora Release Notes from the releases.

Twice a year the Fedora Docs team runs around with their hair on fire trying to get the Release Notes bits put together, translated, and packaged.  The packaging requirement puts a lot of strain on the process, though, as thousands of lines of code go into the documentation, they are all new every release, and most of the time are only available at the last minute based on changes to code in other programs.

To reduce the strain on the process I'd like to propose that the Release Notes not be packaged (in RPM) and included in the releases and only be made available on the Fedora Docs website.

This proposal will be sent to the Fedora Docs and I encourage anyone with an opinion on this to reply to that message.


Sparks' Fedora Project Journal by Eric H Christensen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Things to bring to the FAD@OLF

Coming to the Fedora Activity Day at Ohio Linux Fest (OLF) this weekend?  Here's a short list of stuff you should bring with you:

1. Laptop - Because you can't work if you can't type and you can't type unless you have some sort of portable computing device.  If you insist on bringing the desktop, though, we won't laugh.
2. Ethernet Cable - Yep, good old fashioned Cat 5 (or the groovy new fashioned Cat 6) cable would be a great thing to bring.  Why?  Because we will have a wired connection (and hopefully a switch hint to Jared) in the FAD room at OLF.  We can never be sure of the airwaves but we hope the copper will be kind to us.
3. Power Strip - Want to make friends?  Bring a power strip with a long electrical cable attached.  There are never enough outlets at the talks and perhaps that pretty girl or cute guy is in need of a few electrons.  Be an implementer!
4. Bits - Sure, you can sync all the repositories when you get to OLF but how long is that going to take?  Those that control the Intertubes are probably not aware of the onslaught that is about to occur by dropping hundreds of bit-needy geeks into a single location in Columbus.  Had they known what was coming we would be seeing large amounts of fiber being stretched across the country to be terminated at OLF.  Grabbing a git diff probably won't be difficult but do everyone a favor and bring your bits with you.
5. Clothes - Okay, now that you have your bags packed with every type of cable to connect every kind of device to your computer and to the wall you'll need some sort of body covering.  Not saying anything bad about you but there's a time and place for everything and some people don't need the distraction during the classes.  It's okay, though.  T-shirts roll up nicely and can be stuffed in among the wires and parts.  A change of underwear may also be warranted but I'm leaving that up to you.

So get all that stuff, throw it in a bag, and be there!  If you haven't registered for OLF, yet, do it now!  If you haven't signed up for the FAD please add your name to the list.


Sparks' Fedora Project Journal by Eric H Christensen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Looking to purchase a laptop with Linux

With starting my new job I'm looking at purchasing a new laptop for work.  Beyond the solid state drive, i5 or i7 processor, and lots of RAM, I want to purchase a laptop without the Microsoft tax.  I don't use Windows and I certainly don't want to reward Microsoft for poor behavior.

Anyone have any recommendations on where to spend my money?  The only requirements of my new employer is to purchase a three-year support contract so I will need a company to do that.


Sparks' Fedora Project Journal by Eric H Christensen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

My next adventure: Cloud.com/Citrix

For the past three years I've been working as a contractor to a government agency.  Coming from the world depicted by the US Navy the last three years haven't been easy.  The mission I had, to secure the system we were developing from those that shouldn't have access, recently came to a head where the government decided I had completed my mission (security is never complete and is always evolving, by the way) and they needed to trim some money from the budget.  My company made the offer for me to change projects but it seemed like it would be more of the same and would start me over from where I had been three years ago.

Seeing as how I hate to move backwards or simply tread water I starting putting my feelers out.  To my surprise I had several companies/organizations that showed interest in my career history and future potential.  One of those companies is Cloud.com (now Citrix).  I've been impressed by this company's mission and work so to get an offer from them made me feel great.  Of course this means there will be changes in my knowledge base coming up.  While I'll always have a security mindset (how can I get into this?) it's important to keep learning new things.  Cloud computing is something that fits well with the availability portion of security and is very important for systems that just have to be up.

I'll be officially saying goodbye to the coworkers that became my friends during the last three years on Tuesday.  Luckily, though, I'll still be in the area and available for those Friday lunches (with ice cream!).  At the beginning of August I'll join up with a new set of (hopefully) future friends with Cloud.com/Citrix.


Sparks' Fedora Project Journal by Eric H Christensen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Help with FOP

Right around the time of the Fedora 15 release an upstream change to FOP caused problems with the Docs team.  What is FOP, you may be asking?  FOP is the software that Publican uses to create our PDFs.  Broken FOP means no PDFs for the end users to enjoy.

I think the latest patch has created a nice bandage on the problem but we are still looking for someone with Java experience to help engineer a better solution.  Take a look at the bug ticket and see if you can help.


Sparks' Fedora Project Journal by Eric H Christensen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.