Are you a Fedora contributor? Are you going to either the Red Hat EMEA Partner Summit 2009 in Malta or to the Red Hat Summit 2009 in Chicago, IL – or maybe even both?
If so, add your name to the appropriate page(s) in the Fedora wiki and fellow contributors will be able to see that you’re going too! This enables everyone to plan the travel together or to schedule a beer with a fellow.
Update: Thanks to heffer both links are now correct.
A bit delayed, a short report of day 2 at FOSDEM.
I’ve been visiting the first two CentOS talks that day which were really useful and I wasn’t bored a single minute. I didn’t even wander off into daydreams and that’s really rare when I have to listen >30min to a talk, particularly in the mornings. In other words: Fabian Arrotin and Dag Wieers have been doing a great job! During his 1h talk slot, Dag even found the time to demonstrate his small application that made the wiimote a cordless presenter much like the one from Logitech. Actually, it’s in a very early state (he wrote in during the previous night, while a python version seems to be around for a longer time already) but has all features of the Logitech model – except for the laser pointer, of course.
Later that day I visited the talk on Cobbler and Koan which was a good mix of theory and practice. The live-demo showed us how easy it really is to use Cobbler while the theory showed us how easy it should be actually. Oh, wait…the slides and the demo made the same statements – that it’s easy to use. Normally either the slides or the demo make it looking very complicated (which might be the reason why most people only show one of both). Not this time – that must either mean that the statements made are true or that they lied at us and tricked us. But living in the greater FOSS community we know that they would have no use to do the latter and that we could verify their statements for free whenever we want to. Obviously, it *is* really easy to use. I even tested it at the beginning of the week and I can fully confirm their findings…
Well, shortly after that talk, it was time to go back home. All afternoon long there were people making the impression that they have to leave soon – much too early will that event end and some of the people even had to leave early. So whenever you met someone, they started to say goodbye already or asked whether you’ll still be there after the talk they’re going to visit. Later that afternoon I had to catch the bus too, which brought me straigt to the Central Station where I got on the train to the national airport. The flight back was fine and short, too. While I was waiting for my baggage to get ready to be claimed I even met Georg Greve from FSFE. I’ve also seen him during FOSDEM but we’ve never really had time to say more than just ‘hi’, well knowing that our offices in Zurich are only about 100m apart. After some small talk we had our baggage and left to catch our girlfriends and take the next train home.
I believe I’ve never said anything about our booth during my FOSDEM posting, let me change that. The booth was really nice looking, as usual. The new ‘four foundations’ posters are really cool but I also still like the old message and posters, too. Thanks to Joerg Simon to print those posters and for bringing them along! Thanks also to the people setting up the booth. The Fedora people standing at out booth were doing a great job (sorry, that I didn’t really do something at the booth this time!) but for me it didn’t really fit to FOSDEM. Feels a bit strange to have marketing-talks at a developers meeting. Also, thanks to all the people from other projects and the organizers of FOSDEM for making this such a great event!
It’s actually day 2 right now, but the day has only just begun and I’m siitting in the Fedora/CentOS devroom where I’ll listen to some CentOS related talks. But for now, let me give you a quick update on day 0 and a short review of day 1.
On day 0, I arrived at the airport and headed to the train station on the -1 level. I quickly bought a ticket and asked for directions – but they weren’t able to help. This brought me to the only map of the public transportation networrk of Brussels available. Already standing there looking very puzzled were Spot and Sebastian. I had a quick look at the map too and after that we were now 3 guys looking puzzled and wondering how we’ll ever find the hotel.
Well, after some time we made our way. With lots of guesswork and a bit extra way. Anyway, let me tell you something about Brussels that hit me in the face when I first got here (I expected a somewhat more modern city like Berlin or London): 1) The trains are crap. 2) The train stations are terrible (except the Bruxelles-Luxembourg one and, I was told, the south station). 3) It’s impossible to get a ticket for the public transportation until after you used it – i.e. after you arrived in the center. 3) The tram network is fine, unless you don’t know what it looks like where you want to get out (no information anywhere).
On the upside, we have a great hotel – I’ve been told it’s the best in Brussels. But because of their weekend offer, we actually pay less than friends of us in ‘cheaper’ hotels. The metro is just fine and the busses or okay but there’s far too many of them to figure out which one you take best.
We’ve been in the ‘Drug Opera’ for dinner twice and it’s a good service, great price and a fair price. That’s how I like my dinners in foreign cities. I had ostrich there and it was perfectly cooked. The beers & such were pretty pricy, though.
Oh, by the way, I cancelled the planned sightseeing on day 0 because…well, let’s just say there’s not much worth a sight. Some churches are pretty beautiful and the Grand Place is nice, too. But aside from that (and some modern EU buildings), the city is mostly bad state.
Well, for day 1 I was mostly at the booth, sometimes in a talk and often wandering around a bit. I bought three t-shirts that I liked and I’ve been in need of some new shirts anyway. The one for FOSDEM 2009 cost EUR 25.- which is actually not the price for the shirt but the minimum donation to get a shirt for free. The two FSFE shirts cost EUR 18.- each.
In the evening we didn’t know how to get back to the hotel which resulted in a journey with tram, metro and by foot. It’s been taking a bit long but we’ve know what trams and metros here are like which sure is good to know for the next time. After we’ve dropped of our backpacks we went to the city with bus (not only because it’s been the only kind of public transportation we did not yet use).
We then had dinner and later some beers in different places. ixs turned up with a nice local lady at some point – well, local in terms of ‘living here for work for some time already’. I’ve had some chitchat with her and learned some things about Brussels, Belgium and the EU, for which she’s working. I also learned that the rooms in our hotel normaly cost EUR >500.- while we only paid EUR 79.- (or 89.- with breakfast). Looking at the room rates at the receipted this morning (when checking out) showed us that the normal price is indiccated with EUR 845.-(!)
Okay, Fabian Arrotin’s talk on CentOS has just begun – I’ll close it here.
Even before the Fedora 11 Alpha release was announced, I started downloading and seeding it over bit torrent. The download was pretty quick, the upload too. Within 16h I uploaded 74.7GB with top speeds >10MB/s. Currently, there’s not enough peers to reach this speed, so it’s only at about 200KB/s.
(click brings you to the full sized screenshot)
Today’s a pretty stuffed day. I only have a minimum of time at hand to do everything I want to do today.
At around 00:30 I was ready for the travel. Checked-in for the flight over the web, printed the boarding pass and some important maps of Brussels, had everything in my luggage I need (and probably a bit more) and so on. I’m only taking a few things with me, though.
So I was in bed around 01:00, stood up at 06:00 and now (07:30) am sitting in the train to work. I’ll arrive there around 08:30 where I’ll leave again at 11:00 to to head to the airport. My flight will take off at 12:40 and I’ll be in Brussels around 14:00. From there I probably take the train to the hotel. After that I’m going downtown to do some sightseeing (with 1-2h at hand only). I also shouldn’t forget to send my fiance a postcard from Brussels or she’s going to kill me.
After the travels and the sightseeing which will be really stressful because I don’t have much time, I’ll go to FOSDEM’s beer event in the Delirium Cafe. I hope to be there pretty early and with some luck there’ll already be some guys I know. I wonder how many people I’ll know already at FOSDEM. There’ll be plenty of Fedora guys of which I know most already but I’m not sure if I’ll know anyone from another project.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to a great event, lots of good talks, a fine time at the booth and lots of fun with the community.
Let me finish this post with a stern (final) warning to Brussels in the name of the Fedora Ambassadors:
THE BLUE MAN GROUP IS COMING AND THERE’S NO PLACE TO HIDE. You’ve been warned, Brussels!
On Monday, I’ll have my first day on the new job as a Linux Engineer at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ or nicknamed ‘the MIT or Europe’). I’m really looking forward to that new task and to work for the ETHZ. Oh, and to earn my money with Linux for the first time ever.
On the downside, I’m facing two very stressful weeks. First, it’s always a bit stressy in a new job. Lots of information, new tasks, a new environment, new processes, lots of new people (all with different faces and names…d’oh!) and all such things that come with every new job. Additionally, I’m also looking for a flat in Zurich which is really time-consuming and becomes less fun with every flat I’m having a glance at. On the other hand I’ve got to commute until I’ve got a flat which is time-consuming, too…so looking for a flat is actually a good thing, long-term wise.
But as soon as I’ve found a flat I’ve got to move in. Or first to cancel the contract for my current flat and show the flat to potential flat-overtakers. Also, I’ve to check who’s the cheapest in relocations. And in cleaning my old flat. Phew!
But back two the two upcoming weeks. I’m joining my new employer, look for a new flat and…oh, right. I go to the FOSDEM in the weekend between those stressful weeks. The only 2 days of the next two weeks I could relax I’m taking a flight to Brussels to listen to some talks and host the Fedora booth and socialize with all those >5000 geeks there. I must be crazy to do this in such a stressful time. But then again, I’m also looking forward to it, of course.
I’ve also got in touch with FSFE’s Georg Greve to get together and have a chitchat over a beer or so since he’s working in FSFE’s Zurich office and my ETHZ office is just around the corner. We’d also want to look into how Fedora and FSFE could work together now and then. I sure want to start on this ASAP which means in those first two weeks if possible. Maybe we’ll have a minute or two to speak together during FOSDEM, but i’ll focus on everything else there since Georg’s just aroun the corner in Zurich and most people at FOSDEM are not.
One of this things we could work together a bit is FUDCon EMEA 2009 which I’d like to do in Zurich at the ETHZ. I better speak with some people at the ETHZ about this idea ASAP. Particularly, I’ve got to speak with my boss about this matter first.
Well, I think that’s the important things I’ve got to do in the next two weeks. Of course, some of this will take longer or will not be done until March or whatever. Anyway, if you want me to do something the next few weeks…you better be patient as i might be too busy with lots of other things.
Inspired by Bogo on Planet Fedora I created my individual FOSDEM 2009 schedule:
Saturday
13:00-14:00 RPM packaging by Christoph Wickert (H.2214)
15:00-16:00 The Fedora Project by Max Spevack (Janson)
16:00-17:00 Func, Symbolic: Present and future by Luca Foppiano & Francesco Crippa (H.2214)
Sunday
10:00-11:00 Introduction to CentOS by Fabian Arrotin (H.2214)
11:00-12:00 Enterprise Linux Competitive Landscape by Dag Wieers (H.2214)
12:00-12:30 CentOS on the desktop by Toshaan Bharvani (H.2214)
13:00-14:00 Securing CentOS with SELinux by Ralph Angenendt (H.2214)
15:00-16:00 Cobbler & Koan by Robbert Lazzus & Jasper Capel (H.2214)
I hope they’re mostly interesting talks…or I will just wander out again…or hack a bit on my netbook. In the times between I’ll probably go hunting some food, drink lots of caffeine, spend some time at the Fedora booth, walking around and visit other booths and last but not least talk to lots of people from various projects.
Hotel: check (sharing a room with Jens Kuehnel).
Flight: check
I’m really looking forwards to FOSDEM 2009! My first time in Brussels / at FOSDEM but I probably won’t see much more than the university in which FOSDEM is taking place – oh, and the hotel ;) But on the positive side, I’ll meet lots of Fedorians I know already and even more I don’t know yet. It’s always great to meet new people but also a pleasure to meet the ones I know. Of course that’s not only true for Fedorians but for people of other projects too. By the way, right now, there are 32(!) people on the attendees list in the Fedora wiki. That’s amazing! And have a look at all those languages those people speak – gives you a little overview of how international our booth/dev room will be (and the whole event, of course.
I’m also looking forward to all those talks and stuff. Might be interesting not only for myself but only for my new job where I only just start the week before FOSDEM.
By the way, I’ll arrive at the airport around 14:00 on 2009-02-06 – if you’re arriving at about the same time (and sleep in the Renaissance Brussels Hotel, too), we could meet up and travel together…just leave a comment or mail me.
I’m currently thinking about going to FOSDEM 2009. Flight’s not too costly and a room for two persons in the Renaissance Brussels Hotels is available for a nice price during weekends.
But before I consider to go to Brussels, I’m looking for someone to share the room with. Who wants to volunteer?
