Columbus Arrival

The Bad
I had a very frustrating morning. I got up at about 20 minutes to 5:00 with full intention ofgoing to the gym before my flight to Denver (en route to Columbus). I dinked around a bit with updating my iPod, then went to burn some raw .wav files to DVD so I could edit them on the plane. (Mike the Audio Guy is still away on his honeymoon.)

The files were not where I had copied them onto my ThinkPad, and so the only copies were down in Provo an hour away. (Why, oh, why didn’t I put them on a server?) That would be just so much spilled milk, except that the interview was with David Reveman about the Compiz-Beryl fork, so it was pretty relevant to get out there. Ugh. So I decided to stitch together the episode for the GNU Toolchain interview from Nuremberg, only to find out that Audacity really doesn’t read DigitalPerformer files. Ugh₂.

In the panicked haste of discovering this catastrophe, I managed to burn away too much time, so the “go to the gym to stay in shape” plan got aborted.

The Good
I don’t usually fly United, for good reason. But since the conference leads took a while to deliberate whether my presentation at Ohio Linux Fest would be too corporate (actually, that was what they told me, but I think they had an outside-shot candidate in mind for the final speaking slot, and that didn’t come through), I ended up on United anyway. That means going through Denver.

One rather tasty burrito later, I was using the sole power outlet at the gate when Google’s Chris DiBona shows up at the gate. So, we chatted for a bit about Summer of Code, FLOSS Weekly, why Miguel de Icaza is annoying (okay, maybe I inserted that opinion), and sundry other topics. Chris is a very likeable guy.

The Ugly
Post flight, Chris gave me a ride–thanks, Google–into town, targeting his hotel from where I would get a cab over to my own. But when my hotel appeared on a corner we were passing, Chis saw the opportunity to correct his mistake. Slamming the brakes rather abruptly, Chris shoved me out onto the curb with a well placed shoulder. My backside hit the curb rather awkwardly as tires screeched and Chris drove away. After re-composing my senses, I spotted Chris a block and a half away, dumping my luggage out onto the street. Last I saw of him, he shook his fist and scowled before tearing away around the corner. Presently, I retreived my luggage–less my dignity–to the scent of burnt rubber, then adjourned to my hotel room. I suppose that finding of likeability is not reciprocated.

The Truth
Tonight I meet up with the TLLTS guys at Barley’s.

NOA: Beergardens and Mobile Devices

I have previously mentioned that we have an upcoming episode of Novell Open Audio featuring Holger Macht and Timo Hoenig from SUSE’s “Team Mobile Devices.” Well, it’s finally online.

In a tip of the hat to the guys over at The Linux Link Tech Show, this edition involves beer. We recorded from Anderland, a fine beergarden in beautiful Nuremberg. Please consider the background noise on this one simply part of the ambience. Oh, and for our Provo-based listeners: yes, that is a baby crying in the background, and, yes, people commonly bring their infants to beergardens.

We remind you that the online listener survey closes on Saturday, so if you haven’t taken the survey yet, please do! We will award two limited edition green Novell backpacks–possibly stuffed with some other cool schwag–to two of the respondents. We’ll announce who wins them after September 30th.

GroupWise Administrators Reference Quick Start Card

If you manage GroupWise, check out BrainStorm’s new free (as in gratis) GroupWise Administrators Reference. ‘Nuff said.

OpenSUSE about to overtake Ubuntu on Distrowatch (7 Day HPD Chart)

While a 7-day stat may not sustain, this is nice to see!

Please give it a digg!

read more | digg story

Going to Ohio LinuxFest!

I will be going to Ohio LinuxFest, presenting on “Desktop Innovation at Novell” at 1:30pm in Ballroom 3.Special thanks to my Irish friend (and Novell Open Audio listener) Jorge O’Castro for putting in a good word for me.

The downside? My session is at the same time as the Internet’s Chris DiBona.

A “Slightly Alcoholic Jet-setter”: Insights on Novell Open Audio

Recently, there have been a couple interesting commentaries about Novell Open Audio from some of our listeners.

• The first I want to share is from David Harrison in New Zealand. It aligns well with where I think we are with the show, and the Novell community program in general. I serendipitously discovered this review as I started preparing materials for an upcoming review of Novell’s community efforts with Novell’s Chief Marketing Officer, John Dragoon–a really solid guy to whom I feel I can speak very franky.
• The second is from Tony Whitmore. While I don’t feel it’s as dead-on as Harrison’s more thorough assay, some of Whitmore’s questions align with Harrison’s and a few others I have spoken with directly.

While I am outwardly a consummate advocate for Novell, and I am pleased with what we’re accomplishing through efforts like Novell Open Audio, critical assessment of myself and the show are a constant part of the back end process. How do we tune this thing to make it better for people? In what areas are we still underdelivering? How can we increase transparency and interaction? These are the kinds of questions I regularly mull over. While reviews like Harrision’s–and even Whitmore’s–may contain sharp critique, they provide a lot of insights and ideas on how we can continure improve Novell.

Even if you’re not a regular blogger, feedback sent to openaudio at novell dot com or through our current listener survey helps, too.

Finally, at the request of a couple readers (Liquidat, KoOlLiNuS), I have a series of posts in development about the Novell community program and how I think we are progressing. If you have specific areas you want me to cover, please leave a comment.

Can Linux Desktops Live in an Active Directory World?

Why Does Active Directory Matter?
It still causes me uncomfortable dispepsia to admit that Microsoft’s directory coup worked so well. Since Windows desktop systems are so challenging to own without it, Microsoft succeeded at pushing Active Directory into wide deployment in the business world. As advocates for desktop Linux promote fitness and readiness for use in the business world, few seem to surmise what a strong fortress Microsoft has built around Windows. It’s not just about the platform; the enterprise infrastructure matters, too. When it comes to business information technology, the subtext beneath “just replace the desktops of the types of user for whom Linux is ready” reads “change your management system for all these user’s desktops, too.” Such a proposition is unsavory to the already change-averse IT culture.

Proprietary Software and SUSE

People may have missed seeing a really good blog post from Andreas Jaeger not too long ago, called “Propietary Software and openSUSE” on the Cool Blogs site. As one of the leaders of openSUSE, Andreas’ view on this matter should be of interest to anyone looking for the project’s stance on proprietary kernel modules and other software.

Upcoming Speaking Events

Barnstormer?
In a response to my defense of Tux, one W. A. Gerrard described me as a “barnstormer.” To make sure he was not calling me a reckless kook who makes public spectacle playing with rickety flying machines, I had to look up the term. It turns out that the term can mean, “an actor who travels around the country presenting plays,” and, “a pilot who travels around the country giving exhibits of stunt flying and parachuting.” I suppose that it’s a fair term for someone who flies to different places to share technology.

Speaking Events
So where am I taking the Sopwith Camel next?

Ohio Sep 30
I have put in a late bid to speak at Ohio LinuxFest. (With many thanks to Jorge Castro for advocating my bid to speak there.)

Idaho Oct 10
James Johnatakis, a colleague from my pre-Novell days, has invited me to present at the inaugural meeting of…wait for it…IdaNAG. (That’s Idaho Network Administrators Group. You may now commence crafting the snappy comebacks.) IdaNAG has not put up their website, so I will add details as soon as James provides them to me.

Silicon Valley/Bay Area Oct 11
The Novell Oakland/Bay Area Users Group (that’s NOBUG) has invited me to their SUSE Linux “Load Fest” in Fremont. I hope to share a whole bunch of cool stuff that you can do on SUSE platforms. Thanks go to Allan Hurst, member of the NUI board of directors and longtime Novell advocate in the Bay Area, for inviting me.

Other Engagements
I’m working on LinuxWorld London, Socal Linux Expo, and BrainShare. (Will we do “live” recordings Novell Open Audio at any of these? I hope so!)

To track where I’ll be at different times, I have created a new Speaking Events page, which you can find on the right-side nav of my blog.

And, as always, user groups can request me through NUI (Brent Sharp and Javier Camano presiding), or contacting me directly as “thaeger” in the novell commercial domain.

Prague Arrival

Surfacing from my Ambien slumber this morning, our jet dropped down into Prague an hour delayed. After my lost-luggage experience at GUADEC, I estimated little hope of ever seeing my bag appear on the carousel. To my surprise, somehow it followed me through both the Atlanta and New York City transfers I made yesterday.

The event coordinators had a driver meet me at the airport–a service I seldom accept, but occasionally it can be very nice after a long flight to an unfamilar place. When I emerged into the arrivals hall, I scanned the placards and hand-written signs held by various young and middle-aged men until I finally saw my name in large, serifed type on a laser-printed page. The sign was held by an attractive thirty-something woman. The stylish clothing on her slender fugure made me think back to my days travelling as a bachelor. The best thing about being married is that it provides one with the confidence to be a disinterested observer, no more than a casual appreciator of the arts. In other words, I have no need to pursue exotic rejections.

For 20 minutes we drove in almost total silence, passing various familiar business names along the way. Prague has skilled technical workers, making it another outsourcing capital. We passed a huge, modern building, all shiny with glass and metal, bearing Sun’s name. Further down the block, the same building bore Siemens’ name, prompting me to ponder whether or not it was to see these two as conjoined twins.

Now at the hotel, I have a spartan room in which to shower. Later, perhaps some sight-seeing. Tomorrow, off to the mountains and the conference.

Don’t Kill the Penguin!!

Naming, Again

Frank J. Ohlhorst of CRN recently published “Advice To Linux: Kill The Penguin,” which may seem in line with my recent comments about product and project naming. (Thanks for the tip off to reader Ray Epping!)

Ohlhorst is missing something hugely important, but he does raise a solid point or two. Let me give him credit first, then see whether I can defend the use of our beloved Tux and dole out some justice.

SUSE Labs Conference 2006

This weekend I head to Prague, then to Harrachov in the Krkonose Mountains in the Czech Republic for the SUSE Labs Conference 2006. What’s that? Well…

The SUSE Labs Conference is the one occasion of the year where all the SUSE Labs hackers get together to meet face-to-face to share their knowledge and experience with each other and learn new things. People who work on related topics or who interact a lot with SUSE Labs are invited to the conference as well.

In other words, it’s a hacker conference for the people who are closest involved with SUSE Labs, featuring some of the extremely brilliant people that you may have heard on some recent episodes of Novell Open Audio (with a few still coming up). However, there will also be a lot of people who are not based in Nuremberg, which is partly why Egbert Eich and Michael Matz invited me.

I’m extremely excited to attend, and I only hope that I can keep pace with so many smart people who are so intense about Linux and open source. I may get a couple interviews, but as many now know, our mobile recording setup was not producing well for us in Nuremberg. Wish me luck!

I return to the US on Sep 19th, and hope to finish a new edition of NOA to release on the 20th. While I am out, we’ll post an edition featuring the amazing Lars Mueller speaking on Active Directory integration with SLED10, and those loveable guys from News from Support.

Novell Open Audio Listener Survey

Just before the U.S. holiday weekend, we posted an edition of Novell Open Audio featuring the boy wonder Robert Love and News from Support. That was pretty much our six month “semi-anniversary” show.

Over the course of 35 shows, we have done a lot in order to to the show according to what our listeners have requested, as well as a lot of “what if we did this?” ideas that Erin and I have batted back and forth. It feels to us like we’ve come a long way, but rather than getting all self-congratulatory, we want to know what our listeners think of the show.

So, we have put up an online survey for our listeners to tell us what’s what. If you are a listener and you haven’t taken the survey yet, please do! It’s fewer than 10 questions, and we will award two limited edition green Novell backpacks–possibly stuffed with some other cool schwag–to two of the respondents. We’ll announce who after September 30th.