Seems like I only ever write something at CD release time ... Buster release 2 is happening round about now

Updating CD images again for Buster release 2. I've spent a happy day chasing down various CD images and discovering my ignorance once again :)

Thanks to Sledge for having me around and also to Schweer - who wasn't feeling so well. No RattusRattus or Isy this time round - that meant I got to do a little more but I do miss their company.

All looks set fair for CD, DVD images and so on: the Jigdo16GB and the BD-1 isos built from jigdo files also worked well for me. This is getting to be a slick process and it's good to be a part of it.

And another one in a few months, I suspect :)

Chasing around installing CD images for Buster 10.1 ...

and having great fun, as ever, making a few mistakes and contributing mayhem and entropy to the CD release process. Buster 10.1 point update just released, thanks to RattusRattus, Sledge and Isy and Schweer (amongst others).

Waiting on the Stretch point release to try all over again.. I'd much rather be in Cambridge, but hey, you can't have everything.

Cambridge BBQ 2019 - 2

Another day with a garden full of people. A house full of coders, talkers, coffee drinkers and unexpected bread makers - including a huge fresh loaf. Playing "the DebConf card game" for the first time was confusing as anything and a lot of fun. The youngest person there turned out to be one of the toughest players.

Hotter than yesterday - 32 degrees as I've just driven back across country and the sun in my eyes.. Sorry to leave everyone there for tomorrow's end of BBQ but there'll be another opportunity.

Thanks even more to Steve, Jo and everyone there - it's been a fantastic weekend.

Cambridge BBQ 2019

Usual friendly Debian family chaos: a garden full of people last night: lots of chat, lots  of catching up and conviviality including a birthday cake. The house was also full: games of cards ensued last thing at night :) Highlights: home made cookies, chilli and cheese bread [and the company as always]. One of the hotter days of the year at 30 degrees.

Now folk are filtering in: coffee machine is getting a workout and breakfast is happening. Lots more folk expected gradually as the morning progresses: it's 0955 UTC as I'm typing. Today is due to be hotter, apparently. Thanks to Steve and Jo for hosting, as always.

systemd.unit=rescue.target

Just another quick one liner: a Grub config argument which I had to dig for but which is really useful when this sort of thing happens

Faced with a server that was rebooting after an upgrade and dropping to sytemd emergency target:

Rebooting and adding

ssytemd.unit=rescue.target

to the end of the Linux command line in the Grub config as the machine booted and then pressing F10 allowed me to drop to a full featured rescue environment with read/write access to the disk and to sort out the partial upgrade mess.

Debian BSP Cambridge March 10th 2019 - post 2

Lots of very busy people chasing down bugs. A couple of folk have left. It's a good day and very productive: thanks to Steve an Jo, as ever, for food, coffee, coffee, beds and coffee.

Debian BSP Cambridge 10th March 2019

Folks are starting to turn up this morning. Kitchen full of people talking and cooking sausages and talking. A quiet room except for Pepper the dog chasing squeaky toys and people chasing into the kitchen for food. Folk are now gradually setting down to code and bug fix. All is good

Debian BSP Cambridge March 9th 2019 - post 3

Pub meal with lots of people in a crowded pub and lots of chatting. Various folk have come back to Steve's to carry on to be met with a very, very bouncy friendly dog. And on we go :)

Debian BSP Cambridge March 9th 2019 - post 2

Large amounts of conversation: on chat and simultaneously in real life. eight people sat round a dining table. Two on a sofa, me on a chair. ThinkPad quotient has increased. Lots of bugs being closed: Buster steadily becoming less RC-buggy Coffee machine is getting a hammering and Debian is improving steadily. All is good.

Debian BSP Cambridge March 9th 2019 - post 1

At Steve's. Breakfast and coffee have happened. There's a table full of developers, release managers, cables snaking all over the floor and a coffee machine. This is heaven for Debian developers (probably powered by ThinkPads). On IRC on #debian-uk (as ever) and #debian-bugs Catch up with us there

Debian 9.8 released : Desktop environments and power settings

Debian 9.8 - the latest update to Debian Stretch - was released yesterday. Updated installation media can be found at the Debian CD Netnstall page, for example, at As part of the testing, I was using a very old i686 laptop which powers down at random intervals because the battery is old. It tends to suspend almost immediately. I found that the power management settings for the Cinnamon desktop were hart to find: using a Mate disktop allowed me to find the appropriate settings in the Debian menu layout much more easily Kudos to Steve McIntyre and Andy Simpkins (amongst others) for such a good job producing and testing the Debian CDs