Mini-DebConf Cambridge 20241013 1300

 LATE NEWS

 I haven't blogged until now: I should have done from Thursday onwards.

It's a joy to be here in Cambridge at ARM HQ. Lots of people I recognise from last year  here: lots *not* here because this mini-conference is a month before the next one in Toulouse and many people can't attend both.

Two days worth of chatting, working on bits and pieces, chatting and informal meetings was a very good and useful way to build relationships and let teams find some space for themselves.

Lots of quiet hacking going on - a few loud conversations. A new ARM machine in mini-ITX format - see Steve McIntyre's blog on planet.debian.org about Rock 5 ITX.

Two days worth of talks for Saturday and Sunday. For some people, this is a first time. Lightning talks are particularly good to break down barriers - three slides and five minutes (and the chance for a bit of gamesmanship to break the rules creatively).

Longer talks: a couple from Steve Capper of ARM were particularly helpful to those interested in upcoming development. A couple of the talks in the schedule are traditional: if the release team are here, they tell us what they are doing, for example.

ARM are main sponsors and have been very generous in giving us conference and facilities space. Fast network, coffee and interested people - what's not to like :)

[EDIT/UPDATE - And my talk is finished and went fairly well: slides have now been uploaded and the talk is linked from the Mini-DebConf pages]

Debian release weekend - media team update 202408311900 UTC

 We're doing fairly well: Debian release team have been working really hard on a double point release today. Final release for Bullseye as 11.11 as it moves to LTS.

12.7 Bookworm install media finishing tests - it's been quite a long day so far.

For 11.11 we're part way through media tests.

We've been joined by a lot of enthusiastic folk from Cape Town who've been a great help. Always nice to see old friends and new people join us on IRC - and they've just joined us for a short video call.

This has gone well: two release day media checking and bug-squashing groups on two continents is excellent.

Dear Cape Town - feel free to join us for the next time and we'll hold the video call open for longer. If we don't see any of you here in Cambridge for mini-Debconf, we'll meet up in Brest for Debconf 25.

Debian release weekend - Bullseye and Bookworm 20240831

A double length Debian release
means the Release Team don't get much peace
What with last minute breaks
And the time that it takes
Treat them with respect today, please

The media teams on the hook
As we follow our normal play book
With laptops all primed
The images are timed
Once we're told we'll start taking our look

This is the last time for 11
And for Bookworm, it's just 12.7
Give us time for each test
As we all do our best
With our ThinkPads - I see at least seven :)

Lessons from (and for) colleagues - and, implicitly, how NOT to get on

I have had excellent colleagues both at my day job and, especially, in Debian over the last thirty-odd years. Several have attempted to give me good advice - others have been exemplars. People retire: sadly, people die. What impression do you want to leave behind when you leave here?

Belatedly, I've come to realise that obduracy, sheer bloody mindedness, force of will and obstinacy will only get you so far. The following began very much as a tongue in cheek private memo to myself a good few years ago. I showed it to a colleague who suggested at the time that I should share it to a wider audience.

SOME ADVICE YOU MAY BENEFIT FROM

Personal conduct

• Never argue with someone you believe to be arguing idiotically - a dispassionate bystander may have difficulty telling who's who.
• You can't make yourself seem reasonable by behaving unreasonably
• It does not matter how correct your point of view is if you get people's backs up
• They may all be #####, @@@@@, %%%% and ******* - saying so out loud doesn't help improve matters and may make you seem intemperate.
  

 Working with others

• Be the change you want to be and behave the way you want others to behave in order to achieve the desired outcome.
• You can demolish someone's argument constructively and add weight to good points rather than tearing down their ideas and hard work and being ultra-critical and negative - no-one likes to be told "You know - you've got a REALLY ugly baby there"
• It's easier to work with someone than to work against them and have to apologise repeatedly.
• Even when you're outstanding and superlative, even you had to learn it all once. Be generous to help others learn: you shouldn't have to teach too many times if you teach correctly once and take time in doing so.
  

Getting the message across

• Stop: think: write: review: (peer review if necessary): publish.
• Clarity is all: just because you understand it doesn't mean anyone else will.
• It does not matter how correct your point of view is if you put it across badly.
• If you're giving advice: make sure it is:
• Considered
• Constructive
• Correct as far as you can (and)
• Refers to other people who may be able to help
• Say thank you promptly if someone helps you and be prepared to give full credit where credit's due.
  

Work is like that

• You may not know all the answers or even have the whole picture - consult, take advice - LISTEN TO THE ADVICE
• Sometimes the right answer is not the immediately correct answer
• Corollary: Sometimes the right answer for the business is not your suggested/preferred outcome
• Corollary: Just because you can do it like that in the real world doesn't mean that you can do it that way inside the business. [This realisation is INTENSELY frustrating but you have to learn to deal with it]
• DON'T ALWAYS DO IT YOURSELF - Attempt to fix the system, sometimes allow the corporate monster to fail - then do it yourself and fix it. It is always easier and tempting to work round the system and Just Flaming Do It but it doesn't solve problems in the longer term and may create more problems and ill-feeling than it solves.
  
  

  [Worked out for Andy Cater for himself after many years of fighting the system as a misguided missile - though he will freely admit that he doesn't always follow them as often as he should :) ]
  

   

 

 

Debian point releases - updated media for Bullseye (11.9) and Bookworm (12.5) - 2024-02-10

 It's been a LONG day: two point releases in a day takes of the order of twelve or thirteen hours of fairly solid work on behalf of those doing the releases and testing.

Thanks firstly to the main Debian release team for all the initial work.

Thanks to Isy, RattusRattus, Sledge and egw in Cottenham, smcv and Helen closer to the centre of Cambridge, cacin and others who have dropped in and out of IRC and helped testing.

I've been at home but active on IRC - missing the team (and the food) and drinking far too much coffee/eating too many biscuits.

We've found relatively few bugs that we haven't previously noted: it's been a good day. Back again, at some point a couple of months from now to do this all over again.

With luck, I can embed a picture of the Cottenham folk below: it's fun to know _exactly_ where people are because you've been there yourself.

MiniDebConf Cambridge - 26th November 2023 - Afternoon sessions

That's all folks ...

Sadly, nothing too much to report.

I delivered a very quick three slides lightning talk on Accessibility, WCAG [Web Content Accessibility Guidelines] version 2.2 and a request for Debian to do better

WCAG 2.2:  WCAG 2.2 Abstract

Debian-accessibility mailing list link: debian-accessibility

I watched the other lightning talks but then left at 1500 - missing three good talks - to drive home at least partly in daylight.

A great four days - the chance to put some names to faces and to recharge in Debian spaces.

Thanks to all involved and especially ...

Thanks to Cambridge Debian folk for helping arrange evening meals, lifts and so on and especially to those who also happen be ARM employees who were badging us in and out through the four days

Thanks to those who staffed Front Desk on both days and, especially, also to the ARM security guards who let us into site at 0745 on all four days and to Mark who did the weekend shift inside the building for Saturday and Sunday.

Thanks to ARM for  excellent facilities, food, coffee, hosting us and coffee, to Codethink for sponsoring - and a lecture from Sudip and some interesting hardware - and Pexip for Pexip sponsorship (and employee attendance). 

Here's to the next opportunity, whenever that may be.

Back at ARM for MiniDebConf day 2 - Morning sessions 26th November 2023

 Quick recap of slides and safety information for the day from Steve McIntyre

Now into the Release Team questions following a release team overview.

A roomful of people all asking questions which are focused and provoke more questions - how unlike a Debian session :)

May just have talked myself into giving a lightning talk this afternoon :)

Now about to have a talk about from Sudip about OpenQA, kernel testing and automation