Introductions? They are always useful I suppose. How can I give you an introduction without sounding overly pompous? Here goes.

I’ve been writing code now for over 25 years. I’ve probably used every major version of Linux at some point, literally. I’ve probably used a few computer systems that most Linux users have never touched, such as VAX or AS/400. I’ve written code in a number of languages, from assembly all the way to some of your more familiar friends, such as C# or Java. I’ve worked both sides of the fence: Microsoft and Unix. I have my personal preferences, but code is pretty much the same to me.

I’m very outspoken about what I consider “stupid”, and I will tell you so. It is, however it is not a criticism of any one person. I don’t waste time on “who is to blame”, but I have been known to call anyone out if their work is consistently below their obvious ability. I will critique the quality of the work if you ask me to. If you don’t like that, it is best not to ask me anything, and I will usually remain silent - except for general discussion of topics that I am interested in.

As far as Debian specific experience goes, I’ve used it off and on since the 90s. I think the first one I used was Bo, it it would have been around ‘98 or so (and other Linuxes like Slakware well before that). I cannot remember honestly. I’ve maintained my own personal package repos and patches, including personal backports. I’ve seen things and people come and go at Debian, but I’ve never actually joined up myself. If you want the truth, I never really cared for Debian’s attitude toward end users and usability, something that I think has cost Debian dearly over the years.

What would I like to offer Devuan? I’d like to offer QA help with integration. After Jessie or whatever it will be called, I’d like to open discussions about the package management system, and how it can be redesigned to permit better provisioning and adding effective rollback. This whole mess came about because Debian’s package manager, by design, makes it difficult to work around software that uses systemd. Either you are in, or you are out - hence Devuan.

How is that?