by bandali -on December 18, 2020 (also -in plain text)
- -Originally published on the Free Software Foundation's
-sysadmin blog:
-My internship with the FSF tech team and beyond
Hello! I'm -Amin Bandali, -and this is my second blog post on the FSF sysadmin blog, concluding -my internship with the FSF tech team this year.
- -Throughout my internship with the tech team, I have worked mainly -on sysadmin tasks related to setting up and/or managing FSF's -GNU/Linux servers. Perhaps most significantly, I set up an instance -of the Sourcehut forge software to -help -evaluate -it as a candidate for the upcoming -FSF forge project. -I documented the installation and setup process of Sourcehut's various -components in the form of a literate GNU Emacs Org-mode file, where -source blocks are interspersed with comments and prose explaining -them. One can then progressively evaluate and execute the source -blocks, and optionally have their results stored back in the Org file -itself to help with documentation/demonstration.
- -I have also been slowly working on various improvements for the -server running www.gnu.org, and will continue doing work on it as a -volunteer after the end of my internship. This will hopefully be -beneficial to the FSF sysadmins running the server, the GNU webmasters -who do webmastering work on gnu.org, and the general public browsing -and using gnu.org's pages. Notably, changes included upgrading the -server to the latest release of Trisquel GNU/Linux, and revamping and -improving the search mechanism for gnu.org's pages. Additionally, -there are several other projects that I would like to tackle with the -tech team in the near future.
- -During my internship with the FSF tech team, I picked up a variety -of new skills and learned more about a diverse set of topics and -tools. This included building and installing a complex piece of -software like Sourcehut and debugging issues encountered along the -way, using Ansible for managing and deploying infrastructure, as well -as learning more about the Exim mail transfer agent used to run FSF -and GNU's array of mail servers.
- -In conclusion to my internship and the year 2020, it's safe to say -that this year has been an eventful year for many people, including -myself. I started my internship with the tech team back in May, and -as a graduate student at the time, I was expecting a reasonable and -balanced workload for my work on my thesis over the coming months. -However, early on (less than two weeks) into my internship I learned -that due to a number of reasons, I needed to complete my master's -studies on a two-month deadline. I told the tech team about the -issue, asking whether I could take a hiatus to complete my studies -without affecting my internship. I am beyond thankful to the tech -team and the FSF as whole for being accommodating, and for their -flexibility in allowing me to take a leave to focus on writing my -thesis and wrapping up my master's studies. I managed to successfully -wrap up my studies in that short timeline, and focus on my internship -afterwards.
- -However, all good things must come to an end, and this internship -is no exception. I am incredibly grateful to the members of the FSF -tech team -- Ian, Andrew, Ruben, and Michael -- for welcoming me to -the team as an intern and mentoring me, answering my many questions, -and helping me learn more. It has been an honour and a wonderful -experience for me all around working with you all and seeing the -energy and passion with which you take on the work and -responsibilities that come with being an FSF sysadmin and Web -developer. While most of my interactions were with the tech team, I -also got to interact with FSF staffers from several other teams during -my internship, and I'm thankful for our conversations and the chance -to get to know and appreciate the important work you do.
- -This internship has come to an end, but I will carry with me all of -the good memories and the lessons I learned along the way, and will -happily to continue working with you as a volunteer. The things I -learned have been invaluable and greatly helpful to me, as I -transitioned into my new full-time job at Savoir-faire Linux as a Free -Software Consultant, where I get to work on various parts and aspects -of Jami, a GNU package for universal communication which respects the -freedoms and privacy of its users.
- -I would like to thank the FSF for providing me this excellent -opportunity to work alongside the tech team as an intern, and take -away so many valuable lessons and great memories.
- -Interested in interning for the Free Software -Foundation? The application period for spring 2021 internships is -currently open. Please see -https://www.fsf.org/volunteer/internships -for more details and information on how to apply!
- -Copying and distribution of this file, with or without -modification, are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the -copyright notice and this notice are preserved. This file is offered -as-is, without any warranty.
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