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[~bandali/bndl.org] / notes.rss
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6<title>bandali's personal site</title>
7<description>notes and blog posts by bandali</description>
8<link>https://bndl.org</link>
9<language>en</language>
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11<pubDate>Mon, 22 Mar 2021 13:14:02 +0000</pubDate>
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21
22<item>
23<title>LibrePlanet 2021: Jami and how it empowers users</title>
24<link>https://bndl.org/libreplanet-2021.html</link>
25<guid isPermaLink="false">tag:bndl.org,2020:notes.rss:libreplanet-2021</guid>
26<pubDate>Sat, 20 Mar 2021 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
27<atom:updated>2021-03-21T01:15:00-04:00</atom:updated>
28<content:encoded><![CDATA[
29<p>I am giving my very first
30<a href="https://libreplanet.org/2021/">LibrePlanet</a> talk today on
31March 20th. I will be talking about
32<a href="https://jami.net">Jami</a>, the GNU package for universal
33communication that respects the freedoms and privacy of its users.
34I'll be giving an introduction to Jami and its architecture, sharing
35important and exciting development news from the Jami team about
36<a href="https://jami.net/together-the-new-version-of-jami-and-a-new-step-forward/">rendezvous
37points</a>, <a href="https://jami.biz/jams-user-guide">JAMS</a>,
38the <a href="https://jami.net/plugins-sdk">plugin SDK</a>,
39<a href="https://jami.net/swarm-introducing-a-new-generation-of-group-conversations">Swarm
40chats</a>, and more; and how these features each help empower users to
41communicate with their loved ones without sacrificing their privacy or
42freedom.</p>
43
44<p>Here is the abstract for my talk, also available on the
45<a href="https://libreplanet.org/2021/speakers/#4285">LibrePlanet
462021's speakers</a> page:
47
48<blockquote>
49<p>Jami is free software for universal communication that respects the
50freedoms and privacy of its users. Jami is an official GNU package
51with a main goal of providing a framework for virtual communications,
52along with a series of end-user applications for audio/video calling
53and conferencing, text messaging, and file transfer.</p>
54
55<p>With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home has
56become the norm for many workers around the world. More and more
57people are using videoconferencing tools to work or communicate with
58their loved ones. The emergence of these tools has been followed by
59many questions and scandals concerning the privacy and freedom of
60users.</p>
61
62<p>This talk gives an introduction to Jami, a free/libre, truly
63distributed, and peer-to-peer solution, and explains why and how it
64differs from all other existing solutions and how it empowers
65users.</p>
66</blockquote>
67
68<p>I have been an attendee of LibrePlanet for some years, and am very
69excited to be giving my first ever talk at LibrePlanet 2021 this year!
70You can watch my talk and other speakers' talks live this weekend,
71from the <a href="https://libreplanet.org/2021/live/">LibrePlanet 2021
72- Live</a> page. Attendance is gratis (no cost), and you can register
73at <a href="https://u.fsf.org/lp21-sp">https://u.fsf.org/lp21-sp</a>.</p>
74
75<p>Presentation slides:
76<a href="https://p.bndl.org/bandali-jami-libreplanet-2021.pdf">pdf</a>
77(<a href="https://p.bndl.org/bandali-jami-libreplanet-2021-with-notes.pdf">with notes</a>) |
78<a href="bandali-bib.html#bandali-jami-libreplanet-2021">bib</a><br />
79
80<span class="tex">L<sup>a</sup>T<sub>e</sub>X</span> sources:
81<a href="https://p.bndl.org/bandali-jami-libreplanet-2021.tar.gz">tar.gz</a> |
82<a href="https://p.bndl.org/bandali-jami-libreplanet-2021.zip">zip</a></p>
83
84<p>I hope to see you around this year's all-online LibrePlanet
85conference this weekend!</p>
86
87<p class="box">LibrePlanet is a conference about software freedom,
88happening March 20 through 21, 2021. The event is hosted by the Free
89Software Foundation (FSF), and brings together software developers,
90law and policy experts, activists, students, and computer users to
91learn skills, celebrate free software accomplishments, and face
92upcoming challenges. Newcomers are always welcome, and LibrePlanet
932021 will feature programming for all ages and experience levels.</p>
94]]></content:encoded>
95</item>
96
97<item>
98<title>My internship with the FSF tech team and beyond</title>
99<link>https://bndl.org/fsf-internship-beyond.html</link>
100<guid isPermaLink="false">tag:bndl.org,2020:notes.rss:fsf-internship-beyond</guid>
101<pubDate>Fri, 18 Dec 2020 19:31:00 +0000</pubDate>
102<content:encoded>
103<![CDATA[
104<p class="box">Originally published on the Free Software Foundation's
105sysadmin blog:<br />
106<a href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/my-internship-with-the-fsf-tech-team-and-beyond">My internship with the FSF tech team and beyond</a></p>
107
108<p>Hello! I'm
109<a href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/introducing-bandali-intern-with-the-fsf-tech-team">Amin Bandali</a>,
110and this is my second blog post on the FSF sysadmin blog, concluding
111my internship with the FSF tech team this year.</p>
112
113<p>Throughout my internship with the tech team, I have worked mainly
114on sysadmin tasks related to setting up and/or managing FSF's
115GNU/Linux servers. Perhaps most significantly, I set up an instance
116of the <a href="https://sourcehut.org">Sourcehut</a> forge software to
117help
118<a href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/FSF_2020_forge_evaluation">evaluate</a>
119it as a candidate for the upcoming
120<a href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/coming-soon-a-new-site-for-fully-free-collaboration">FSF forge project</a>.
121I documented the installation and setup process of Sourcehut's various
122components in the form of a literate GNU Emacs Org-mode file, where
123source blocks are interspersed with comments and prose explaining
124them. One can then progressively evaluate and execute the source
125blocks, and optionally have their results stored back in the Org file
126itself to help with documentation/demonstration.</p>
127
128<p>I have also been slowly working on various improvements for the
129server running www.gnu.org, and will continue doing work on it as a
130volunteer after the end of my internship. This will hopefully be
131beneficial to the FSF sysadmins running the server, the GNU webmasters
132who do webmastering work on gnu.org, and the general public browsing
133and using gnu.org's pages. Notably, changes included upgrading the
134server to the latest release of Trisquel GNU/Linux, and revamping and
135improving the search mechanism for gnu.org's pages. Additionally,
136there are several other projects that I would like to tackle with the
137tech team in the near future.</p>
138
139<p>During my internship with the FSF tech team, I picked up a variety
140of new skills and learned more about a diverse set of topics and
141tools. This included building and installing a complex piece of
142software like Sourcehut and debugging issues encountered along the
143way, using Ansible for managing and deploying infrastructure, as well
144as learning more about the Exim mail transfer agent used to run FSF
145and GNU's array of mail servers.</p>
146
147<p>In conclusion to my internship and the year 2020, it's safe to say
148that this year has been an eventful year for many people, including
149myself. I started my internship with the tech team back in May, and
150as a graduate student at the time, I was expecting a reasonable and
151balanced workload for my work on my thesis over the coming months.
152However, early on (less than two weeks) into my internship I learned
153that due to a number of reasons, I needed to complete my master's
154studies on a two-month deadline. I told the tech team about the
155issue, asking whether I could take a hiatus to complete my studies
156without affecting my internship. I am beyond thankful to the tech
157team and the FSF as whole for being accommodating, and for their
158flexibility in allowing me to take a leave to focus on writing my
159thesis and wrapping up my master's studies. I managed to successfully
160wrap up my studies in that short timeline, and focus on my internship
161afterwards.</p>
162
163<p>However, all good things must come to an end, and this internship
164is no exception. I am incredibly grateful to the members of the FSF
165tech team -- Ian, Andrew, Ruben, and Michael -- for welcoming me to
166the team as an intern and mentoring me, answering my many questions,
167and helping me learn more. It has been an honour and a wonderful
168experience for me all around working with you all and seeing the
169energy and passion with which you take on the work and
170responsibilities that come with being an FSF sysadmin and Web
171developer. While most of my interactions were with the tech team, I
172also got to interact with FSF staffers from several other teams during
173my internship, and I'm thankful for our conversations and the chance
174to get to know and appreciate the important work you do.</p>
175
176<p>This internship has come to an end, but I will carry with me all of
177the good memories and the lessons I learned along the way, and will
178happily to continue working with you as a volunteer. The things I
179learned have been invaluable and greatly helpful to me, as I
180transitioned into my new full-time job at Savoir-faire Linux as a Free
181Software Consultant, where I get to work on various parts and aspects
182of Jami, a GNU package for universal communication which respects the
183freedoms and privacy of its users.</p>
184
185<p>I would like to thank the FSF for providing me this excellent
186opportunity to work alongside the tech team as an intern, and take
187away so many valuable lessons and great memories.</p>
188
189<p class="box">Interested in interning for the Free Software
190Foundation? The application period for spring 2021 internships is
191currently open. Please see
192<a href="https://www.fsf.org/volunteer/internships">https://www.fsf.org/volunteer/internships</a>
193for more details and information on how to apply!</p>
194]]></content:encoded>
195</item>
196
197<item>
198<title>Internship with the FSF tech team</title>
199<link>https://bndl.org/fsf-internship-intro.html</link>
200<guid isPermaLink="false">tag:bndl.org,2020:notes.rss:fsf-internship-intro</guid>
201<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2020 18:38:00 +0000</pubDate>
202<content:encoded>
203<![CDATA[
204<p class="box">Originally published on the Free Software Foundation's
205sysadmin blog:<br />
206<a href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/introducing-bandali-intern-with-the-fsf-tech-team">Introducing
207Amin Bandali, intern with the FSF tech team</a></p>
208
209<p>Hi there, I'm Amin Bandali, often just <code>bandali</code> on the
210interwebs. I wear a few different hats around GNU as a maintainer,
211webmaster, and Savannah hacker, and I'm very excited to be extending
212that to the Free Software Foundation (FSF) as an intern with the FSF
213tech team for spring 2020.</p>
214
215<p>Growing up around parents with backgrounds in computer engineering
216and programming, it did not take long for me to find an interest in
217tinkering and playing with computers as a kid, and I first came into
218contact with GNU/Linux in my teenage years. My first introduction to
219the world of free software came a few years later, when a friend
220kindly pointed out to me that what I had vaguely known and referred to
221as "open source" software is more properly referred to as free
222software, and helped me see
223<a href="https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">why
224"open source" misses the point of free software</a>. After learning
225about and absorbing the ideas and ideals of free software, I have
226since become a free software activist. As a computer scientist who
227enjoys studying and hacking on various programs and sometimes writing
228my own, I have made a point of releasing all I can under strong
229copyleft licenses, particularly the
230<a href="https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html">GNU AGPL</a>
231license.</p>
232
233<p>My involvement with the <a href="https://www.gnu.org">GNU
234Project</a> started in 2016, first as a volunteer webmaster, and later
235as one of the maintainers of
236<a href="https://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/">GNUzilla and
237IceCat</a> late last year. Also around the same time, I led a group
238of volunteers in organizing and holding
239<a href="https://emacsconf.org/2019">EmacsConf 2019</a> as a
240completely online conference, using only free software tools, much
241like the excellent
242<a href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/LibrePlanet:Conference/2020">LibrePlanet
2432020</a>. I love <a href="https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/">GNU
244Emacs</a>, and use it more than any other program. GNU Emacs helps me
245do a wide variety of tasks such as programming, reading and composing
246emails, and chatting via IRC.</p>
247
248<p>More closely related to my internship with the FSF tech team, I
249have been familiarizing myself with various pieces of the
250<a href="https://savannah.gnu.org">GNU Savannah</a> infrastructure
251with help from veteran Savannah hacker Bob Proulx, gradually learning
252and picking up tasks helping with the administration and maintenance
253of Savannah. I am also a member of the Systems Committee of my
254university's computer science club, overseeing and maintaining a large
255fleet of GNU/Linux servers for our club members.</p>
256
257<p>For my internship with the Free Software Foundation, I will be
258working with the FSF tech team on a number of tasks, including helping
259with
260the <a href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/coming-soon-a-new-site-for-fully-free-collaboration">free
261software forge</a> project, as well as various improvements for
262gnu.org. I look forward to learning many new things and picking up
263valuable skills through my internship with the FSF's exceptional tech
264team, who do <em>so much</em> for the GNU project and the wider free
265software community.</p>
266]]></content:encoded>
267</item>
268
269<item>
270<title>How I do my Computing</title>
271<link>https://bndl.org/computing.html</link>
272<guid isPermaLink="false">tag:bndl.org,2020:notes.rss:computing</guid>
273<pubDate>Sat, 14 Sep 2019 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
274<atom:updated>2021-02-28T12:00:00Z</atom:updated>
275<content:encoded>
276<![CDATA[
277<p class="box">inspired by the computing page of
278<a href="https://stallman.org/stallman-computing.html">rms</a></p>
279
280<h2>Computers</h2>
281<p>My <a href="https://libreboot.org">librebooted</a> ThinkPad X200
282computer is the machine I use the most and where I do most of my
283computing. I also have the privilege of having access to a fleet of
284servers through our school's
285<a href="https://csclub.uwaterloo.ca">Computer Science Club</a> that I
286use for some more computationally intensive tasks every now and again,
287and also for hosting this very website.</p>
288
289<h2>GNU/Linux distribution</h2>
290<p>I used a wide variety of distros over the years; but I have since
291found <a href="https://trisquel.info">Trisquel</a> to be my favourite
292and it's put my "distro-hopping" days behind me. Sometimes I pair it
293up with <a href="https://guix.gnu.org">GNU Guix</a>. For the kernel,
294I usually use
295<a href="https://www.fsfla.org/ikiwiki/selibre/linux-libre/">GNU
296Linux-libre</a> from jxself's
297<a href="https://jxself.org/linux-libre/">APT repository</a>.</p>
298
299<h2>Actual computing</h2>
300<p>I spend most of my time in
301<a href="https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/">GNU Emacs</a>.</p>
302<p>TODO: elaborate</p>
303
304<h2 id="colophon">Maintaining this site</h2>
305<p>The pages of this site are (manually) written in plain HTML using
306GNU Emacs. You can run <code class="box">git clone
307https://bndl.org</code> in a terminal to get the git repository
308containing all the pages of the site and the history of changes to
309them.</p>
310]]></content:encoded>
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