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41 <h1>My internship with the FSF tech team and beyond</h1>
42 <p>by <a href="https://bndl.org"><b>bandali</b></a>
43 on December 18, 2020 <small>(also
44 in <a href="fsf-internship-beyond.txt">plain text</a>)</small></p>
45
46 <p class="box">Originally published on the Free Software Foundation's
47 sysadmin blog:<br />
48 <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>
49
50 <p>Hello! I'm
51 <a href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/introducing-bandali-intern-with-the-fsf-tech-team">Amin Bandali</a>,
52 and this is my second blog post on the FSF sysadmin blog, concluding
53 my internship with the FSF tech team this year.</p>
54
55 <p>Throughout my internship with the tech team, I have worked mainly
56 on sysadmin tasks related to setting up and/or managing FSF's
57 GNU/Linux servers. Perhaps most significantly, I set up an instance
58 of the <a href="https://sourcehut.org">Sourcehut</a> forge software to
59 help
60 <a href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/FSF_2020_forge_evaluation">evaluate</a>
61 it as a candidate for the upcoming
62 <a href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/coming-soon-a-new-site-for-fully-free-collaboration">FSF forge project</a>.
63 I documented the installation and setup process of Sourcehut's various
64 components in the form of a literate GNU Emacs Org-mode file, where
65 source blocks are interspersed with comments and prose explaining
66 them. One can then progressively evaluate and execute the source
67 blocks, and optionally have their results stored back in the Org file
68 itself to help with documentation/demonstration.</p>
69
70 <p>I have also been slowly working on various improvements for the
71 server running www.gnu.org, and will continue doing work on it as a
72 volunteer after the end of my internship. This will hopefully be
73 beneficial to the FSF sysadmins running the server, the GNU webmasters
74 who do webmastering work on gnu.org, and the general public browsing
75 and using gnu.org's pages. Notably, changes included upgrading the
76 server to the latest release of Trisquel GNU/Linux, and revamping and
77 improving the search mechanism for gnu.org's pages. Additionally,
78 there are several other projects that I would like to tackle with the
79 tech team in the near future.</p>
80
81 <p>During my internship with the FSF tech team, I picked up a variety
82 of new skills and learned more about a diverse set of topics and
83 tools. This included building and installing a complex piece of
84 software like Sourcehut and debugging issues encountered along the
85 way, using Ansible for managing and deploying infrastructure, as well
86 as learning more about the Exim mail transfer agent used to run FSF
87 and GNU's array of mail servers.</p>
88
89 <p>In conclusion to my internship and the year 2020, it's safe to say
90 that this year has been an eventful year for many people, including
91 myself. I started my internship with the tech team back in May, and
92 as a graduate student at the time, I was expecting a reasonable and
93 balanced workload for my work on my thesis over the coming months.
94 However, early on (less than two weeks) into my internship I learned
95 that due to a number of reasons, I needed to complete my master's
96 studies on a two-month deadline. I told the tech team about the
97 issue, asking whether I could take a hiatus to complete my studies
98 without affecting my internship. I am beyond thankful to the tech
99 team and the FSF as whole for being accommodating, and for their
100 flexibility in allowing me to take a leave to focus on writing my
101 thesis and wrapping up my master's studies. I managed to successfully
102 wrap up my studies in that short timeline, and focus on my internship
103 afterwards.</p>
104
105 <p>However, all good things must come to an end, and this internship
106 is no exception. I am incredibly grateful to the members of the FSF
107 tech team -- Ian, Andrew, Ruben, and Michael -- for welcoming me to
108 the team as an intern and mentoring me, answering my many questions,
109 and helping me learn more. It has been an honour and a wonderful
110 experience for me all around working with you all and seeing the
111 energy and passion with which you take on the work and
112 responsibilities that come with being an FSF sysadmin and Web
113 developer. While most of my interactions were with the tech team, I
114 also got to interact with FSF staffers from several other teams during
115 my internship, and I'm thankful for our conversations and the chance
116 to get to know and appreciate the important work you do.</p>
117
118 <p>This internship has come to an end, but I will carry with me all of
119 the good memories and the lessons I learned along the way, and will
120 happily to continue working with you as a volunteer. The things I
121 learned have been invaluable and greatly helpful to me, as I
122 transitioned into my new full-time job at Savoir-faire Linux as a Free
123 Software Consultant, where I get to work on various parts and aspects
124 of Jami, a GNU package for universal communication which respects the
125 freedoms and privacy of its users.</p>
126
127 <p>I would like to thank the FSF for providing me this excellent
128 opportunity to work alongside the tech team as an intern, and take
129 away so many valuable lessons and great memories.</p>
130
131 <p class="box">Interested in interning for the Free Software
132 Foundation? The application period for spring 2021 internships is
133 currently open. Please see
134 <a href="https://www.fsf.org/volunteer/internships">https://www.fsf.org/volunteer/internships</a>
135 for more details and information on how to apply!</p>
136
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139 <summary>Copyright &copy; 2020 bandali</summary>
140 <p>Copying and distribution of this file, with or without
141 modification, are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the
142 copyright notice and this notice are preserved. This file is offered
143 as-is, without any warranty.</p>
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