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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>
10 <lastBuildDate>Mon, 22 Mar 2021 13:14:02 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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
31 March 20th. I will be talking about
32 <a href="https://jami.net">Jami</a>, the GNU package for universal
33 communication that respects the freedoms and privacy of its users.
34 I'll be giving an introduction to Jami and its architecture, sharing
35 important 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
37 points</a>, <a href="https://jami.biz/jams-user-guide">JAMS</a>,
38 the <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
40 chats</a>, and more; and how these features each help empower users to
41 communicate with their loved ones without sacrificing their privacy or
42 freedom.</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
46 2021's speakers</a> page:
47
48 <blockquote>
49 <p>Jami is free software for universal communication that respects the
50 freedoms and privacy of its users. Jami is an official GNU package
51 with a main goal of providing a framework for virtual communications,
52 along with a series of end-user applications for audio/video calling
53 and conferencing, text messaging, and file transfer.</p>
54
55 <p>With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home has
56 become the norm for many workers around the world. More and more
57 people are using videoconferencing tools to work or communicate with
58 their loved ones. The emergence of these tools has been followed by
59 many questions and scandals concerning the privacy and freedom of
60 users.</p>
61
62 <p>This talk gives an introduction to Jami, a free/libre, truly
63 distributed, and peer-to-peer solution, and explains why and how it
64 differs from all other existing solutions and how it empowers
65 users.</p>
66 </blockquote>
67
68 <p>I have been an attendee of LibrePlanet for some years, and am very
69 excited to be giving my first ever talk at LibrePlanet 2021 this year!
70 You can watch my talk and other speakers' talks live this weekend,
71 from the <a href="https://libreplanet.org/2021/live/">LibrePlanet 2021
72 - Live</a> page. Attendance is gratis (no cost), and you can register
73 at <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="https://bndl.org/bandali.bib">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
85 conference this weekend!</p>
86
87 <p class="box">LibrePlanet is a conference about software freedom,
88 happening March 20 through 21, 2021. The event is hosted by the Free
89 Software Foundation (FSF), and brings together software developers,
90 law and policy experts, activists, students, and computer users to
91 learn skills, celebrate free software accomplishments, and face
92 upcoming challenges. Newcomers are always welcome, and LibrePlanet
93 2021 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
105 sysadmin 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>,
110 and this is my second blog post on the FSF sysadmin blog, concluding
111 my internship with the FSF tech team this year.</p>
112
113 <p>Throughout my internship with the tech team, I have worked mainly
114 on sysadmin tasks related to setting up and/or managing FSF's
115 GNU/Linux servers. Perhaps most significantly, I set up an instance
116 of the <a href="https://sourcehut.org">Sourcehut</a> forge software to
117 help
118 <a href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/FSF_2020_forge_evaluation">evaluate</a>
119 it 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>.
121 I documented the installation and setup process of Sourcehut's various
122 components in the form of a literate GNU Emacs Org-mode file, where
123 source blocks are interspersed with comments and prose explaining
124 them. One can then progressively evaluate and execute the source
125 blocks, and optionally have their results stored back in the Org file
126 itself to help with documentation/demonstration.</p>
127
128 <p>I have also been slowly working on various improvements for the
129 server running www.gnu.org, and will continue doing work on it as a
130 volunteer after the end of my internship. This will hopefully be
131 beneficial to the FSF sysadmins running the server, the GNU webmasters
132 who do webmastering work on gnu.org, and the general public browsing
133 and using gnu.org's pages. Notably, changes included upgrading the
134 server to the latest release of Trisquel GNU/Linux, and revamping and
135 improving the search mechanism for gnu.org's pages. Additionally,
136 there are several other projects that I would like to tackle with the
137 tech team in the near future.</p>
138
139 <p>During my internship with the FSF tech team, I picked up a variety
140 of new skills and learned more about a diverse set of topics and
141 tools. This included building and installing a complex piece of
142 software like Sourcehut and debugging issues encountered along the
143 way, using Ansible for managing and deploying infrastructure, as well
144 as learning more about the Exim mail transfer agent used to run FSF
145 and GNU's array of mail servers.</p>
146
147 <p>In conclusion to my internship and the year 2020, it's safe to say
148 that this year has been an eventful year for many people, including
149 myself. I started my internship with the tech team back in May, and
150 as a graduate student at the time, I was expecting a reasonable and
151 balanced workload for my work on my thesis over the coming months.
152 However, early on (less than two weeks) into my internship I learned
153 that due to a number of reasons, I needed to complete my master's
154 studies on a two-month deadline. I told the tech team about the
155 issue, asking whether I could take a hiatus to complete my studies
156 without affecting my internship. I am beyond thankful to the tech
157 team and the FSF as whole for being accommodating, and for their
158 flexibility in allowing me to take a leave to focus on writing my
159 thesis and wrapping up my master's studies. I managed to successfully
160 wrap up my studies in that short timeline, and focus on my internship
161 afterwards.</p>
162
163 <p>However, all good things must come to an end, and this internship
164 is no exception. I am incredibly grateful to the members of the FSF
165 tech team -- Ian, Andrew, Ruben, and Michael -- for welcoming me to
166 the team as an intern and mentoring me, answering my many questions,
167 and helping me learn more. It has been an honour and a wonderful
168 experience for me all around working with you all and seeing the
169 energy and passion with which you take on the work and
170 responsibilities that come with being an FSF sysadmin and Web
171 developer. While most of my interactions were with the tech team, I
172 also got to interact with FSF staffers from several other teams during
173 my internship, and I'm thankful for our conversations and the chance
174 to 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
177 the good memories and the lessons I learned along the way, and will
178 happily to continue working with you as a volunteer. The things I
179 learned have been invaluable and greatly helpful to me, as I
180 transitioned into my new full-time job at Savoir-faire Linux as a Free
181 Software Consultant, where I get to work on various parts and aspects
182 of Jami, a GNU package for universal communication which respects the
183 freedoms and privacy of its users.</p>
184
185 <p>I would like to thank the FSF for providing me this excellent
186 opportunity to work alongside the tech team as an intern, and take
187 away so many valuable lessons and great memories.</p>
188
189 <p class="box">Interested in interning for the Free Software
190 Foundation? The application period for spring 2021 internships is
191 currently open. Please see
192 <a href="https://www.fsf.org/volunteer/internships">https://www.fsf.org/volunteer/internships</a>
193 for 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
205 sysadmin blog:<br />
206 <a href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/introducing-bandali-intern-with-the-fsf-tech-team">Introducing
207 Amin 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
210 interwebs. I wear a few different hats around GNU as a maintainer,
211 webmaster, and Savannah hacker, and I'm very excited to be extending
212 that to the Free Software Foundation (FSF) as an intern with the FSF
213 tech team for spring 2020.</p>
214
215 <p>Growing up around parents with backgrounds in computer engineering
216 and programming, it did not take long for me to find an interest in
217 tinkering and playing with computers as a kid, and I first came into
218 contact with GNU/Linux in my teenage years. My first introduction to
219 the world of free software came a few years later, when a friend
220 kindly pointed out to me that what I had vaguely known and referred to
221 as "open source" software is more properly referred to as free
222 software, 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
225 about and absorbing the ideas and ideals of free software, I have
226 since become a free software activist. As a computer scientist who
227 enjoys studying and hacking on various programs and sometimes writing
228 my own, I have made a point of releasing all I can under strong
229 copyleft licenses, particularly the
230 <a href="https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html">GNU AGPL</a>
231 license.</p>
232
233 <p>My involvement with the <a href="https://www.gnu.org">GNU
234 Project</a> started in 2016, first as a volunteer webmaster, and later
235 as one of the maintainers of
236 <a href="https://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/">GNUzilla and
237 IceCat</a> late last year. Also around the same time, I led a group
238 of volunteers in organizing and holding
239 <a href="https://emacsconf.org/2019">EmacsConf 2019</a> as a
240 completely online conference, using only free software tools, much
241 like the excellent
242 <a href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/LibrePlanet:Conference/2020">LibrePlanet
243 2020</a>. I love <a href="https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/">GNU
244 Emacs</a>, and use it more than any other program. GNU Emacs helps me
245 do a wide variety of tasks such as programming, reading and composing
246 emails, and chatting via IRC.</p>
247
248 <p>More closely related to my internship with the FSF tech team, I
249 have been familiarizing myself with various pieces of the
250 <a href="https://savannah.gnu.org">GNU Savannah</a> infrastructure
251 with help from veteran Savannah hacker Bob Proulx, gradually learning
252 and picking up tasks helping with the administration and maintenance
253 of Savannah. I am also a member of the Systems Committee of my
254 university's computer science club, overseeing and maintaining a large
255 fleet of GNU/Linux servers for our club members.</p>
256
257 <p>For my internship with the Free Software Foundation, I will be
258 working with the FSF tech team on a number of tasks, including helping
259 with
260 the <a href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/coming-soon-a-new-site-for-fully-free-collaboration">free
261 software forge</a> project, as well as various improvements for
262 gnu.org. I look forward to learning many new things and picking up
263 valuable skills through my internship with the FSF's exceptional tech
264 team, who do <em>so much</em> for the GNU project and the wider free
265 software 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
282 computer is the machine I use the most and where I do most of my
283 computing. I also have the privilege of having access to a fleet of
284 servers through our school's
285 <a href="https://csclub.uwaterloo.ca">Computer Science Club</a> that I
286 use for some more computationally intensive tasks every now and again,
287 and 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
291 found <a href="https://trisquel.info">Trisquel</a> to be my favourite
292 and it's put my "distro-hopping" days behind me. Sometimes I pair it
293 up with <a href="https://guix.gnu.org">GNU Guix</a>. For the kernel,
294 I usually use
295 <a href="https://www.fsfla.org/ikiwiki/selibre/linux-libre/">GNU
296 Linux-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
306 GNU Emacs. You can run <code class="box">git clone
307 https://bndl.org</code> in a terminal to get the git repository
308 containing all the pages of the site and the history of changes to
309 them.</p>
310 ]]></content:encoded>
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