User:Pfrields

Paul W. Frields
Paul W. Frields
Fedora Information
FAS name:	pfrields
Fedora email:	pfrields@fedoraproject.org
IRC nick:	stickster
IRC channels:	#fedora-docs, #fedora-devel, #fedora-mktg, #fedora-art, #fedora-admin, #fedora-ambassadors, #fedora-qa, #fedora-bugzappers, #fedora-websites, #fredlug (and others)
Fedorapeople page:	https://pfrields.fedorapeople.org
Badges (140)

I work for Red Hat as the Fedora Project Leader and chairman of the Fedora Project Board. I also dabble in the following bits:

• The Documentation team, as a writer, editor, and part-time balladeer
• Maintainer of fedora-release-notes and a few other useful packages
• Help with the Marketing team
• Merciless and sometimes foolhardy wiki gardening

I also help drive the Fredericksburg (VA) Linux Users Group (FredLUG), which meets twice monthly in my hometown.

I was a founding member of the Fedora Project Board, and served the community there from April 2006 to July 2007.

Active Documents

Drafts and Downloads

These documents appear on the Fedora documentation Web site and in Docs CVS . I have done authorial or editorial work on the following documents:

• Installation Guide
• Release Notes
• Jargon Buster
• Translation Quick Start Guide

In the past, I've also worked on these (now obsolete) documents:

• Installation Guides for FC4, FC5
• SELinux FAQ for FC5
• Yum Software Management for FC3, FC4

Package Maintenance

I maintain or co-maintain the following packages in the Fedora package collection:

• blogtk -- GNOME application for editing/maintaining blogs
• drivel -- A journal or "blog" client
• fedora-release-notes -- Release Notes for Fedora 11
• foremost -- Recover files by "carving" them from a raw disk
• gnome-sudoku -- GNOME based Sudoku, a logic puzzle game
• nautilus-open-terminal -- Nautilus extension for an open terminal shortcut
• nautilus-search-tool -- A Nautilus extension that makes searching for files easier
• nautilus-sendto -- Nautilus context menu for sending files
• odfpy -- Python library for manipulating OpenDocument files
• opal -- Open Phone Abstraction Library
• perl-PatchReader -- Utilities to read and manipulate patches and CVS
• php-LightweightPicasaAPI -- A lightweight API for Picasa in PHP
• php-phpSmug -- PHP wrapper for the SmugMug API
• pioneers -- Turnbased board strategy game (colonize an island)
• python-mwlib -- MediaWiki conversion library for Python
• xmldiff -- Tree to tree correction between XML documents
• xmlstarlet -- Command Line XML Toolkit
• zikula -- Zikula is a free open source Web Application Framework
• zikula-module-News -- Manages news articles on your Zikula site

I no longer maintain the following Extras packages:

• drivel - dead upstream
• gnome-sudoku - moved into gnome-games

Obsolete Documents

These are deprecated because of changes over time to Fedora. Currently these still appear in CVS, but may eventually become wistful memories.

• USB-Hotplug Tutorial
• Mirror Tutorial for FC2
• Web Publishing to docs.fedoraproject.org -- This subject is now covered in the Documentation Guide.

Self Introduction

Name: Paul W. Frields

Location: Fredericksburg, VA - USA

Profession: Engineering Project Manager

Company: Red Hat, Inc.

Goals

As the FPL

• Oversee the entire Fedora Project -- if it's in Fedora, ultimately I'm accountable for it.
• Work with the Fedora Program Manager (JohnPoelstra), Fedora Engineering Manager (TomCallaway), and the CommunityArchitecture team to make sure that Fedora is making constant, substantial progress in its mission to advance free and open source software.
• Chair the Fedora Project Board, and ensure that the Board is effectively advising and guiding the Fedora Project where needed.
• Be an effective bridge between the external volunteer contributor base and the contributor community inside Red Hat, such as RHEL engineers.
• Lower contributor barriers to the absolute minimum, and encourage others to get involved in FOSS through Fedora.

As a Contributor

• Provide top-tier quality documentation for Fedora products.
• Provide the odd low-maintenance package such as non-critical add-ons, where my programming skill (or lack thereof) is not a limiting factor.
• Strive to provide a good example of dealing with other people in a constructive, friendly way at all times.

Historical Qualifications

• The Fedora Project was my first work as an open-source contributor.
• I have used Linux since 1997, Red Hat Linux 4.1 (Vanderbilt), and have used every Red Hat and Fedora distribution since. I am comfortable with most aspects of system administration, and fellow sysadmins in my previous jobs often came to me with questions. On the other hand, through working in Fedora I've met truly gifted sysadmins who make my work look pretty shoddy by comparison.
• I have taught Linux to literally thousands of seminar attendees and classroom students (working professionals, mainly) using these products.
• I work on the Fedora Documentation Project, and they seem to trust me.

Skill Areas

HIGH: bash, GNU make, DocBook, RHCE (need recert!), communication skills (writing, teaching, public speaking)
MEDIUM/LOW: XML/XSL/XSLT, Python, Perl, C/C++

GPG Information

pub   1024D/BD113717 1997-09-19
Key fingerprint = 3DA6 A0AC 6D58 FEC4 0233  5906 ACDB C937 BD11 3717
sub   4096g/46D87F1F 1997-09-19