[nylug-announce] TODAY! NYLUG Genl. Mtg June 20: J. Paul Reed on Releasing Open Source Software at Scale: Keeping Firefox Running on Millions of Desktops

[Ron Guerin]

REMINDER: If not already on the RSVP list, you can sign-in manually at the desk.

Wednesday, June 20th, 2007
6:30pm-8:00pm
Google
76th 9th Ave., b/w 15th and 16th St.
4th Floor, enter near 16th Street

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                              J. Paul Reed
                                  -on-
                 Releasing Open Source Software at Scale:
            Keeping Firefox Running on Millions of Desktops

  In commercial software development, the role of a build/release
  engineer can differ widely among organizations.  In open source
  software, the role is often minimal, if it exists at all.

  But for consumer-oriented open source projects, like Mozilla's Firefox
  and Thunderbird, turning a thirty megabyte source tarball into
  something that mom, dad, and your boyfriend can use takes someone
  polishing those bits and running them across the finish line.

  Do it simultaneously for three platforms in over forty languages, mix
  in automatic updates to millions of users' desktops, and you have: open
  source software engineering at scale.

  We'll explore:

  * What role a build/release engineer plays in an open source context

  * How it's a different one from its closed-source sibling

  * Why it's an important one (even in open source)

  * Differences between releasing a web browser and releasing other
    large-scale open source projects (like the kernel or Apache), and

  * How a group of worldwide volunteers fits in to releasing software
    to millions.

  Plus, war stories, "gotchas" learned after interacting directly with
  millions of desktop computers, plenty of time for questions, and
  GimpArt[1].

  Further Information:

  [1] http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/preed/2006/11/version_control_system_shootou.html
      (http://tighturl.com/5z5)

About J. Paul Reed
  J. Paul Reed (affectionately/infamously known as Preed) began his
  tenure on the Netscape Build Team at the tender age of 18, just months
  after the "Lizard was Freed" in 1998.

  After studying software engineering at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, he
  joined VMware's build/release team, helping to ship their their
  enterprise ESX and popular Workstation products. In 2005, he came
  full circle, and doubled the size of the Mozilla Corporation's release
  team.

  As the release module owner, he has helped to ship every release of
  Firefox and Thunderbird, simultaneously on three platforms in over
  forty languages, including playing playing lead release monkey for the
  flagship Firefox 2.0 launch. In reality, it's the team of five MozCorp
  build engineers around the world and a community of hundreds that make
  it possible... he's just along for the ride.

  When he's not pushing bits out the door, getting his blog slashdotted,
  or locking the build tree, he spends his time piloting Cessnas around
  the pristine California skies, attempting to make edible food without
  burning down his apartment, and is forever trying to catch up on his
  RSS feed reader.

Meeting Location
  Please note that this meeting will be held at Google, 76 9th Ave,
  4th floor, between 15th and 16th Streets, and not at IBM. This is
  the old Port Authority Building, and takes up the entire block.
  You want the entrance nearest 16th Ave.

Map
  http://tighturl.com/u4

Free Refreshments!
  Google is also graciously providing refreshments during the
  meeting. For those of us here in the east who aren't used to a
  "Google spread", you're in for quite a treat. "New Google
  Cafeteria Crushes Competitors" Cafeterias" (New York Magazine)

Books!!!
  Our friends at Prentice-Hall kindly provide us with review copies
  of various new titles.  One of these could be yours, all you have
  to do is agree to review the book within a reasonable period of
  time.

Swag (Give Away)
  During/after the meeting... unusually terrific swag may be given
  away.

Stammtisch
  After the meeting ... Many of us have been meeting over at the
  Hog Pit starting around 8:15-8:30.  http://www.hogpit.com
  22 Ninth Avenue at 13th Street, New York, New York 10014

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