translate my home page to markdown, finally

[web/gag.com] / bdale / index.mdwn

Bdale Garbee, KB0G
==================

Welcome to my "new" personal home page.

At the end of August, 2012, I retired from my long-held position as
<a href="http://www.hp.com">HP</a> Open Source & Linux Chief 
Technologist.  

Since retiring, I've enjoyed spending more time on family activities and 
projects.  But I'm still very active in the Free Software world.  I serve
on the boards of the [Linux Foundation](http://linuxfoundation.org) and the
[FreedomBox Foundation](http://freedomboxfoundation.org), and as President
of [Software in the Public Interest](http://spi-inc.org).  

I also remain actively involved in the [Debian](http://debian.org) project,
where I continue to maintain various 
[packages](http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=bdale@gag.com),
and chair the 
[Debian Technical Committee](http://www.debian.org/devel/tech-ctte)

My "spare nanoseconds" are mostly consumed playing with 
[rockets](http://gag.com/rockets), which includes managing 
[Altus Metrum, LLC](http://altusmetrum.org) along with partner 
[Keith Packard](http://keithp.org).

I think the web is way too picture-oriented these days, but if you're really
curious, there are some pictures of me on my 
[bio page](bio/), and associated with the 
[Wikipedia page about me](http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Bdale_Garbee).  If you're 
a close friend or family member, email me for credentials to 
enter our [gallery](http://gallery.gag.com)..

I'm most comfortable when there are lots of electrons flowing nearby, mostly
in high-end computer equipment.  There are only a few carbohydrates I've met in
my life that I didn't like, I have very eclectic tastes in music, enjoy old
movies, and I have this "German metal habit"...  Porsche flavored.  
My current such toy is a 1987 Porsche 944S, black with beige interior...

Someday, it might be cool to own a 
[Porsche 904](pix/mrf0067b.jpg).  Yeah, I know, "dream on".

Over the years, I've spent a lot of my "spare time" on various facets of 
[Amateur Radio](rf/).  KB0G is my current callsign, previously I was N3EUA 
and before that I was KA3ORU.  I'm a life member of 
[AMSAT](http://amsat.org/), 
President of [CODE](http://gag.com/code/),
a former Vice-President of [TAPR](http://tapr.org/),
a past Chairman and member of the Technical Committee of 
the 
[Pikes Peak FM Association](http://www.ppfma.org),
and a member of the 
[ARRL](http://www.arrl.org).
Perhaps my best-known contribution to the hobby is the silly little mail
program I wrote for KA9Q's NOS networking software, called 
[BM](ftp://ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/packet/tcpip/mailers),
though I suppose I'm more proud of my role as integrator and documentation 
author for the package prior to April 1989.  I helped instigate N6GN's work on
[10Ghz packet links](http://www.sonic.net/~n6gn/uwavelink/uwv.html),
and continue to have a strong interest in data transmission over RF 
links.  I was the project leader for the
[GPS receiver](http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/phase3d/gps)
experiment
on the AMSAT Phase-3D satellite, which launched in November 2000,
after which it was known as 
[AO-40](href="http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/sat_summary/ao40.php).
I was also one of the developers of the RUDAK
digital communications processor.  My primary focus on the RUDAK team was
communication with the other experiment modules that RUDAK talks to over the 
CAN bus... SCOPE, MONITOR, CEDEX, and the thermistor SmartNode boards.

If you want to find me "on the air" for a QSO, about the only chance 
right now is to catch us
[roving](http://gag.com/code/rover/) in a VHF/Microwave contest...

While I was "born and raised" in the era of 4.1BSD, shared a Vax 11/750
with Eric Crane at CMU, and have run some flavor of BSD on at least one
machine ever since (the Symmetric S/375, a uVax2, BSD/OS, and NetBSD on a
pc532),
I have become a strong supporter of
Linux particularly the 
[Debian GNU/Linux](http://www.debian.org)
distribution, because of the emphasis on perpetual free availability of 
all of the source code to the system.  I've contributed a few packages to 
the Debian effort, and now maintain a signficant number,
including some that are essential packages in the base distribution, 
and some that are "big hairy monsters".  At least it keeps me off the streets
at night...

Not sure how to pronounce "Linux"?  Why not let Linus himself
[tell you](ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/SillySounds/english.au)...

In recent years, my son and I have become very active building and flying 
small and large model [rockets](http://www.gag.com/rockets).  I now hold a 
"Level 3 certification", and am a federally-licensed user of
low explosives, which means I'm authorized to buy, store, and fly the largest
motors currently available in the rocket hobby.  My personal confirmed 
flight altitude record is 21,654 feet above ground, my highest recorded
acceleration is 86 g, and I've flown a rocket to beyond Mach 2.2.
My current focus combines rocketry with my electronics background and strong
interest in radio, see the [Altus Metrum](http://altusmetrum.org)
community web site for more details...

* [Bdale's blog](blog)
* [Bdale's biographical information](bio)
* [Garbeey Gallery](http://gallery.gag.com)
* [Quotations](quotes)
* [Talks Bdale has Given](talks/)

Cool Stuff on the Web
---------------------

* [Cabell Garbee](http://www.garbee.net/~cabell), Bdale's brother, restores 
        neat old vehicles as a hobby.
* [Allen B. Loyd](href="http://sites.google.com/site/allenloyd/Home),
        one of Bdale's first cousins, has a site documenting his theatrical set
        designs, paintings, and other fun stuff.
* [Space Machine & Engineering Corp](http://space-machine.com),
        operated by another of Bdale's first cousins.  It's kind of cool 
        having a waveguide company in the family!
* [Graves Mountain Lodge](http://www.gravesmountain.com),
        owned and operated by "my extended family" in Virginia.  We used to
        visit often... and still get back once in a while!
* >Visit the <a href="http://www.rf.org/">Radio Farm</a>... a most 
        unusual place!
* [Colorado Satellite Services](http://www.coloradosatellite.com)
        Jim and I worked closely together on AO-40 RUDAK, and he's definitely
        "one of the good guys".  The EyasSAT educational satellite system 
        linked to from his page is neat stuff.

I was named for my 
[maternal grandfater](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_D._Barksdale), 
who was a prominent individual in his time.  While my father is the serious 
genealogist in our family, every once in a while I go do a web search on 
various family names.  These are some references to Grandaddy that I have 
found:

* He now has a 
        [Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_D._Barksdale)!
* A [phote](http://www1.vmi.edu/archivephotos/Details.asp?ACCNUM=2631) of him 
        from 1919, in uniform.
* He was a [Judge of the United States Court](http://air.fjc.gov/servlet/uGetInfo?jid=97)
* Many of his papers were gifted to the 
        [University of Virginia Library](http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/published/uva-sc/vivadoc.pl?file=viu00129.xml)
* There are scholarships in his name at 
        [VMI](http://www.vmiaa.org/AA/Alumni%20Association/Scholar.html) and
        [Hollins](http://www.hollins.edu/admissions/scholarship/need_based.htm)


I've been asked from time to time if I'm any relation to the Barksdale for whom 
[Barksdale Air Force Base](http://www.barksdale.af.mil) was named.  My parents 
tell me they believe
[Eugene Hoy Barksdale](http://www.barksdale.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4409) was my third cousin twice removed.
<
Encrypting email is good.  My currently preferred public key is 
<pre>
pub   4096R/C095D941 2009-07-26
      Key fingerprint = 8470 F20B 0625 9218 7CBA  7BB3 3A93 6196 C095 D941
uid                  Bdale Garbee <bdale@gag.com>
uid                  Bdale Garbee <bdale@hp.com>
uid                  Bdale Garbee <bdale@debian.org>
sub   4096R/166755FB 2009-07-26
</pre>
You should be able to fetch that key from any of the major keyservers.