4 Welcome to my "new" personal home page.
6 At the end of August, 2012, I retired from my long-held position as
7 [HP](http://hp.com) Open Source & Linux Chief Technologist. From September
8 through December of 2013, I worked part-time for [Samsung](http://samsung.com)
9 as Senior Adviser to the Open Source Group that is part of Samsung Research
12 I serve on the boards of the [Linux Foundation](http://linuxfoundation.org)
13 the [FreedomBox Foundation](http://freedomboxfoundation.org), and
14 [Aleph Objects](http://alephobjects.com), and as
15 President of [Software in the Public Interest](http://spi-inc.org).
17 I remain actively involved in the [Debian](http://debian.org) project,
18 where I continue to maintain various
19 [packages](http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=bdale@gag.com),
21 [Debian Technical Committee](http://www.debian.org/devel/tech-ctte)
23 My "spare nanoseconds" are mostly consumed playing with
24 [rockets](http://gag.com/rockets), which includes managing
25 [Altus Metrum, LLC](http://altusmetrum.org) along with partner
26 [Keith Packard](http://keithp.org).
28 I think the web is way too picture-oriented these days, but if you're really
29 curious, there are some pictures of me on my
30 [bio page](bio/), and associated with the
31 [Wikipedia page about me](http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Bdale_Garbee). If you're
32 a close friend or family member, email me for credentials to
33 enter our [gallery](http://gallery.gag.com)..
35 I'm most comfortable when there are lots of electrons flowing nearby, mostly
36 in high-end computer equipment. There are only a few carbohydrates I've met in
37 my life that I didn't like, I have very eclectic tastes in music, enjoy old
38 movies, and I have this "German metal habit"... Porsche flavored.
39 My current such toy is a 1988 Porsche 928S Euro, moss green metallic
40 with beige interior and a dog-leg 5-speed.
42 Over the years, I've spent a lot of my "spare time" on various facets of
43 [Amateur Radio](rf/). KB0G is my current callsign, previously I was N3EUA
44 and before that I was KA3ORU. I'm a life member of
45 [AMSAT](http://amsat.org/),
46 President of [CODE](http://gag.com/code/),
47 a former Vice-President of [TAPR](http://tapr.org/),
48 a past Chairman and member of the Technical Committee of
50 [Pikes Peak FM Association](http://www.ppfma.org),
52 [ARRL](http://www.arrl.org).
53 Perhaps my best-known contribution to the hobby is the silly little mail
54 program I wrote for KA9Q's NOS networking software, called
55 [BM](ftp://ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/packet/tcpip/mailers),
56 though I suppose I'm more proud of my role as integrator and documentation
57 author for the package prior to April 1989. I helped instigate N6GN's work on
58 [10Ghz packet links](http://www.sonic.net/~n6gn/uwavelink/uwv.html),
59 and continue to have a strong interest in data transmission over RF
60 links. I was the project leader for the
61 [GPS receiver](http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/phase3d/gps)
63 on the AMSAT Phase-3D satellite, which launched in November 2000,
64 after which it was known as
65 [AO-40](href="http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/sat_summary/ao40.php).
66 I was also one of the developers of the RUDAK
67 digital communications processor. My primary focus on the RUDAK team was
68 communication with the other experiment modules that RUDAK talks to over the
69 CAN bus... SCOPE, MONITOR, CEDEX, and the thermistor SmartNode boards. I am
70 pleased to now be working on the IHU design for the AMSAT-NA
71 [Fox](http://ww2.amsat.org/?page_id=1113) cubesat program.
73 If you want to find me "on the air" for a QSO, about the only chance
74 right now is to catch us
75 [roving](http://gag.com/code/rover/) in a VHF/Microwave contest, or on the
76 flight-line at a rocket launch.
78 While I was "born and raised" in the era of 4.1BSD, shared a Vax 11/750
79 with Eric Crane at CMU, and ran some flavor of BSD on at least one
80 machine up until the fire in 2013 (the Symmetric S/375, a uVax2, BSD/OS,
81 and NetBSD on a pc532), I have become a strong supporter of Linux
82 particularly the [Debian GNU/Linux](http://www.debian.org)
83 distribution, because of the emphasis on perpetual free availability of
84 all of the source code to the system. I've contributed a few packages to
85 the Debian effort, and now maintain a signficant number, including some that
86 are essential packages in the base distribution, and some that are "big
87 hairy monsters". At least it keeps me off the streets at night...
89 Not sure how to pronounce "Linux"? Why not let Linus himself
90 [tell you](ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/SillySounds/english.au)...
92 In recent years, my son and I have become very active building and flying
93 small and large model [rockets](http://www.gag.com/rockets). I now hold a
94 "Level 3 certification", and am a federally-licensed user of
95 low explosives, which means I'm authorized to buy, store, and fly the largest
96 motors currently available in the rocket hobby. My personal confirmed
97 flight altitude record is 21,654 feet above ground, my highest recorded
98 acceleration is 86 g, and I've flown a rocket to beyond Mach 2.2. I served
99 on the committee that defined the [Tripoli Mentoring Program](http://www.tripoli.org/Certifications/TripoliMentoringProgram/tabid/322/Default.aspx), and am
100 proud that my son aced the test to become one of the earliest TMP
101 participants. My current focus combines rocketry with my electronics
102 background and strong
103 interest in radio, see the [Altus Metrum](http://altusmetrum.org)
104 community web site for more details...
106 * [Bdale's blog](blog)
107 * [Bdale's biographical information](bio)
108 * [Garbee Gallery](http://gallery.gag.com)
109 * [Quotations](quotes.html)
110 * [Talks Bdale has Given](talks/)
112 Cool Stuff on the Web
113 ---------------------
115 * [Cabell Garbee](http://www.garbee.net/~cabell), Bdale's brother, restores
116 neat old vehicles as a hobby.
117 * [Allen B. Loyd](href="http://sites.google.com/site/allenloyd/Home),
118 one of Bdale's first cousins, has a site documenting his theatrical set
119 designs, paintings, and other fun stuff.
120 * [Space Machine & Engineering Corp](http://space-machine.com),
121 operated by another of Bdale's first cousins. It's kind of cool
122 having a waveguide company in the family!
123 * [Graves Mountain Lodge](http://www.gravesmountain.com),
124 owned and operated by "my extended family" in Virginia. We used to
125 visit often... and still get back once in a while!
126 * Visit the [Radio Farm](http://www.rf.org/)... a most unusual place!
127 * [Colorado Satellite Services](http://www.coloradosatellite.com)
128 Jim and I worked closely together on AO-40 RUDAK, and he's definitely
129 "one of the good guys". The EyasSAT educational satellite system
130 linked to from his page is neat stuff.
133 [maternal grandfater](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_D._Barksdale),
134 who was a prominent individual in his time. While my father is the serious
135 genealogist in our family, every once in a while I go do a web search on
136 various family names. These are some references to Grandaddy that I have
140 [Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_D._Barksdale)!
141 * A [photo](http://digitalcollections.vmi.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15821coll7/id/2862/rec/1) of him
142 from 1919, in uniform.
143 * He was a [Judge of the United States Court](http://air.fjc.gov/servlet/uGetInfo?jid=97)
144 * Many of his papers were gifted to the
145 [University of Virginia Library](http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/published/uva-sc/vivadoc.pl?file=viu00129.xml)
146 * There are scholarships in his name at
147 [VMI](http://www.vmiaa.org/AA/Alumni%20Association/Scholar.html) and
148 [Hollins](http://www.hollins.edu/admissions/scholarship/need_based.htm)
151 I've been asked from time to time if I'm any relation to the Barksdale for whom
152 [Barksdale Air Force Base](http://www.barksdale.af.mil) was named. My parents
154 [Eugene Hoy Barksdale](http://www.barksdale.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4409) was my third cousin twice removed.
156 Encrypting email is good. My currently preferred public key is
158 pub 4096R/C095D941 2009-07-26
159 Key fingerprint = 8470 F20B 0625 9218 7CBA 7BB3 3A93 6196 C095 D941
160 uid Bdale Garbee <bdale@gag.com>
161 uid Bdale Garbee <bdale@hp.com>
162 uid Bdale Garbee <bdale@debian.org>
163 sub 4096R/166755FB 2009-07-26
165 You should be able to fetch that key from any of the major keyservers.