#!/bin/bash
CVT=$(cvt $1 $2)
if [ -n "$3" ]
then
DISPLAYNR=$3
else
DISPLAYNR=”VGA1″
fi
xrandr –newmode ${CVT:78}
xrandr –addmode $DISPLAYNR ${CVT:78:17}
xrandr –output $DISPLAYNR –mode ${CVT:78:17}

Just put this code in a file, and make it executable (chmod +x [[file]]). Then run it like this (if the filename is ‘screenreso’):

# ./screenreso 1920 1200 VGA1

where ‘VGA1′ is optionally, the script defaults to VGA1

And as always, Fedora people will visit fosdem with great quantities. So I’m putting a lot of effort in making this the best Fosdem for Fedora people ever. I hear you thinking, how can this event become even better? Well, I try to provide activities for Fedora people every evening.

An overview:

• friday: Fad, dinner, beer event
• Saturday evening: Tour through Brussels
• Sunday evening: Super Bowl game @ fatboys (sadly, only 10 people can join)

If you are planning to come, be sure to check the Fedora wiki , and the Fosdem website.

I arrived in Milan on Friday. In Zurich someone came to me with the question if I was going to FUDcon too. It’s always nice to get to know new people and to talk to people with the samen interests. I was a bit confused because I thought there would already be something happening that day. Conference wise I mean. So we tried to figure out how to get in the hotel. After asking a couple of time the directions, and take a detour of some kilometers -*G*, Italians – we finally found the hoteel where we found some people already worried. After getting refreshed we went to a coctailbar with quite a special – but succesful – business model. All drinks cost 10euro, even a cola, but the food was free. Of course most people bought more than one coctail, which made it an expensive meal. I guess you could say their business model is working . I went back to the hotel with John and his daughter, and hit the hay around 11pm. I didn’t know it yet, but it would become a night without a lot of sleep.

On Saturday I went to the breakfast room around 8am, where I met up with some other early birds. After havind a nice meal -but nothing special- we went by group to the venue. I was really surprised about what buildings I saw. I almost got the impression that Italy is a former communistic country. Some italians told me that it was the fault of our good friend Berlusconi. They claimed progress stopped some 20years ago. not long after Berlusconi became the president. Still, I don’t think I have ever seen such buildings – not even old buildings – in other western countries I already visited. Anyway, I was in Milan to attend FUDcon, not for sight seing. When we arrived at the venue we were welcomed by a whole team of young people providing us with a nicely made flyer, a badge and a T shirt. My only remark is that we started an hour late. And there was no ‘state of the union’ talk either. Despite those 2 little things, I really had a good day filled with well prepared talks. And I resolved a problem with my Fedora install -which was already latent for some months- together with some of the Brno Red Hat guys.
In the evening FUDcon happened. The pizza place we went to was like Pizza Hut, but then with pizza. And with beer glasses of 1 liter. I thought the pizza was pretty good – although I already had better. The real Italians thought it was really bad. I guess it’s all about perception. What i did see was some weird toppings. I mean, french fries on a pizza? What were they thinking?

Sunday, the last day of FUDcon, and the last day I was in italy there was a day of hacking. I had the impression a lot of people didn’t show up this last day. I guess sight seeing is somewhat more interesting. I know Kanarip did some good things with BKchem, and we had a good discussion with the Ambassador people where we disussed some of the troubles were having, with the possible solutions. Just like the day before we got a free lunch which was pretty nice.
Around 3.30pm I went to the subway, on my way to the central station. From there I had to take make a train ride from about 40minutes to the airport. Luckily I already checked in via the internet, else I would have missed the plane I think. Now I’m flying over the Alps, enjoying the view and writing this blog post.

cheers!

[edit]
After I landed in Brussels, I was totally happy. I helped some people out. I wanted to be home. but then, oh, then.. I came in Brussels South station, and almost all trains were delayed.also, the people behind me are making noise. to much noise. arch..

There are 2 ways to unmount a device when it’s busy.

1. the clean way:

# fuser -m /media/attached
/media/attached/:        1249c

ps auxw | grep 1249
bert      1249  0.2  0.3 1052124 30760 ?       Sl   Sep18   2:19 python /usr/bin/revelation

revelation is what is keeping you away from unmounting the drive. just kill it

2. the not so clean way

there is another easier way, which basicly just ditches the drive and then takes care of the problems afterwards.

umount -l /dev/sdc1

cheers

but I want more o.0

I think it would be nice to meet up in the park around 7h30
exact location: http://is.gd/mQBnxn
the park at the Baudelokaai.

‘register’ here: http://www.doodle.com/vihuy6a3f3n22bkb

cheers

I really think Kortrijk needs a space. It’s a city where a lot of technology companies can be found, where a lot of young people are (also known as students) and because they don’t have a space yet.

Anyway, if you also think that Kortrijk needs a space, and you want to help create one from the start, this is your chance!
Register yourself at http://discuss.hackerspaces.be/listinfo.cgi/hskortrijk-hackerspaces.be and start participating in our planning discussions! But be nice, and send an introduction mail first

On Saturday the second part of newline, the conference, began. Because not a lot of people were already at the venue at 1pm, we moved the schedule with half an hour. Which was good. After a short introduction talk by fs111 and sandb I gave my talk on ‘how to gain karma’

I think the presentation went fairly well, but as they video taped the whole thing I guess you’ll be able to decide that for yourself later.

Later on I talked to some more people, and attended some more talks.

Around 7pm another Bert arrived and we went on to the ‘wok dynasty’ for the ugov new years meal. Delicious wok was delicious. Although I still have to learn how to eat with chopsticks

Around midnight I went back to space and met up with a girl called Marcia. Apparently she is a student in Kortrijk and wants to start a hackerspace over there. Something that would be totally awesome, and we’ll see if we can make it happen. YES WE CAN is the obvious answer of course [famous last words]

one last note: everyone who didn’t attend newline was wrong. It was a really good event on so many levels.

It looks like it will be a great event again, just like last year.

Or cfp is still open (for one more month), so don’t forget to send in your talks [2].

We already have some nice proposals for talks and tutorials in. So I don’t think visitors from outside the Benelux should wait with booking their hotel and flights. Although that’s only my opinion of course! On Saturday we will have a social event again. It will be +- the same concept as last year, only better! People who attended last year already know what they can expect *nom nom nom nom*

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

[1] http://www.loadays.org
[2] http://www.loadays.org/content/call-presentations
[3] http://www.loadays.org/products

The Fedora Project creates a world where

• free culture is welcoming and widespread,
• collaboration is commonplace, and
• people control their content and devices.

I personally believe that this is  a good vision statement and no -or at least, not many- contributors disagree with it.

We also have 4 core values. Those are older than the vision statement, and every contributor should know them by heart. The 4 core values are also our foundations.

• Freedom “Sometimes this goal prevents us from taking the easy way out by including propitiatory or patent encumbered software in Fedora, or using those kinds of products in our other project work.”
• Friends “Like any friends, we occasionally disagree on details, but we believe in finding an acceptable consensus to serve the interests of advancing free software.”
• Features “The Fedora community creates many of the technical features that have made Linux powerful.”
• First “The Fedora Project’s goal of advancing free software dictates that the Fedora Project itself pursue a strategy that preserves the forward momentum of our technical, collateral, and community-building progress.”

As for the userbase, most people say “contributors are way more important than users” although I think that you don’t have any contributors without having users first. But who are those users? the now famous girl scouts, or hackers, technical users, developers and system engineers?

My Linux story began when I was 13. My nephew installed Red Hat 9 on my fathers old desktop. I was far from a power user, I had just discovered dial in internet, e-mail and much more. I didn’t know the exact difference between open source / free software and propitiatory software. And still, I was using Red Hat linux, supported by one person, my nephew, not the community. Nobody told me there was such a thing.   So I was far from being a power user, or a contributor. Though I kept on using Red Hat and Fedora later on. Made some tours around Ubuntu and Suse, but I kept on coming back. Why? Because I liked Fedora. Not the community though, I didn’t know that existed.

I’m pretty sure that at time the target audience for any Linux distro was a more technical experienced user. Things were much harder then than now. I still remember how much I suffered to install my first software. And still, me, as a non technical newbie (I studies chemistry, not IT) could learn how to work with it and use it.I’m also sure that many people started to use Fedora / Linux just the way like I did it.

From the moment I discovered this wonderful community my technical knowledge about Linux started to grow. I joined the community, and I still feel this was one of my best decisions ever. According to me the Fedora community is about ‘getting things done‘ and about fun.

A lot of people have the perception that because our target group is (or was) technical people. I totally agree with this. we shouldn’t become a second ubuntu. Remember the ‘Features First’? I believe that we should strive towards technical expertise, always be the first, and deliver a stable workable product. SystemD, Gnome3 , 2 good examples that we still lead. But not all costs. Systemd was postponed to Fedora 15 because there were still to many bugs. I believe that was a good decision!

When people ask me for reasons why they should join the Fedora community, one of the things I always tell them: Fedora people are full of awesomeness. And one person can make a difference. So can you. As long as you care about it.

So, dear people, IF you care enough about Fedora, help fix it. I strongly believe in the ‘power user’ camp, but not I don’t believe in the way some people try to enforce it. But in the end, make sure we create some unity ( ) again in the community. We want to be the best at what we do? That will only work if we work together. And indeed, that will never work if we want to make EVERYBODY happy.

WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!

do you?