I’d like to communicate that I’m shaking my life a bit, and even though I have a lot to say, I’ll try to be relatively short.
Five years ago and a few months I changed my life completely, moving to a different city, looking for challenges to be bitten, looking for experience, and for smart people that could make me learn more and faster. At that time, I wasn’t sure if Conectiva would fulfill what I was looking for, but even then I decided that it was worth trying. Now it’s easy to look back and see that it was exactly what I was after. Conectiva presented me many challenges, and taught me many lessons, in an environment that was highly constructive and included an amazing amount of freedom.
In the background, during those five years, Conectiva has run into many different states of stability. While this situation was bad in many senses, like occasionally taking friends away without notice, it was also good, teaching me to work facing adversity, bringing new friends, and strengthening relations of those who were still there.
Finally, a few months ago, Conectiva was acquired by Mandrakesoft, and became Mandriva. Again, this was bad in a few senses. It’d mean losing our definitive control over a Linux distribution, and the power to decide upon new strategies in an absolute way. But, it was also good, as it’d bring many new challenges, new skillful friends, and would teach us to live in a broader environment.
Now, while it was my original intention to keep working in that environment, I recently had the opportunity to meet personally part of the team behind Canonical, had an overview about the projects they’re currently working on, and was invited to join the team.
So, the result of this is that once more, I’m moving. Since August 31st, I’m officially working for Canonical. As was the case five years ago, I’m not sure if this is the right decision. What I do know, however, is that my objectives are still the same: I’m looking for challenges to be bitten, experience, and for smart people that make me learn more and faster. While my previous environment certainly had those qualities, right now Canonical seems to be able to offer challenges which are closer to my personal line of interest.
If you’re worried about what this means for the projects I currently maintain, don’t be. As was the case when I worked for Conectiva, it’s still my objective to make they work on all Linux distributions.
As a final note, I want to thank everyone at Conectiva (and Mandriva) for the excellent time I had while working with you, and special thanks to Cavassin who was my direct manager and gave me freedom and trust. I also want to thank my new (and old) friends at Canonical, for the chance of being with you.
Sincerely,
—
Gustavo Niemeyer
So are going to see smart in ubuntu breezy+1? It would be great. Nice move, and if canonical needs another brazilian programmer (but this time a starter) please send a note to python-brasil because there will be a lot of people interested (including me)
I’m almost sure it will be a great time for you.
It’s already there. Not in main yet, but perhaps in the future. :-)
Congratz Gustavo! I wish you make the best out of this opportunity.
It is a great joy for me to see a good friend, a hardcore hacker like yourself, meet my favourite Linux distro (once was Mdk).
Hey Rodrigo, thanks for these nice words. Hope to see you soon, perhaps somewhere not so far away this time. ;-)
Too bad that you quit Mandriva. You don’t know me, but I read you in Mandriva Cooker list. Good luck with Canonical, and thanks for what you’ve done in Mandriva!
Thanks! I hope to keep contributing as possible, if not as a Mandriva employee, at least as an open source developer.
Hi Gustavo !
I was in the pycon and that was the first time i saw you in person. That was really great, since i have never meet people like you, Senra and all the good guys that was there.
All i desire to you is good lucky and go after you dreams, even if they are some bits unordered in the world :)
Keep hacking…
Thanks for your kind words Douglas. I hope to see you in the next PyCon Brasil.
That’s good news! At least, as good as it can be, given the constraints. I’m a proud Ubuntu early adopter — having installed it first in October, 2004, and being happy since then. I’ve seen how much work have you put into Conectiva, and it’s understantable that you feel sorry about leaving. But I think that Canonical got it right: they have the right direction, money, solid management, and a sound business model. I hope you keep doing your best (as always) to make Ubuntu even better!
Old-timer-pythonista-working-with-something-else’ly yours,
Carlos Ribeiro
Hello Carlos,
For sure I’ll do my best to move Canonical and Ubuntu forward, for as long as I’m there. In fact, I’m a compulsive worker, so I don’t even know how to avoid that. :-)