from pam

still kind of tired, so the verbose when tired still applies.

1. Why/how did you get started working on Linux, and what got you started on The Gimp?

linux:

Was at ncsu, rediscovering modern computers by spending way way too much
time at the computer labs. I was learning bits of unix and email/ftp/web/etc.

My roomate had a old 486 sx25 with 4 megs of ram running windows 3.1.
We decided it would be cool to figure out how to get to the internet from
the dorm room. Since this was pre wired dorms days, that meant dialup.

Since we were also cheap, we wanted to connect though the schools
dialin servers. At the time, you could dial in and get a shell. Or if you
poked around, you could run ppp. Probablem was, at the time, trumpet
winsock for windows didnt support ppp. So after some research, figured
out that all the people using ppp on the dialup boxes were doing it with
linux. So off to the computer lab with a box full of floppies and some
vague ideas on where to download slackware. Eventually got it installed,
and X running, and after much struggle, got ppp working. Much rejoicing
was had. A few weeks after that, I paid $5 to get into the first Linux Expo
on Centienal Campus (about a block from where I work now…). Started
showing up at NCSU lug not too long after that.

Over the summer decided to teach myself c++ by trying to write a
text adventure game. Made little progress. Mostly do to my attempts
to use templates on circa 95 era g++. That and at the time mysterious
compiler errors (which on hindsights, was the compiler dying because
the 5 megs of ram I had in the machine wasnt enoug)

Started using linux full time about that time.

gimp:

I can’t remember why I started playing with gimp. But it was
after I unsuccesfully attempted to “learn photoshop” on a windows
box. First used 0.54 (pre layers and most anything useful). It was
way buggy, so I started patrolling the devel list archives daily.

One day, an announcement for version 0.99 came. I downloaded it.
I fought with it for a day, and finally got it to build. Then another post
on the mailing list about a new irc channel, #gimp. Being unfamilar
with irc, it took some doing to get logged in. Once in, I discovered all the
core developers were hanging out and chatting, fixing bugs, discussing
features, etc. I kind of got hooked then. Being able to suggest a feature
and have someone implement it in hours. Started trying to add features
and fix bugs myself and got some early (and horrible) patches accepted.

2. What’s the stupidest peice of code you’ve ever written? What about the coolest?

stupidest:
Hmm, the mind boggles at the possibilities. Lots of stupid typos and
just plain wrong thinko’s that broke stuff in horrible ways. I once wrote a
bizzare string of shell scripts that would let you create desktop menu
items for software you didnt have installed. The menu items would
say something like “(install) Mosaic” or whatever, and would go
find the package off a cd and install it. Not a horrible idea, but the
implementation was a total kluge tower.

The Random
Subdivision Name Generator is pretty stupid.

Coolest:
I think the pixmap and “image pipe” animated brushes in
Gimp perhaps. Though, I borrowed the idea. My favorite would
probabaly be the gradient brush stuff in Gimp, since that was an
original idea, that Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro finally added in
the last year or so. See
Making tileable textures with gradient brushes for an example.

Up2date is cool as well, just because so many people use it
to make there lives easier. Even though being tied into a “better-if-paid-service”
kind of sucks some of the fun out of it.

3. Do you have a crush on anybody? Well you tell me who? (yes so sometimes I am a giggly girl. You can ignore the second part if you want)

At the moment, I don’t think I have a crush on anyone. But that could change at
a moments notice[1]. And yes, if you would like to know, I probabaly wouldn’t have
any problems telling you.

1. Now that I think about it, the girl hanging her art down the hallway seems pretty
cool. And I’m a sucker for artist types. But then, thats not exactly a crush.

4. What’s something that you always wanted to do, but haven’t had a chance to yet?

I’ve never really done much travel, so that would be a canidate. Recording
a cd that people actually wanted to hear would be cool.

5. You’re given a long peice of wire, three metal triangles, a largish peice of plexiglass, and a yellow ribbon. Oh, and some duct tape, and whatever tools you need. Your job is to make something out of it – what do you make?

If it were a really big piece of plexiglass, it would be cool to make a topographical
model out of it. Cutting out each section of “height” from the plexiglass to build
up the topographic features. (this is the best example I can find with a quick search).

I’d probabaly used the three metal triangles to make legs, and make it into some
sort of coffee table. The wire could probabaly be used to make an interesting
model of flowing water. The yellow ribbon would be used as a tourniquet for when
I cut myself cutting up all the plexiglass.