Daniel Robbins (computer programmer)

Daniel Robbins is a computer programmer and consultant best known as the founder and former chief architect of the Gentoo Linux project. In 2008, he launched the Funtoo project, a free Linux distribution based on Gentoo, and he became the project's lead hacker and organizer. He also currently works at the same time in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as 'Open Source/Community Strategy Lead' at Zenoss, and as president for Funtoo Technologies.

For the art historian, see Daniel Robbins (art historian).

Daniel Robbins
Born
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
EducationWorcester Polytechnic Institute
OrganizationFuntoo Technologies
Known forFree software, Hacker, Gentoo, Funtoo
Websitewww.funtoo.org

Biography

Formation of Gentoo Linux distribution

During his time as a system administrator at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Robbins formed his own distribution Enoch Linux, which was later renamed Gentoo in 2002.

However, like many other free software projects, Gentoo struggled to create a business model which would support its key developers.[1] Robbins resigned as Chief Architect on 26 April 2004,[2] citing considerable personal debt,[3] and a desire to spend more time with his family, formed the Gentoo Foundation and transferred all Gentoo intellectual property to it, so that Gentoo is now run as a full community-based model. He did rejoin the project for a short time from August 2006,[4][5] becoming a developer again in February 2007 and joining the amd64 team[6] but resigned in early March 2007.[7]

There have been several high-profile criticisms[8][9] of the way Gentoo has run since Robbins left, such as: "...since the resignation of Gentoo's founder and benevolent dictator from the project in 2004, the newly established Gentoo Foundation has been battling with lack of clear directions and frequent developer conflicts...",[10] but in mid-July 2007 it emerged that Robbins was still technically the legal president of the Gentoo Foundation:[11][12]

...I would like to see more fun in Gentoo, and a lot less politics, and in my apparent role as President of the Gentoo Foundation, I may have an opportunity to change things for the better. I will need to look into this more...[11]

Funtoo Linux

In 2008, Robbins began to work on Funtoo, a project created to allow him to work on extending the technologies originally created for Gentoo.[13]

Microsoft

Robbins' move to Microsoft, in May 2005, attracted attention[14][15] within the Linux community, which has historically had a combative relationship with Microsoft. He described his role working for Bill Hilf as "...helping Microsoft to understand Open Source and community-based projects..."[16]

However, Robbins resigned less than a year later on 16 January 2006 due to frustrations that he was unable to fully utilize his technical skills in this position.

RTLinux

Later in 2006, he joined FSMLabs in Socorro, New Mexico, to work on RTLinux.

Funtoo Technologies

Daniel Robbins is also president of Funtoo Technologies, a consulting firm founded in 2006 and located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

References
  1. Loli-Queru, Eugenia (14 May 2002). "Interview with Gentoo's Daniel Robbins". OSNews. Retrieved 22 November 2018. I very much want to find a way to turn the Gentoo Linux project into a profitable enterprise. My main motivation in wanting to do this is so I can stop living from paycheck to paycheck and focus my professional efforts exclusively on Gentoo Linux development. Many of our developers would like to do the same thing.
  2. Lord, timothy (26 April 2004). "Daniel Robbins Resigns As Chief Gentoo Architect". Slashdot. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  3. "Resigning from development role". Gentoo. 26 April 2004. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  4. "Funtoo by Daniel Robbins". Funtoo.org. Archived from the original on 12 October 2006. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
  5. "Gentoo Bug 145649 – Retire (once more): Daniel Robbins (drobbins)". Bugs.gentoo.org. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  6. "Gentoo Bug 145649 – Retire (once more): Daniel Robbins (drobbins)". Bugs.gentoo.org. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  7. Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD". DistroWatch.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  9. "Is Gentoo in crisis?". Linux.slashdot.org. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  10. "Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD". DistroWatch.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  11. "Funtoo by Daniel Robbins: I am still President of the Gentoo Foundation?". Blog.funtoo.org. 18 July 2007. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
  13. Archived 21 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  14. "Gentoo Founder on his way to Redmond". Linux.slashdot.org. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  15. Marson, Ingrid (16 June 2005). "Gentoo Linux founder to 'educate' Microsoft". CNET. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  16. "Gentoo Founder Joins Microsoft". Osnews.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
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