People of openSUSE: Marco Michna

Please introduce yourself!

Yes, I was born … long ago (‘echo $(((date +%s – 14860920) / 31557600))’) in a small town close to Bremen. The name of the town is Delmenhorst.

Amazing that I was allowed to go to school – so I had different schools :-)

During school I was mostly interested in chemics and had a real nice talk about “acids”. Beside acids I was good in building ‘fireworks’ :-) By accident I learned how to fix the electric stuff in cars and everything with 4 or more than 4 wheels. I also know how to handle ‘big guns’ and I can drive a Leopard 1A5. After that I learned to sell stuff to people – I was that good that I could sell a dead granny and a shovel to dig the hole…

And then this strange looking, green thing took me away :)

Tell us about the background to your computer use.

I started with a VIC-20 (around 83). Yes, it was a real VIC-20 not the VC-20 which has been sold in Germany. 3 years later I switched to C-64 which in Germany was called “Brotkasten” because it looked like a bread box. A little bit later I got a C-64 in the new design and kept it till 1992. In 1990 I had to start working on a 286 and 1992 I bought a 386 for home use :-) According to the reseller it was the first complete “black” machine (case, monitor, keyboard) for private usage. The better machines followed soon. Between 1993 and 1999 I had to work a lot on VT-200 terminals and learned quite a lot about administration.

Since 2003 I’m on all platforms but still have some i386 at home.

When and why did you start using openSUSE/SUSE Linux?

First contact… 6.3 … a couple of months later I was working for S.u.S.E.

When did you join the openSUSE community and what made you do that?

Unfair question but lets answer it :-) I have been involved in the discussions from the idea to the execution. It was a nice process and good to see that top managers cared.

I’m a member of the “community” since the first day I touched a S.u.S.E. system and always will be! My blood is green!

In what way do you participate in the openSUSE project?

Where I can!

OP, webmaster, programmer, lecturer aso aso.

What especially motivates you to participate in the openSUSE project?

YOU!

Call it community or what you like – you people out there are the best thing to motivate me! Your wishes – your ideas! You make my day!

What do you think was your most important contribution to the openSUSE project/community or what is the contribution that you’re most proud of?

All projects and contributions are equal! Maybe only important for one person but the will to share knowledge and to hand out the sources to all is a big step towards full freedom.

About my last stuff … not proud but happy: the “silly” YaST2 theme module :-) It was a good feeling to get only nice responses for something that most of the people considered as totally useless. It made me smile to see the happy users.

When do you usually spend time on the openSUSE project?

24/7

Three words to describe openSUSE? Or make up a proper slogan!

I also stick to:

Have a lot of fun …

What do you think is missing or underrated in the distribution or the project?

As we are evolving the needs are evolving too. I can’t tell you what is missing because it fits my needs – but I’m biased and I have other needs than others.

What do you think the future holds for the openSUSE project?

WorldDomination – what else?

A person asks you why he/she should choose openSUSE instead of other distribution/OS. What would be your arguments to convince him/her to pick up openSUSE?

Simply try it … I don’t force anything on anyone.

Which members of the openSUSE community have you met in person?

Only the best… SCNR :)

Quite a lot – I work at SUSE and I also know and met a lot of the guys/girls from IRC.

How many icons are currently on your desktop?

laptop: – trash (Hey – it’s a EeePC :))

workstation: – 26 (including trash) 90% pdf’s

workstation at home: – 27 (including trash) pdf’s software to test my fav. game

What is the application you can’t live without? And why?

XmmS ;) The best player ever ;-)

Which application or feature should be invented as soon as possible?

A direct interface to the human brain.

Which is your preferred text editor? And why?

vi(m)

It serves my needs.

Which famous person would you want to join the openSUSE community?

None! I rather would like to see someone getting “famous” by spreading the word about openSUSE.

Which computer related skills would you like to have?

All at masters degree!

The Internet crashes for a whole week. How would you feel, what would you do?

I would be quite unhappy.

Reading books, party with my friends, family – enjoy the days…

Which is your favorite movie scene?

There are quite many and it took me a long time to pick one :)

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.

Star Trek or Star Wars?

Both are good but I greet as vulcan.

What is your favorite food and drink?

Steaks and beer :-)

Favorite game or console (in your childhood and nowadays)?

childhood: my VIC20/C-64 nowadays: Guild Wars/UT3/ETQW and many other games.

Which city would you like to visit?

Bangalore.

What is your preferred way to spend your vacation?

Maximum stealth. Vanish for a while.

Someone gives you $1.000.000. What would you do with the money?

Donate it to e.g.: http://www.aerzte-ohne-grenzen.de

If traveling through time was possible, when would we be most likely to meet you?

At the end of the world.

There’s a thunderstorm outside. Do you turn off your computer?

No! Why should I?

Have your ever missed an appointment because you forgot about it while sitting at your computer?

No comment :) Ask my press manager ;)

Show us a picture of something, you have always wanted to share!

Sorry – my lawyer told me not to do so.

You couldn’t live without…

I don’t know and I don’t want to find out what makes me sad. I rather spend time finding out what makes me happy. But being without my “gadgets” would be quite painful…

Which question was the hardest to answer?

“Which computer related skills would you like to have?”

I still don’t understand this question.

What other question would you like to answer? And what would you answer?

Q: Has there been men on the moon? A: Sorry to say … No – it was a fake.