Episode 239: Deb Goodkin of FreeBSD

Guest Deb Goodkin Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes This episode
of Sustain features host Richard Littauer having a conversation
with guest Deb Goodkin, the Executive Director of the FreeBSD
Foundation. They discuss the history, development, and distinct
characteristics of FreeBSD as an operating system independent from
Linux, and the foundational support provided by the FreeBSD
Foundation. The conversation delves into the organization’s efforts
in software development, security, community engagement, and plans
to increase diversity. They also highlight the celebration of
FreeBSD Day and Deb’s passion for maintaining and promoting
FreeBSD. Press download now to hear more! [00:00:55] Deb explains
her role and clarifies that FreeBSD is an independent operating
system, originally derived from Unix developed at Bell Labs.
[00:02:27] Richard mentions “BSD” stands for “Berkeley Software
Distribution.” Deb confirms the existence of the BSD license and
its relevance. [00:03:27] Deb admits it’s challenging to determine
the number of FreeBSD users due to the nature of the BSD license
but estimates hundreds of thousands based on device usage.
[00:04:08] Deb distinguishes the FreeBSD Foundation from the
FreeBSD Project, explaining the foundation’s role in supporting the
project and the community through funding, development, and
advocacy. [00:06:47] Deb compares the FreeBSD Foundation to other
foundations like the GNOME Foundation and the Linux Foundation,
emphasizing FreeBSD’s focus on software development and community
support. [00:08:15] Deb reveals most of the foundation’s funding
comes from corporate sponsors. She highlights the foundation’s
increasing focus on security in response to global standards and
government guidelines, mentioning FreeBSD’s involvement in security
research and development. [00:12:45] There’s a discussion on the
foundation’s approach to policy and standards, noting the limited
resources but emphasizing the importance of corporate and community
input in deciding priorities and projects. [00:15:52] Richard
questions Deb about feedback mechanisms used to gauge the FreeBSD
community’s concerns about security. He wonders about the
participation dynamics. Deb details the communication channels
within the FreeBSD community, mentions a recent community survey
and what the responses revealed, and explains the 1% negative
feedback. [00:19:56] The conversation shifts towards diversity and
inclusion within FreeBSD, questioning the foundation’s strategies
to enhance geographical and demographic diversity. Deb discusses
the foundation’s efforts to increase gender diversity, mentioning
initiatives targeting women, especially through involvement in
computing events and universities. [00:24:05] Richard inquires
about the prevalence of women in executive roles within open source
foundations, sparking a conversation on gender dynamics in
leadership and the intense dedication required in these roles. Deb
shares her admiration for the passion and intelligence within the
FreeBSD community and emphasizes the foundation’s commitment to
supporting the project and its people. [00:26:51] Why is Deb so
passionate about FreeBSD? She reflects on her deep connection with
the community, her continuous learning in the field, and her desire
to see the project thrive long-term. [00:29:06] Richard
acknowledges the upcoming FreeBSD Day, and Deb shares how it
showcases the uses of FreeBSD with a week of activities. [00:31:26]
Find out here you can learn more about FreeBSD and Deb’s work
online. {00:33:34] Richard asks about the FreeBSD logo, confused by
the demon mascot. Deb clarifies that the mascot, named Beastie, is
a playful representation related to the UNIX’s background processes
(daemons) and not an actual logo. Spotlight [00:35:34] Richard’s
spotlight is Philip Pullman’s Trilogy book series. [00:36:12] Deb’s
spotlight is Michael Lucas’s book, Absolute FreeBSD. Links
SustainOSS (https://sustainoss.org/) SustainOSS Twitter
(https://twitter.com/SustainOSS?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor)
SustainOSS Discourse (https://discourse.sustainoss.org/)
podcast@sustainoss.org (mailto:podcast@sustainoss.org) SustainOSS
Mastodon (https://mastodon.social/tags/sustainoss) Open
Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute)
(https://opencollective.com/sustainoss) Richard Littauer Socials
(https://www.burntfen.com/2023-05-30/socials) Deb Goodkin X/Twitter
(https://x.com/dgoodkin?lang=en) Deb Goodkin LinkedIn
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/deb-goodkin-b282924a/) FreeBSD
Foundation (https://freebsdfoundation.org/) 2024 FreeBSD Community
Survey is Here-FreeBSD Foundation
(https://freebsdfoundation.org/blog/2024-freebsd-community-survey-is-here/)
FreeBSD Foundation YouTube
(https://www.youtube.com/@freebsdfoundation2324) The FreeBSD
Project (https://www.freebsd.org/) His Dark Materials by Philip
Pullman-Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Dark_Materials) Absolute FreeBSD
by Michael W. Lucas (no starch press)
(https://nostarch.com/absfreebsd3) Credits Produced by Richard
Littauer (https://www.burntfen.com/) Edited by Paul M. Bahr at
Peachtree Sound (https://www.peachtreesound.com/) Show notes by
DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound (https://www.peachtreesound.com/)
Special Guest: Deb Goodkin.