Seth D. Schoen
1022A Shotwell Street
San Francisco, CA 94110-4086
<schoen@loyalty.org>
http://www.loyalty.org/~schoen/

(415)282-4798 telephone
(415)582-8271 pager

This résumé is subject to change through additional editing. This version was issued June 19, 2001.

Skills

Platforms

• GNU/Linux (6 years)
• Other Unix -- FreeBSD, Solaris, AIX, ULTRIX (occasional, 7 years)
• Mac OS (5 years)
• Windows 95/98 (4 years)
• Windows NT (1 year)
• PC-DOS, MS-DOS (10 years)

Programming languages

Regular use

• Python
• Bourne shell, awk, sed, regular expressions
• C

Dormant or intermittent use

• Perl
• Scheme
• Java
• SQL (database query language)
• 8086, MIPS assembly

Once used

• BASIC (Atari, AppleSoft, GWBASIC, QuickBASIC, Visual Basic)
• Pascal
• HyperTalk

Networking

• LAN administration
• HTTP, FTP, DNS, SMTP adminstration and scripting
• General knowledge of TCP/IP and application protocols

Electronics

• Basic electronics theory, digital logic synthesis, with some laboratory experience. Built computer interface for video multiplexor chip for home automation prototype; electromechanical logic circuits made from relays; 420-watt 7-segment numeric display with computer interface for New Year's countdown, electronic graduation caps.

Text markup languages

Regular use

• HTML

Intermittent use

• troff (I have written a Towers of Hanoi program in troff)
• LaTeX

Natural languages

• English
• Latin
• Some ancient Greek, Esperanto, Biblical and modern Hebrew

Work experience

• Linuxcare, Inc., San Francisco, CA. June 1999-May 2001.
  • Distribution maintainer for special-purpose mini-distribution

    One of three creators of the Linuxcare Bootable Business Card and subsequently principal developer and maintainer of this project at Linuxcare. The Linuxcare Bootable Business Card is a bootable business card-sized miniature CD-ROM which can be used to boot a Linux system in memory on almost any PC. Targeted for rescue and recovery purposes, it is used by system administrators all over the world. The CD's capacity is increased with the use of a compressed loopback block device driver.

    This open source project was supported by Linuxcare for internal project use and tens of thousand of copies were produced and distributed at conferences and trade shows, as well as by mail to user groups.

    Through five releases, I enhanced the capabilities of the system, adding network support, cryptography, network analysis, forensic, and other software. At one point, I added support for installing the "slink" release of Debian GNU/Linux directly from the CD. Current development work includes a kernel upgrade, allowing download of packages over the Internet into a RAM disk, and support for network-based installations of various GNU/Linux distributions.

    I also interacted with users, provided informal support, and accepted suggestions on the mailing list established for this project.

  • Senior Linux Consultant and trainer

    Performed system administration, networking, security, and other consulting for clients including startup companies and the NetAid project at Cisco Systems.

    Taught Linux system administration, network administration, Python programming, and introductory Linux classes internally at Linuxcare. Taught system administration and introductory Linux classes for paying corporate training customers and Linuxcare partners.

    Wrote and edited training materials.

• AtreNet LLC, Santa Cruz, CA. Spring 1999.

  Developed a prototype for a web-based home automation system called ControlBox, which included remote video monitoring and control of devices.

  Performed basic Linux system administration.

• National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA. Summer 1998.

  As a student intern in the Future Technologies Group, I did system administration and installation for a Beowulf-style cluster for energy research, and advised other LBL technical staff about Linux.

• Toronto Dominion Bank, USA Division, New York City, NY. Summer 1997.

  As a student intern in the Application Services Department, I wrote documentation and created a testing procedure to support a large upgrade of traders' workstations.

• PGM Systems, Inc., Northampton, MA. Summer, winter 1996. Worked as a Visual Basic programmer, maintaining database software.
• Paul W. Abrahams, S. Deerfield, MA. Summer 1995. Internship with noted Unix expert and author, installing and configuring Linux systems.
• TK Systems, Easthampton, MA. Summer 1994. Assembled, diagnosed, repaired, and upgraded PCs.
• Northfield Mount Hermon School, Northfield, MA. 1993-1997.

  Extracurricular and co-curricular activities included:

  • Computer lab monitor
  • Co-founder of GEECS for Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, student computer users' group
  • Created Lee Project (unofficial intranet)
  • Created Hillside Network (dormitory LAN)
  • Student administrator, School Wide Information System (FirstClass bulletin board)
  • Student administrator, ishmael and cartier, student Unix systems
  • Wrote vote-tallying software for VOTES mock presidential election
  • Wrote survey and analysis software for student attitude/behavior survey

Education

• UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA. Chancellor's Scholarship. Three semesters of college work, mainly in computer science and mathematics. Junior standing through advanced placement credit.
• Northfield Mount Hermon School, Northfield, MA. High school diploma, 1997, with numerous awards including the school's highest award, the Cambridge Award. Outside awards included AP National Scholar; commendation from Mass. Dept. of Ed. for AP achievement; National Merit Semifinalist.
• Technical academic summer programs: Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth "Digital Logic" (Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA), 1992; Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics, 1993; Technion/Israel National Museum of Science Olympiyeda "Optics", 1995.

Selected Publications and Presentations

I have an additional publication about which information is available upon request.

• "Creating Bootable Linux CD-ROMs" (working title), to appear in Linux Journal.
• "Bootable Rescue, Demo, and Application CDs" (presentation), accepted for LinuxWorld Conference and Expo (San Francisco, August 2001).
• "DVD Litigation" (presentation), Bay Area Linux Users Group, July 2000.
• "Linux and the Future of the Internet" (presentation on IPv6), LinuxWorld Conference and Expo (San Jose, CA, March 1999; invited talk at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, April 1999; repeated at LinuxWorld, August 1999).
• Contributed to "The Open Source Definition", version 1.4.
• "The Apple Public Source License and Export Controls: The Open Source Definition and Licenses that Implement National Laws", March 1999. Led to changes in Apple Public Source License.

Recent Programming

• Book cataloguing software with CueCat bar code reader input (Bourne shell, Python)
• Bootable Business Card build scripts, init script, network configuration script (Bourne shell), and small utilities (C)
• Legal citation parser (Python)
• md5tee (C)
• Miscellaneous scripts for Kernel Traffic: database optimizations (Perl), round-robin mirror status checker (Bourne shell), mirroring script (Python); configured ht://Dig search engine; currently working on additional scripts for this project
• Web diary publishing script (Python)

Selected Interests and Activities

I am lead maintainer for a new free software project, the LNX-BBC Bootable Business Card, based on the Linuxcare Bootable Business Card, and am currently preparing the first release, version 1.618. All of the original creators of the Linuxcare BBC are contributing to this project.

I am a volunteer technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and a regular attendee at its BayFF meetings.

I am an active member of several local Linux user groups and have been an officer of the UC Berkeley Linux Users Group. I have volunteered at the bimonthly CABAL Linux installfests. I have been an invited speaker at BALUG and SVLUG.

I have an interest in freedom of expression, privacy, and intellectual property issues. I have been a license reviewer for the Open Source Initiative. I have participated in the OpenLaw dvd-discuss forum. I provide technical support and other volunteer service for Peacefire. I have also attended SF 2600.

I attended the March 2000 meeting of the Copy Protection Technical Working Group as a reporter for Cryptome.

I advised Sonoma Academy, a new independent high school in Santa Rosa, CA, about educational technology.