JAN
22
2002

Chris Howells

A Short Intro

  • Age: 17th August 1984 in Reading
  • Located in: Reading, United Kingdom
  • Occupation: Student
  • Nickname on IRC: C-Howells
  • Claim to Fame: Working on various KDE web sites, providing a few simple enhancements/bug fixes to various programs.

The Interview

Is there a certain application/set of applications in KDE you are responsible for?

Not at the moment! My work so far has mainly been doing various web sites for KDE, using PHP and HTML.

I've only been wading into KDE source code for a short while, so I'm a very inexperienced coder.

The web sites that I look after are printing.kde.org, edu.kde.org, webcvs.kde.org, and I help on koffice.org and usability.kde.org.

What else do you do for KDE?

So far, I've mainly done a few simples fixes, such as putting keyboard accelerators into programs, and tidying up the language in some message when it hasn't been very clear.

Hopefully, I'm about to start writing a small app soon which will be targeted at making it easier for network/system administrators to control what their KDE users can do.

Is there any unreleased stuff in your pipe?

Yes. At the moment, I'm working on "KDE Worldwide". (not up yet) It's at a too early stage of development to say any more.

There's also the application that I mentioned just above.

How much time do you usually spend on KDE?

I would say probably about 5-10 hours a week recently.

When did you hear of KDE first?

I can't really remember. I think it would have been towards the end of 1999 when I first started using Linux, after being annoyed with the amount that Windows crashed.

I bought a Linux magazine, and there were various KDE tutorials in there, so I gained my first Linux/UNIX experience on KDE 1.

I must admit that I did get bored with KDE 1 and used Window Maker for a while; however, for the reasons below I soon became a decicated KDE 2 user :)

How and when did you get involved in KDE?

Not all that long, since I would have only been 12 when the project started!

I was writing a review of spreadsheets for a Linux magazine, and KSpread was one of the pieces of software that I covered. I loved it immediately - it worked well, and also it looked gorgeous.

I signed up to the KOffice mailing list, and eventually I asked if there was any need for any help working on the koffice.org web site. From that, I've volunteered and helped with various other things as they have arisen.

In the early days, I can still remember looking at kde.org, and thinking how professional it was. I would never have imagined that I would be involved in the project.

When did you start to use KDE on a daily basis?

When I used KDE 1, it was when I was learning Linux, so it probably isn't fair to call that a "daily basis". However, I would say that I have used KDE on a daily basis since about the days of KDE 2.0.

Do you always use leading edge KDE? If so, how did it make you bleed?

I have for the last few weeks yes (there's been no real need before, as I haven't done much coding). In fact, at the moment, I'm just waiting for today's CVS update to compile. In the past I have only run KOffice and kdelibs from CVS due to a lack of bandwidth.

What is your favorite editor?

I've always liked vim (I've never been a fan of emacs). Just recently, I discovered Kate, and I'm finding this an extremely nice editor both for C++ and for web design.

What is your favorite tool?

That's quite difficult to answer, because there are so many wonderful pieces of free software. I'd probably say bash, as it's a nice shell.

What is your favorite KDE application?

The KOffice applications are great.

What is missing badly in KDE?

I think it's mainly import and export filters and a few features in KOffice - I'd really love to see more programmers working on KOffice, and developing excellent MS Office/StarOffice filters.

What do you think, when will "The Tea Cooker" actually be able to make tea?

I don't know; hopefully never!

What was the worst thing KDE did to you?

There's not really anything too bad. There was one time when I tried to run the latest version of KMail from CVS, but that didn't work. So I tried going back to the old version of KMail, which not wouldn't work either because the messages had been corrupted.

However, I had backups, so it wasn't too bad.

Imagine yourself designing a style or theme for KDE. How would it look like?

Difficult one. I think it would have to be quite abstract and unusual. Hopefully not too many dark colors though.

Which section of KDE is underrated and could get more publicity?

I think all of it to be honest. I see Windows XP adverts on TV, and think "they should be advertising KDE there".

Are you being paid to work on KDE?

No.

Where and when should the next KDE meeting be held? Will you attend?

I'd love there to be a KDE meeting in the UK - I might actually be able to attend then!

I think a meeting before KDE 3.1 or so is released would be wonderful.

Where will KDE be in 2 year's time? Will you still be involved? How?

I'd love to be still involved, and hopefully more active in coding. I think KDE will continue to mature, and hopefully will be faster due to improvements in gcc. I think that KOffice will continue to mature and be an excellent free office suite.

You are hired to write the script for a commercial for KDE (like "The Heist" by IBM). What would be the plot?

Another difficult one. It would probably have to be quite funny - but I'm not very good at drama, so I don't know.

Someone sends you an email about KDE in a language you do not understand at all. What do you do?

This has never really happened before. But I'd ask on kde-devel or on IRC if anybody spoke the language, and if they could translate it for me.

What do you think is KDE 2.2 greatest feature except from being a great desktop?

I think it's more the symbolic things, like freedom which are more important.

In these hectic times, where does KDE stands for, for you personally?

Freedom again.

What was your first computer?

It was really my father's - a 25Mhz 386 with 80MB hard disc, and 2MB RAM. In fact, I'm still using its original keyboard to type this - I'm very picky about keyboards, but this one has a great "crunchy" feel when typing.


Personal Questions

First things first. Are you married/do you have a partner? Or are you up for adoption?

Currently single. Guess I'm up for adoption then.

Do you have children?

No.

How many siblings do you have?

I'm an only child.

How was it like to grow up where you grew up?

Pretty average I guess. I've in the same house all my life, and went to the local school. I live in a fairly large town, although the road I live in is quite and friendly.

Having a Swedish mother, means that I do regularly travel overseas to meet relatives. So my up-bringing has been more cosmopolitan than most, I guess.

Rumour has it geeks thrive on pizza and coke. What's your fuel?

I do adore both pizzas and coke, although try to avoid them, as they aren't the most healthy things. I particularly like Swedish Marabou chocolate though.

You are visiting a foreign country and the menu in the restaurant you are having dinner in is just gibberish to you. What do you do?

Probably order something and hope for the best. Or hope that I could find somebody who speaks either English to translate what it means.

Do you cook yourself? If so, what?

Not very often. If I do, it usually just consists of sticking a pizza into the oven.

Who does the dish washing at your home?

Usually the dish washer. As a last resort, I have to do it :(

Do you remember what was on screen when you visited a cinema last time?

The last film I saw was American Pie 2 in the cineman a couple of weeks ago, which was quite humorous.

Apart from books about programming, do you own any other stuff than your passport?

Clothes and CDs mostly.

Assuming you do read fiction, what's your favorite quote by your favorite author?

I don't read much fiction.

Would you use software to organize your books/CDs? Why?

No. All my CDs go on the CD rack in my room, and I can generally find them quite easily, so three's no need to use software to help organize them. In fact, using software to organize them would probably be a waste of time for me.

What do you sing when nobody is listening and what when people are listening?

If people aren't listening, I might hum along to a catchy song on the radio or CD. If people are listening, then I don't sing anything, as it sounds terrible.

If you are a smoker, does it ever happen to you that your cigarette sets your ashtray on fire? How often?

I don't like cigarettes.