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Marcia K. Wilbur
Linux/Unix people
Developer story - Gnu Linux AIOT developer, maker, writer. Privacy and developer advocate.
Marcia K. Wilbur
Experience
Marcia K. Wilbur is a prominent figure in the open-source community, renowned for her extensive contributions as a developer, technical communicator, and advocate for free software and free speech.
Her work spans various domains, including Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and technical writing.
Marcia’s academic background is robust, holding degrees in computer science, technical communication, and information technology.
During 2002-2003, she interned at the Free Software Foundation, serving as an advisory committee member.
In 2003, she authored the DMCA FAQs for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) blog, contributing to the discourse on digital rights and copyright laws.
That same year, in collaboration with CompTIA, she developed “Linux Essentials,” a computer-based training program adopted by universities worldwide, including her alma mater, Arizona State University.
In her professional journey, Marcia has consulted in the semiconductor industry, focusing on IIoT and AI applications.
She has worked as a technical writer for various projects and companies and served as a technical editor for Wiley Publishing.
Her role as the lead Debian developer for Libre Respin—a backup and distribution customization tool—highlights her commitment to enhancing Linux distributions.
Marcia’s leadership extends to community engagement.
As president of the Copper GNU Linux User Group, she is deeply involved with the maker community, leading initiatives such as the West Side GNU Linux + Pi and East Valley projects.
These projects focus on Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone, Banana Pi/Pro, and ESP8266, encompassing applications like home automation, gaming consoles, surveillance systems, and multimedia projects.
Her volunteer efforts are noteworthy, particularly in using Pi units and GNU Linux to provide educational content to K-12 schools in rural, underserved, and disaster-stricken areas.
This work underscores her dedication to leveraging technology for social good.
Marcia has also been active in the conference circuit, sharing her expertise at events like FOSDEM 2021, where she presented on topics such as Apache OpenOffice documentation and accessibility considerations in software and documentation.
In 2018, she created a Raspberry Pi image for Kids on Computers, used in Mexico to set up a new lab, further demonstrating her commitment to educational initiatives.
Her advocacy for free software and free speech is evident through her involvement in various organizations and projects.
She has maintained blogs and written articles promoting open-source software and has been a vocal critic of restrictive digital rights management practices.
In summary, Marcia K. Wilbur’s multifaceted career reflects a deep commitment to technology, education, and advocacy.
Her contributions have significantly impacted the open-source community and continue to inspire those dedicated to the principles of free and open-source software.
Nota bene
She started her career with Free Software.
It was a time when free software or open source was not popular, companies were more Windows-focused, and it was hard to find a job using GNU Linux Free software.
So imagine how brave she was!
She is still just as brave to this day!
In fact, she completed her Bachelor's Degree using only Free Software.
Free software, also known as open-source software, refers to software whose source code is made publicly available.
This allows users not only to use the software but also to study, modify, and distribute it, often under specific licensing terms that encourage collaboration and transparency.
Advantages:
The original source code is freely accessible for modification or redistribution.
Users can inspect the code and understand how it works.
Multiple contributors work together to develop and improve the software.
Many open-source licenses do not protect the underlying code as copyright, but some may include copyleft terms.
Common License types:
GPL (GNU General Public License) : Requires that any derivative work also be open source.
MIT License : A permissive license that allows for maximum freedom.
Apache License : Permissive and widely used in open-source projects.
LGPL (Linux General Public License) : Similar to GPL, requiring derivative works to be open source.
Why we love Free Software?
We can verify the software's integrity by reading the full source code.
We don`t need to pay money.
It encourages community contributions leading to better solutions.
We can modify the software ourselves to suit our specific needs.
Linux is the de facto operating system based on free software principles.
Free software is the fundamental aspect of our time!
About the Author
Marcia K. Wilbur
Marcia K. Wilbur
For LinkedIn Profile Click here
Gnu Linux AIOT developer, maker, writer. Privacy and developer advocate.
• Have software? Will port or die trying
• Debian developer - bash, python, C/C++ Lead dev Linux Respin
• Able to design and develop Android Applications using Eclipse on GNU/Linux and other OS.
• Able to use a variety of systems from Amiga to Winblows
• System Administration - Script Kiddie Extraordinaire! I grep - therefore I am. Automation stuff.
• Able to create Technical Documentation from basic notes, code and user input.
• Able to leap short lego buildings in a single bound...
Some of my work:
IEI AIOT TANK: https://www.ieiworld.com/en/product/model.php?II=886 - I created the prototype OS, custom software and setup configurations for AI, for the Industrial IOT machine with acceleration slots.
Veritas Cluster, HP Serviceguard or RHCS.
Intel DevCloud: Built the initial devcloud prototype on the IEI AIOT TANK prototype
Multiple Tutorials and demos for OpenVINO OpenCV and audio (kaldi and GAN).
scrot front end - scrotyad
Pandoc conversion tool - electron
Desktop Environment builder - tkinter and python
Linux Respin - python, bash
Moodle/Totara/Blackboard implementations, integrations and migrations (Linux)
Specialties:
• GNU Linux applications, tools and utilities - LAMP
• Midnight-commander :)
• Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone Black, and ESP8266
• Technical Communications across Free Software, Open Source and (occasionally) Proprietary Teams.
• e-Learning LMS: Moodle, Blackboard, Towers/Watson, SABA, LearnUpon, Docebo, EZLCMS
• Authorit, Articulate, Audacity
• Drupal, Wordpress, MediaWiki, Joomla
• Python, C/C++, Java, XML, XSL, CSS, PHP, bash
Special Warning:
I am a command line junkie.
Note:
I am a walking, breathing diff.
Services:
GNU Linux application engineer and designer with Debian based systems. On Prem integrations, implementations and migrations. Postman/Swagger API. Machine Learning integrations for your products and services. Computer vision, LLMs, Audio.
Information Management
Enterprise Content Management
Software Testing
Custom Software Development
Application Development
User Experience Writing
Technical Writing
Project Management
See you in the next one!
If you wish to support our project
Donation link (Buy me a coffee):