Don Marti will be giving a talk on "Git and Make: Not Just for Code" at SCALE 12X. The SCALE Team caught up with him and asked him a few questions about his presentation.
Q: Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background?
A: I've been running Linux on the desktop since 1994.I was co-founder of one of a web and open source consulting company and have worked in the Linux media as a staff editor and contributor, and for a variety
of interesting startups. At Perforce Software, I'm working on continuous delivery of version management software for developers and other content creators.
Q: You're giving a talk on "Git and Make: Not Just for Code." Without tipping your hand on the actual talk, can you give us an idea of what we might expect?
A: Ever notice how computer programmers like to automate everything for themselves, but then as a regular useryou have to row through repetitive, error-prone tasks? Software is complicated enough that the processof developing it would never work without a bunch of tools to check your work and track your idiotic mistakes, I mean your progress. We're going to talkabout how to borrow some of those tools for regular tasks such as writing a novel, keeping the books for a small business, and of course doing presentations.
Q: Is this your first visit to SCALE? If so, what are your expectations? If not, can you give us your impressions of the event?
A: I've been coming to SCALE for several years. When people ask me if it's an elite professional show or a wild and wooly community show, I tell them that it's a little bit of both -- it's where the elite professionals, who are doing extreme devops and other difficult tasks during the rest of the year, go to learn about the wild and wooly stuff. So it's one of the best places for a new user to show up and get ideas for new things to learn and communities to connect with.
Q: Really, "make"? Isn't that obsolete? I thought that there were much better tools, such as "redo" by now.
A: Good point. The problem of repeating a complex task to build something you need is a common one, and lots of programmers have come up with solutions. But "make" is still found pretty much everywhere, and
for the kind of projects I'm talking about, it does what you need. Besides, when the new hot systems come out, a lot of the documentation assumes that you know "make" anyway. If you want to learn "redo" and do a talk on it for next year, let me know so that I can attend it. It looks useful.
Q: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
A: Just that I'm looking forward to the show, and that you can come see me at the Perforce booth if you want to talk about Git or anything
[SCALE Team interview by Hannah Anderson]