Python and RaspberryPi in 2012

2012

This year, just looking at what is directly relevant to this blog, it hasn't been a bad year at all on the Python and Raspberry Pi front, considering I do this in my free (where? when?) time, outside of running an IT department, a company, a household, and helping in my community...

• mentored a few individuals
• a lightning talk at PyCarolinas
• a full length talk at PyCarolinas
• Got a whole team to embrace Python
• started PYPTUG, The PYthon Piedmont Triad User Group
• started PYPTUG PyHack Workshops @ Fablocker
• organized PYPTUG meetings
• over 250 posts on Raspberry Pi forum
• started this blog (over 56,000 visitors in last 4 months)
• over 120 blog articles in 4 languages
• published a few repositories on Bitbucket
• translated and proofread part of The Mag Pi magazine (in French)

That is a lot. And I plan to continue. Plus I contributed to a very very cool project, Brython (a Welsh word for a Breton, someone originating from the region of Brittany in France). Brython is Python scripting in your web browser.

Personally, I think this is a very important project for the Python community, and I put my money where my mouth is by investing my own time on this:

• english translation
• spanish translation
• spanish group (brython-es on google group)
• writing a few demos
• writing a few articles
• testing functionality
• sending bug reports
• fixing stuff
• some public relation and promo

Of course, this pale in comparison to the amount of time that Brython's creator Pierre Quentel has spent on it. I encourage my readers to get involved in that project and make it a success in 2013.

2013

In 2013, I would like to see dtrace (one of the most important technology of the last 15 years) bundled with Python on all platform that support it (the BSDs, Mac OS/X, Solaris and IllumOS based like OpenIndiana). The patch has existed for a long time, so it is not a technical issue. We will see if politics can be set aside and the patch be mainstreamed. I do owe some people from OpenIndiana some work on the regular Python 2.7.x, but quite frankly I am less than enthused to work on this without making dtrace (Jesus Cea's patches) part of it.

How about IllumOS on the Rasberry Pi? The time is right, with the 512MB Pi now being the norm. There is some background noise already on this, so I'm hoping we can get this thing going.

Finally, I'd like to see the disaster of 2012 (Ten's Complement Zevo zfs file system sandbagged) get reversed, and ZFS be brought back to Mac OS/X. That is probably most unlikely, since Apple are not interested in trailblazing anymore. HFS+ in 2013, really? really?

François
@f_dion