Meeting Patrick Volkerding


I've been using Slackware Linux since November 1997, and it'll always have a special place in my heart.  It was the first distribution that I successfully installed, and it took me six hours, but I was beaming when I finally got that first login prompt.  Today I use several different distributions, but Slackware is still one of them.  I like its simplicity; it doesn't try to hide the underlying system from you in an attempt at user-friendliness, which is especially welcome if you're trying to learn Linux/Unix in-depth.

In August 2003 at LinuxWorld I got to meet one of my idols, Patrick Volkerding, who has maintained Slackware Linux more or less single-handedly since 1993.  The day I met him I just happened to be wearing my Slackware T-shirt, but didn't have my camera with me -- d'oh!  Oh well, I knew better the next day and stalked him until I had him cornered.  He's a really nice guy and put up with my bowing and groveling with surprising tolerance.

Erik and Patrick Volkerding
This will be a day long remembered.  Mr. Volkerding is on the left.