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Michael Lustfield

(MTecknology)

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About Me

I am an IT architect with a focus on Linux, automation, and security.

This career path truly started back in late high school when the IT coordinator handed me an Ubuntu CD, which started me down a long and interesting path of ups and downs, starting with ndiswrapper. While attending college, I found myself digging into both web debuggers, strace, and other diagnostic utilities in order to troubleshoot any problem, no matter how deep it went.

My first introduction into enterprise environments was a wild first week; I was even pulled out of orientation in order to prevent a mail service from running out of capacity, which would have happened that evening. If not for some extremely well-written documentation and other blog posts, that situation could have been catostrophically worse. This highlighted the importance of quality documentation and the necessity of taking the time to review it before taking action.

After settling into the role and finding the credentials that were left behind, I began to understand what it meant to be the sole linux admin, responsible for over 500 servers distributed across the nation. I was also responsible for supporting the users that connected to these servers, any corporate Linux server, and the applications running on top of them. supporting the applications hosted on each. This experience encouraged me to adopt configuration management (automation) early on in my career.

Due to the absence of a suitable test environment at work, I repurposed a desktop at home to create a comprehensive network that adhered to best practices I could discover. This allowed me to break down work-related problems, delve into the underlying technology, and pursue thorough investigations to identify root causes and implement lasting solutions for recurring issues.

Outside of work, I contribute to open source projects, primarily focusing on bug fixes and enhancements aimed at improving quality of life.

PDF  My Resume

Open Source

Debian Linux
active
Debian Linux
Maintained software packages in the archive, participated in various Security & QA teams, and sponsored packages on behalf of prospective Debian Devs
SaltStack
emeritus
SaltStack
Learned python in order to contribute new features and resolve complex issues, and helped users find simple solutions to complex challenges via IRC
Ubuntu Linux
emeritus
Ubuntu Linux
Created Drupal modules and themes for community websites after establishing brand guidelines with the Ubuntu Web team and peer-reviewed News content
Nginx
emeritus
Nginx
Coordinated security updates for Ubuntu and Debian, and maintained the IRC channel that temporarily existed as the primary support platform
Gitea
emeritus
Gitea
Provided patches to improve documentation, repaired numerous license violations, and organized project assets in order to prevent regressions
Recovery Source
active
Recovery Source
Created a freely-hosted turn-key website solution for 12-step groups, wrote a handbook to cover the basics, and created an index of group listings

Mini Projects

Home Lab
My own enterprise-style infrastructure, designed to learn best practices and investigate solutions to real issues
CIS Benchmark Tests
Provides automated testing and compliance reports covering benchmarks from Center for Internet Security
Audio Pattern Ranger
Enviromental monitor that uses machine learning to train a model from local disturbances and then report occurrences
Static Swagger-UI
Builds a read-only web page similar to Swagger-UI providing instant response time, using 1k fewer javascript libraries
Pelican Search
Adds lightning-fast searching to otherwise-static pelican websites using a server running sphinxsearch and bottle
Script Helpers
Library for POSIX-compliant functions designed to safely support legacy servers that cannot tolerate down time
TDC
Tiny and lightweight clock designed to fit docks and system trays of minimalist window managers like openbox
LaTeX CV Template
Custom style for LaTeX to simplify building resumes and CVs that are optimized for ATS and easy maintain
SaltStack Corporate Formula
Comprehensive template for corporations deploying SaltStack with proven record supporting globally distributed teams
D42-Cli
Provides a flexible command line interface for Device42, using a modular approach similar to SaltStack execution modules
DFSG Review
An application and framework that supports collaborative review of software packages within the debian archive
Debian SSO
Plugin for LemonLDAP-NG (SSO) that added features needed to support specific needs of the Debian project