Well, we’re back from the Usenix ’06 Annual Technical Conference. Overall, a very nice conference. This is the first Linux/Unix conference I’ve been to since the old LinuxExpo (NOT LinuxWorld) events in the late 90s.

I must say it was quite fun to be around so many intelligent *nix folks. I learned quite a bit, and learned how much I had in common with some (and how little with others). A very nice social at the New England Aquarium Friday night.

Some very interesting speakers, too, with lots of experience to share. I’m glad I was there.

I have only one main complaint about Usenix — they tried to cram too much into too few days. The conference sessions ran till as late at 6:45PM, with BoFs after that. That left almost no time to see anything of Boston and meant that very few people could actually stick around for all the BoFs. Next year, they should use more days and schedule fewer things in the evenings.

The highlight of the trip, though, wasn’t Usenix at all, but instead getting to meet some Boston-area Debian folks Saturday night. Lots of fun, and Mako is as crazy in person as he looks online :-)

Our train trip in each direction was nice, too.

More to come…