How to set up work environment to become an OpenStack Developer?

Although there are developer and wiki guides on how to quickly create an OpenStack development environment, I found them bit overwhelming as a beginner. After reading various docs and taking help from some core-contributors in OpenStack, I came up with the following easy-to-follow guide. If you still face any problems, feel free to reach out by commenting below.

1. Install Ubuntu in an Oracle Virtual Box

A virtual machine(VM) is recommended because usually, we don’t want lots of dependencies installed in our everyday environment . A VM allows us to install all of our necessary dependencies without interfering with anything else on the system and at the same time, prevents others from interfering with us. Also, if at any point we mess up things, it becomes easier to start over from scratch.

Depression – The secret battle I fought against myself

“According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression is a common but serious mood disorder that causes severe symptoms that affect how one feels, thinks, and handles daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.”

But having gone through Major Depressive Disorder, I can say it’s much…much worse. Worse than the image the above words or for that matter any words, can portray. It almost killed me! Statistics say, every 30 seconds, somewhere, someone is taking away his/her life because of “depression”.

I last swallowed antidepressants and sleeping pills about 4 months back and even today I can’t be more grateful to the little everyday joys which I would call blessings now:-

Taking one thyroxine pill vs. swallowing 13 pills everyday simply to function.

Rebooting: Passion vs. Greedy Algorithm

And there I was.  Back at the fork in the road, with the same, familiar deadening choice. How long will this cycle go on? I asked myself. I must choose a path. I told myself.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth

Wrote Robert Frost in his poem “The Road Not Taken” and summed up the dilemma that we all face in life every now and then: Whether to follow our innocent heart OR the witty brain?

My artistic flair

Growing up, we were all taught the saying, “Actions speak louder than words!” So for this post, I’ll let my sketches do the talking…

10 Reasons to Explore the enchanting Rann Utsav

“Winter is coming” is the saying past by as we’ve officially entered the hard months. If you are not a stay-at-home person and are tired of cursing these months, guess what? Its time to pack your bags and head to the white land of Gujarat as the Rann Utsav (1st Nov to 20th Feb 2019) awaits you. I got some lifelong memories during my trip and following are 10 reasons why you should not miss it either:-

How to become an iOS Developer?

My journey as an iOS Developer started one year back. It has been nothing shorter than a roller-coaster ride. The internet is flooded with all kinds of learning resources, which at times can be a bit overwhelming. It can be difficult to know what to pick and where to start. The bottom line is that there is no ‘universal best’ path. As long as you are able to grasp the concepts, you are on the right path! The following resources helped me the most, so go ahead give them a shot and see for yourself if it works for you.

A quick tip for the young and ambitious

Life, like surfing, is all about the wave selection and reading waves is a tough skill. If you are looking for the exponential wave to surf for career growth, then read on to unravel the mystery.

Have you ever pursued something difficult that seemed the logical thing to do to step up in your career, and then feeling motivated you went on to tackle the monster all by yourself, only to later find yourself almost crushed? If so, consider enrolling yourself in a mentorship program.

‘There are options in life. It’s not necessary that high achievements can only be garnered by choosing difficult options.’ – Dear Zindagi Movie

Ten ways in which FOSSASIA ’17 helped me grow

The FOSSASIA OpenTechSummit is Asia’s leading Open Technology conference for developers, technologists, scientists, entrepreneurs and IT professionals to get together to showcase latest technologies, communicate, exchange ideas, learn from each other, and collaborate. This year the event took place from March 17th – 19th at the Science Centre Singapore. During the three days, the events not only introduced me to lots of new ideas but also gave me a fresh outlook on existing ones.

Beginner’s Guide: Attending OpenStack Summit

Wondering what’s in store for Boston Summit, May 8-11? Apart from attending dozens of sessions led by professionals in the industry, meeting a ton of new people, and taking home lots of great swag, you’ll certainly bring home a great deal of thoughts and become capable of contributing more efficiently. As per reports, around 50 – 60 percent OpenStack summit attendees are first-timers. Being a grantee of the travel support program and speaker at the previous OpenStack Summit, I hope this piece conveys my enriching journey and distances you from feeling overwhelmed in the whirlwind of activity.

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Technical Presentation: Jumping to the other side of the fence

Giving my first technical talk at the event “Opportunities for Women and Beyond” conducted by Women Techmakers’ group was exhilarating. After all the preparation and butterflies in my stomach, I wanted to reach out to more people by sharing it on my blog. But once I started jotting it down, my mind raced in all sorts of directions… so, I took it a step further.

Wrapping Up: OpenStack – Outreachy Internship

The pencil down date has passed. It’s been one heck of a journey! If done right, it is perhaps one of the world’s best experiences for aspiring developers. I got to learn from some of the most talented developers while chasing time zones and ideologies. The opportunity to explore beyond the scope of formal academics, be it the code base, version control system, code development practices, review process or any other unfamiliar terrain I came across, is unmatched. Even the frustrating moments, made me grow not only in skills but also as a person.

In the following article I will walk you through my internship journey along with some tips based on my experience.