Ian Jackson (computer programmer)

{{Short description|Computer programmer}}

{{Distinguish|Ian Murdock}}

{{for|the basketball player|Ian Jackson (basketball)}}

{{better sources needed |date=March 2025 |reason=Some of the sources are not only not independent and reliable, but not even formal publications, such as email messages on mailing lists.}}Ian Jackson is a longtime free software author and Debian developer. Jackson wrote dpkg{{cite web

|url = https://anonscm.debian.org/gitweb/?p=dpkg/dpkg.git;a=blob;f=AUTHORS;hb=HEAD

|title = dpkg/dpkg.git/blob - AUTHORS

|date = 2010-02-20

|publisher = anonscm.debian.org

|access-date = 2013-05-17

}}{{cite web

| url=https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/project-history/detailed.en.html

| title=A Brief History of Debian: Chapter 4 - A Detailed History

| date=2013-05-04

| website=Debian

| access-date=2013-05-17}}{{cite web

| url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/1995/09/msg00073.html

| title=redhat packaging system and dpkg

| first=Bruce

| last=Perens

| author-link=Bruce Perens

| date=1995-09-05

| access-date=2013-05-17}} (replacing a more primitive Perl tool with the same name), SAUCE (Software Against Unsolicited Commercial Email), userv and debbugs. He used to maintain the Linux FAQ. He runs [https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk chiark.greenend.org.uk], a Linux system which is home to PuTTY among other things.

As of October 2021, he works for the Tor Project.{{Cite web |first=Ian |last=Jackson|title=diziet {{!}} Going to work for the Tor Project |url=https://diziet.dreamwidth.org/10255.html |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=diziet.dreamwidth.org}}{{Cite web |date=2021-07-21 |title=Tor Project {{!}} Software Developer, Rust |url=https://www.torproject.org/about/jobs/rust-dev/ |access-date=2022-05-20 |archive-date=2021-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721200208/https://www.torproject.org/about/jobs/rust-dev/ |url-status=bot: unknown }} He has previously worked for Citrix,{{cite web |last1=Sharwood |first1=Simon |title=No, we're not sorry for Xen security SNAFUs says Ian Jackson |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/01/no_were_not_sorry_for_xen_security_snafus_says_ian_jackson/ |website=The Register |access-date=18 September 2018 |language=en}}{{cite web|url=https://archive.fosdem.org/2013/schedule/speaker/ian_jackson/|title=FOSDEM 2013 - Ian Jackson|work=fosdem.org|access-date=10 April 2015}} Canonical,{{cite web |title=Künftiges Init-System der Linux-Distribution Debian: Zwischen Patt und allgemeiner Abstimmung |url=https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Kuenftiges-Init-System-der-Linux-Distribution-Debian-Zwischen-Patt-und-allgemeiner-Abstimmung-2088684.html |website=Heise Online |date=20 January 2014 |access-date=18 September 2018 |language=de-DE}} and nCipher.{{cite book |last1=Hertzog |first1=Raphaël |last2=Mas |first2=Roland |title=The Debian Administrator's Handbook: Debian Jessie From Discovery To Mastery |date=2015 |publisher=Freexian |isbn=9791091414012 |page=99 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aOseCwAAQBAJ&q=ncipher+%22ian+jackson%22 |access-date=18 September 2018 |language=en}}

Jackson became Debian Project Leader in January 1998, and Wichert Akkerman took his place in 1999.{{cite web |title=Debian GNU/Linux – Debian's Organizational Structure (05 December 2000)|url=http://www.debian.org/intro/organization|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001205041300/http://www.debian.org/intro/organization|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 December 2000|access-date=21 September 2018 |language=en-gb}} Debian GNU/Linux 2.0 (hamm) was released during his term. During that time he was also a vice-president and then president of Software in the Public Interest in 1998 and 1999.

Jackson received a PhD in Computer Science from Cambridge University in 1998. His PhD thesis was entitled Who goes here ? Confidentiality of location through anonymity.{{cite book

| url=https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ijackson/thesis/

| title=Who goes here ? Confidentiality of location through anonymity

| first=Ian

| last=Jackson

| via=chiark.greenend.org.uk

| publisher=Cambridge University

| date=1998-06-29

| access-date=2013-05-17}}

Jackson was a member of the Debian Technical Committee{{cite web|title=Debian's Organizational Structure|url=https://www.debian.org/intro/organization#officers|access-date=13 June 2013 |website=Debian}} until November 2014 when he resigned{{cite web |work=Debian Mailing List |title=Resignation |last1=Jackson |first1=Ian |date= 19 November 2014 |quote=I am resigning from the Technical Committee with immediate effect. While it is important that the views of the 30-40% of the project who agree with me should continue to be represented on the TC, I myself am clearly too controversial a figure at this point to do so. I should step aside to try to reduce the extent to which conversations about the project's governance are personalised. |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/621895/|access-date=19 November 2014}} as a result of controversies around the proposed use of systemd in Debian.{{cite web |last1=Gold |first1=Jon |title=Open-source devs vote down anti-systemd measure, sponsor steps down |url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/932772/debian-general-resolution-against-systemd-coupling-fails-sponsor-steps-down.html |website=Network World |date=19 November 2014 |access-date=18 September 2018 |language=en}}