Chris Gianakopoulos

Chris is a member of The Answer Gang.

I do embedded software for a living. I work at Motorola in Schaumburg, Illinois, and I design and implement RF networking protocols for a living.

My schooling is a BSEE at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, but I was a nondegreed engineer during most of my career. I have been doing embedded software for about 20 years, and I'm 48 years old.

Networking protocols are what got me interested in Linux. For example, after reading TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1, by Stevens, I had a yearning to experiment with the protocols. Also, I got tired of using Microsoft Windows software on my 486 machine. A 66MHz 486 is sort of fast when running DOS -- Windows 95 brought it down to its knees. Also the Windows games require so much resources! Linux (I use SuSE 6.4) brought new life into that 486.

So I love Linux. I have lots of computers in the house with three of them running Linux (one of them with no keyboard or monitor -- just an Ethernet). I have another machine that runs FreeBSD because I like to see how the various systems (Linux, FreeBSD, even Windows with its protocol stack and Exceed) interoperate.

Physics, electromagnetics (fields and waves), and protocols are the things that I study most. I know the IrDA protocol, I have studied its specs, and I have ported a commercial IrDA protocol stack into more than one embedded system.

I am married with three kids, and I actually see them. When I am not hobbying and working, I actually get some sleep now and then.