I wrote about our transition as my wife and I leave the US for France soon.

[chergert@my.devsuite.app]

I wrote about our transition as my wife and I leave the US for France soon.

https://blogs.gnome.org/chergert/2026/02/06/mid-life-transitions/

This will mean major disruptions to a huge amount of GNOME code as I will be unable to continue in such a capacity as an unemployed long-stay visitor.

[kolunmi@hachyderm.io]

@chergert

I would be very interested in carrying on the work, as much as I can. I am absolutely fascinated by many of your projects, especially libdex, which I use extensively in Bazaar. I am seeking employment as well so such a prospect would be a dream for me!

[jzb@hachyderm.io]

@chergert it mystifies me that Red Hat wouldn’t approve your request. Perhaps they fear too many others trying to do the same.

I hope the transition goes smoothly for you. Really sorry that the company didn’t step up.

[pwithnall@mastodon.social]

@chergert I hope the move goes smoothly, and brings with it lots of exciting new opportunities!

[tragivictoria@mastodon.catgirl.cloud]

@chergert@my.devsuite.app good luck!

[mcneely@indieweb.social]

@chergert thanks for all the work you've put in over the years. Hope the move goes smoothly for you and your family

[zeenix@toot.cat]

@chergert oh, it's so sad that RH wasn't able to help you out. I wish you folks the best of luck! ❤️

If you decide to (and are able to) move even further east, I can offer a place to stay for a while. I'm hopeful there are others who will be able and willing to help as well.

[chillicampari@layer8.space]

@chergert yes, learning another language later in life isn't easy (especially if you grew up monolingual). I have lived in Germany the last ten years coming from California and have enough high/formal German knowledge to get around many areas here, though I stumble in my local area (Bavaria, different dialect than what we are taught in language course). But it is still very much worth it. Best of luck with the move and I am hoping someone can help pick up with the things you are maintaining.

[bilboed@bilboed.tech]

@chergert good luck with the move ! Which area are you moving to ? Don't hesitate to DM if you need tips/help !

[swags@social.treehouse.systems]

@chergert hope things all work out for you on traveling and best wishes to the both of you. i really appreciate what youve done for sysprof (and i use it quite a lot, actually) and i quite enjoy it for the prof backend alone, so maybe if i get an itch and some dead hours i could help out

Safe travels out there.

[m_22@universeodon.com]

@chergert sorry to hear that the transfer wasn’t approved. Congrats on getting your family out and best wishes!

[lineplus@eldritch.cafe]

@chergert Bienvenue !

[pojntfx@mastodon.social]

@chergert Good luck with the move, I'm sorry (honestly more mad than sorry) that they didn't approve your request. I hope France (or a company in France) realizes the asset they have in you and let you work ASAP.

[fossplant@pouet.chapril.org]

@chergert
Remind that if you need to be employed in a free software company, we also have:

Regional groups of FOSS companies: https://mamot.fr/@plossra_a/115252085119710482
Red Hat employing people here, obviously
Free software conventions like @jdll or @alposs every year
@copiepublique which is an independent group financing free software
French PyCon every year: https://zestedesavoir.com/billets/4870/pyconfr-2025-a-lyon-du-30-octobre-au-2-novembre/

(And more importantly, set back and enjoy your stay)

[aperezdc@oldbytes.space]

@chergert best of lucks with the upcoming changes 🤗🙏

[jasperamorgan@mastodon.social]

@chergert I can’t get a clear picture about RedHat. Is it now just another US Big Tech corp or is it a good actor in the FOSS world. It’s probably a bit of both.

Sad that a global organisation is so inflexible.

On a positive note, France is a super vibrant part of Europe’s tech scene. I hope you find a good landing zone. Bon Voyages!

[codedore@mastodon.online]

@chergert I wish you all the best on your journey forwards!

I really apprentice all the work you have done so far for tools I have used daily for my work. So I hope everything goes well for your relocation to France.
Take care of yourself and your family.

[matzipan@hachyderm.io]

@chergert sorry to hear what you're going through. It's a big transition and it's bound to be stressful so wish you all the best!

[skyper@fosstodon.org]

@chergert Good luck with this big change!

If you need info about how things work in France, or if you want to practice your French, feel free to ping me. I'd be more than happy to help.

[happyborg@fosstodon.org]

@chergert France is a wonderful country, though I guess you know this. I'm in UK but visited many times and my parents lived there late in their lives.

I believe property is still cheap there, and the style and locations in the country are amazing.

Good luck. I'm in a transition myself, to a village and new way of life in UK (doing up a very old property and becoming part of the community here), and though stressful I'm loving every bit of it.