# Jose E. Marchesi

> Spanish computer scientist

**Wikidata**: [Q105688921](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105688921)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/jose-e-marchesi

## Summary
Jose E. Marchesi is a Spanish computer scientist and programmer recognized for his extensive contributions to the GNU Project and the free software movement. He serves as the maintainer for several key software packages, including GNU Poke, GNU Recutils, and the emacs-rec-mode. A member of the GNU Advisory Committee, he is currently employed as a software engineer at Oracle Corporation.

## Biography
- **Born:** August 13, 1980
- **Nationality:** Spain
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Technical University of Madrid
- **Known for:** Maintaining GNU Poke, GNU Recutils, and contributions to the Free Software Movement
- **Employer(s):** Oracle Corporation (2016–present); Elecnor Deimos (2005–2008)
- **Field(s):** Computer Science, Software Engineering
- **Residence:** Frankfurt, Germany (as of 2021)

## Contributions
Jose E. Marchesi has developed and maintained significant tools within the free software ecosystem, focusing on developer utilities and binary data manipulation. He is the creator and maintainer of **emacs-rec-mode**, an Emacs major mode designed for working with recutils database files, and **poke-elf**, a module used for editing ELF object files, executables, shared libraries, and core dumps.

Since 2019, Marchesi has served as the maintainer for **GNU Poke**, an interactive, extensible editor for binary data. He also maintains **GNU Recutils**, a set of tools and libraries for accessing plain-text databases called recfiles, and the associated emacs-rec-mode. In 2023, he took on the role of maintainer for the **GNU gprofng-gui**.

Beyond technical development, Marchesi contributes to the governance of the free software community as a member of the **GNU Advisory Committee** and the **GNU Project**. He speaks and writes in both Spanish and English.

## FAQs

### Q: What is Jose E. Marchesi's role in the GNU Project?
A: He is a member of the GNU Advisory Committee and acts as the maintainer for several GNU packages, including GNU Poke, GNU Recutils, and GNU gprofng-gui.

### Q: What specific software tools has Jose E. Marchesi created?
A: He developed emacs-rec-mode for handling recutils databases in Emacs and poke-elf, a module for editing ELF files and related binary formats.

### Q: Where has Jose E. Marchesi worked professionally?
A: He has worked for Oracle Corporation since 2016 and was previously employed by Elecnor Deimos from 2005 to 2008.

## Why They Matter
Jose E. Marchesi plays a critical role in the advancement of free software tools used for systems programming and data management. His work on **GNU Poke** fills a vital niche by providing a free, interactive tool for editing binary data, which is essential for developers working with executables, object files, and core dumps but who prefer non-proprietary tools. By maintaining **GNU Recutils**, he provides a lightweight, text-based alternative to complex database systems, promoting data autonomy and simplicity. Furthermore, his long-standing membership on the **GNU Advisory Committee** places him in a position of strategic influence, helping to guide the future of the GNU Project and ensuring the continuity of the free software movement. His career demonstrates a successful blend of corporate software engineering at Oracle with deep, ethical commitment to the open-source community.

## Notable For
- **GNU Advisory Committee Member:** Provides strategic guidance for the GNU Project.
- **GNU Poke Maintainer:** Leads the development of the premier binary data editor for GNU.
- **Oracle Engineer:** Contributes to major corporate software engineering initiatives.
- **Tool Developer:** Created specific utilities like `emacs-rec-mode` and `poke-elf` that bridge Emacs and binary formats.
- **Free Software Advocate:** Active participant in the free software movement since the early 2000s.

## Body

### Early Life and Education
Jose E. Marchesi was born on August 13, 1980, in Spain. He pursued higher education at the **Technical University of Madrid**, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.

### Professional Career
Marchesi began his professional career at **Elecnor Deimos**, where he worked as a software engineer from 2005 to 2008. In 2016, he joined **Oracle Corporation**. As of 2021, he resided in Frankfurt, Germany.

### Contributions to Free Software
A vocal proponent of the **free software movement**, Marchesi contributes heavily to the **GNU Project**. His official roles and creations include:
*   **GNU Poke:** Maintainer since 2019.
*   **GNU Recutils:** Maintainer.
*   **GNU gprofng-gui:** Maintainer since 2023.
*   **emacs-rec-mode:** Creator and maintainer.
*   **poke-elf:** Creator.

He operates a personal website at [www.jemarch.net](http://www.jemarch.net/) and maintains a user profile on GNU Savannah under the handle "jemarch."

## Schema Markup
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  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Jose E. Marchesi",
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  "jobTitle": ["Programmer", "Software Engineer", "GNU Poke Maintainer"],
  "worksFor": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Oracle Corporation"
  },
  "nationality": {
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  "birthDate": "1980-08-13",
  "alumniOf": {
    "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
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  "knowsAbout": ["Computer Science", "Free Software", "Software Engineering", "GNU Project"],
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}

## References

1. Free Software Directory
2. [Source](https://www.gnu.org/contact/gnu-advisory.html)
3. [Source](https://savannah.gnu.org/users/jemarch)
4. [Source](http://www.jemarch.net/cv.html)