# Steven Shiau

> Clonezilla Live maintainer and developer

**Wikidata**: [Q112669340](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112669340)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/steven-shiau

## Summary
Steven Shiau is a Taiwanese computer scientist and a prominent figure in the free software movement. He is best known as the creator, developer, and maintainer of Clonezilla, a widely used open-source drive cloning and imaging software.

## Biography
- **Nationality:** Taiwan
- **Education:** National Tsing Hua University
- **Known for:** Development and maintenance of Clonezilla and Clonezilla Live
- **Employer(s):** National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC)
- **Field(s):** Computer science, free software, system deployment

## Contributions
Steven Shiau is the primary developer and maintainer of Clonezilla, an open-source drive cloning software launched on April 18, 2007. Clonezilla provides a free alternative to proprietary disk imaging tools and is used extensively in the industrial and service sectors for system deployment and data recovery. Shiau specifically maintains Clonezilla Live, a version of the software designed for single-machine backup and restoration.

In addition to his software development, Shiau is a computer scientist at the National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC) in Taiwan, a national-level research laboratory. He is an active member of the Free Software Lab (FSLab) and has contributed to the free software movement through various platforms, including GitHub, GNU Savannah, and Launchpad. His work often involves the integration of high-performance computing with open-source system administration tools, such as DRBL (Diskless Remote Boot in Linux).

## FAQs
### Q: What is Steven Shiau's most notable work?
A: Steven Shiau is most notable for creating and maintaining Clonezilla, a popular open-source drive cloning and imaging software used for system deployment and disk recovery.

### Q: Where is Steven Shiau based?
A: He is based in Taiwan, where he works for the National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC) and was educated at National Tsing Hua University.

### Q: What is Steven Shiau's role in the open-source community?
A: He is a developer and maintainer for several free software projects, a member of the Free Software Lab, and an active contributor to repositories on GitHub, Launchpad, and GNU Savannah.

## Why They Matter
Steven Shiau’s work has had a lasting impact on the field of system administration by providing a robust, free, and open-source solution for disk cloning. Before Clonezilla’s inception in 2007, many organizations relied on expensive proprietary software for mass system deployment. Shiau’s continued maintenance of Clonezilla Live ensures that IT professionals worldwide have access to a high-performance tool that supports a vast array of file systems and hardware configurations. His role at the National Center for High-Performance Computing further bridges the gap between academic research and practical, open-source utility software.

## Notable For
*   **Creator of Clonezilla:** Developed the drive cloning software that has been a staple of the free software movement since 2007.
*   **Maintainer of Clonezilla Live:** Actively manages the development and release cycles of the live version of the software.
*   **NCHC Computer Scientist:** Holds a key research position at Taiwan's National Center for High-Performance Computing.
*   **Free Software Advocate:** A long-term member of the Free Software Lab and a contributor to major open-source hosting platforms.

## Body

### Professional Affiliations and Education
Steven Shiau is a Taiwanese computer scientist who received his education at National Tsing Hua University. He is currently employed by the National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC), a national research laboratory under the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL) in Taiwan. The NCHC was established between 1991 and 1993 and serves as a hub for high-performance computing research. Shiau is also a member of the Free Software Lab (FSLab), where he focuses on the development and promotion of open-source tools.

### Clonezilla Development
Shiau is the primary figure behind Clonezilla, a drive cloning software project that began on April 18, 2007. He serves as the lead developer and maintainer, specifically overseeing Clonezilla Live. His work on the project is documented across several platforms:
*   **GitHub:** Operates under the username `stevenshiau`.
*   **GNU Savannah and Launchpad:** Maintains project presence and user accounts for software distribution and bug tracking.
*   **Release History:** Notable releases under his maintenance include Clonezilla Live 3.0.0-26, released in May 2022.

### Research and Community Engagement
Shiau maintains a professional research profile on ResearchGate and shares his work through his personal website, stevenshiau.org. He has represented his projects at international community events, such as DebConf 2018 in Hsinchu, Taiwan, where he presented on the "Story of DRBL and Clonezilla." His work is characterized by a commitment to the free software movement and the practical application of computer science in the industrial and service sectors.

## References

1. [Clonezilla live 3.0.0-26 released. 2022](https://cloud7.news/linux/clonezilla-live-3-0-0-26-released/)
2. [Source](https://stevenshiau.org/StevenShiau_CV-v2.pdf)
3. [Source](https://free.nchc.org.tw/pmwiki/index.php?n=FSLab.Contact)