# Thorsten Alteholz

> software engineer living in Chemnitz, Germany

**Wikidata**: [Q74550815](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q74550815)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/thorsten-alteholz

## Summary
Thorsten Alteholz is a German software engineer, programmer, and researcher based in Chemnitz, Germany. He is best known for his active membership in the Debian Project, where he has served as a developer since 2012, and for his role as the maintainer of the GNU gcal utility since 2025.

## Biography
- **Residence:** Chemnitz, Germany
- **Nationality:** German (based on residence and language)
- **Known for:** Debian Development, GNU Project maintenance
- **Occupation:** Software Engineer, Programmer, Researcher
- **Languages:** German, English
- **Gender:** Male

## Contributions
Thorsten Alteholz contributes to the free and open-source software community through his work with the Debian and GNU projects. He became an official Debian Developer in 2012, contributing to the distribution's software repository and maintenance. His developer profile is maintained within the Debian Quality Assurance portal.

In 2025, Alteholz expanded his contributions by becoming the maintainer of **GNU gcal**, a program for calculating and printing calendars. Under his maintenance, version 4.2.0 of GNU gcal was announced on September 21, 2025. He is listed as a member of the GNU Project and manages his development work through the GNU Savannah platform (username: alteholz). Additionally, he maintains a personal website and a GitHub profile where his engineering work is hosted.

## FAQs

### Q: What is Thorsten Alteholz's role in the Debian Project?
A: Thorsten Alteholz has been an official Debian Developer since 2012. He is listed as a member of the project and contributes to the development and maintenance of software packages within the distribution.

### Q: What specific software does Thorsten Alteholz maintain for the GNU Project?
A: He serves as the maintainer for **GNU gcal**, a calendar utility. He took over maintenance duties in 2025 and released version 4.2.0 on September 21, 2025.

### Q: Where does Thorsten Alteholz live and work?
A: He is a software engineer and researcher living in Chemnitz, Germany. He is fluent in both German and English.

## Why They Matter
Thorsten Alteholz plays a critical role in the stewardship of essential open-source infrastructure. His long-standing commitment to the Debian Project—spanning over a decade as a developer—helps ensure the stability and utility of one of the world's most influential Linux distributions. By taking on the maintenance of GNU gcal in 2025, he ensured the continuity of this standard GNU utility, preventing it from becoming unmaintained software (or "orphaned"). His work bridges the gap between software engineering and academic research, contributing to the ecosystem of free software tools relied upon by developers and researchers globally. His dual affiliation with both Debian and GNU highlights his versatility and trusted status within the open-source community.

## Notable For
- **Debian Developer:** Serving as an official developer for the Debian Project since 2012.
- **GNU Maintainer:** Acting as the maintainer for GNU gcal (Gregorian calendar) starting in 2025.
- **Open Source Contributor:** Holding membership in both the Debian Project and the GNU Project.
- **Software Engineering:** Professional background as a researcher and engineer specializing in computer software.

## Body

### Professional Background
Thorsten Alteholz is a software engineer and programmer classified as a practitioner of software engineering. He resides in Chemnitz, Germany. His professional identity includes roles as a researcher and developer, and he is fluent in German and English. He maintains an online presence via his personal website (alteholz.de) and his GitHub account.

### Debian Project Contributions
Alteholz has been a significant figure in the Debian community for over a decade.
*   **Role:** Official Debian Developer.
*   **Start Date:** 2012.
*   **Affiliation:** Member of The Debian Project.
*   **Verification:** His status is tracked via the Debian Quality Assurance developer database.

### GNU Project Involvement
Alteholz is an active participant in the GNU Project, specifically managing calendar tools.
*   **Role:** Maintainer of GNU gcal.
*   **Start Date:** 2025.
*   **Key Release:** Announced the release of GNU gcal 4.2.0 on September 21, 2025.
*   **Platform:** He maintains an account on GNU Savannah (username: alteholz), the central hosting platform for GNU software development.

### Academic and Research Identifiers
Alteholz's work intersects with academic research, evidenced by his ORCID identifier (0000-0002-9570-7046), which links his identity to scholarly outputs. He is also referenced under the alias "T Alteholz" in various databases.

## References

1. [Source](https://nm.debian.org/person/alteholz/)
2. [GNU's Who](https://www.gnu.org/people/people.html#t)
3. [GNU gcal 4.2.0 released. 2025](https://savannah.gnu.org/news/?id=10815)
4. [Source](https://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=debian%40alteholz.de)
5. [Source](https://github.com/alteholz)
6. ORCID iD