Tom Elliott

Current Focus & Innovation

Recent Security Enhancements

• Critical Security Fix (October 4, 2025): Addressed potential security vulnerability in kernel version checking with comprehensive URL validation using filter_var() and scheme restrictions to HTTP/HTTPS protocols only, preventing arbitrary requests from unauthenticated users across 72 additions and 28 deletions in 10 files
• Authorization Refinement (October 4, 2025): Improved security flow by repositioning FOGCore::checkAuthAndCSRF() call after URL validation for better authentication architecture
• Internationalization: Updated 7 language files (German, English, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, French, Italian) with new security error messages, demonstrating commitment to global user experience

Operating System Development

• Disk Drive Sorting Fix (October 14, 2025): Improved hard disk detection reliability by replacing sort -u with awk-based deduplication to preserve lsblk's native device ordering while preventing duplicates
• Kernel Argument Enhancement (September 19, 2025): Added largesize kernel argument support to force largest disk as primary, providing flexible disk selection strategies

Passion Projects & Sustained Commitment

FOG Project Ecosystem - Decade of Leadership

• Core Repository (fogproject): 4,286 commits to the main application with 1,408 stars, 256 forks, and 78 watchers—a free open-source computer cloning and imaging solution supporting Windows XP through Windows 11
• FOG Operating System (fos): 165 commits as the #2 top contributor to the C-based Linux boot environment with 38 stars and 38 forks, working on kernel development and device detection
• Node.js Architecture (fog-node): 109 commits with 100% ownership building FOG 2.0 using Sails.js framework, MongoDB, Passport authentication, and JWT tokens across 251 files
• Community Scripts (fog-community-scripts): 14 commits from March 2017 through August 2024 with 21 stars and 18 forks, enabling community collaboration through shared utilities

Complete Plugin Ecosystem Development

Tom created and maintains four complete FOG 2.0 plugins with 100% ownership, demonstrating comprehensive ecosystem development:

• Active Directory Plugin (fog-plugin-activedirectory): 24 commits integrating AD/LDAP authentication with role-based permissions mapping for enterprise environments (2 stars)
• Wake-on-LAN Plugin (fog-plugin-wol): 20 commits providing network wake functionality with comprehensive testing (2 stars)
• Print Management Plugin (fog-plugin-print): 11 commits for printer management with host/group associations (1 star)
• Snapin Deployment Plugin (fog-plugin-snapin): 9 commits enabling software package deployment

Enterprise Automation Tools

• AirWatch PowerShell Library (awpowershell): 12 commits creating comprehensive API automation suite for VMware AirWatch mobile device management with 9 stars, featuring device management, location/tag assignment, and Mac device registration across 37,866 bytes of PowerShell code
• Active Directory Automation (createADandMail): 4 commits building CSV-driven bulk provisioning for Active Directory accounts and Exchange 2010 mailboxes with 334-line PowerShell script

Technical Expertise

Programming Languages & Proficiency

Framework & Architecture Expertise

• Sails.js MVC Framework: Complete application architecture in fog-node with 195 files implementing controllers, models, policies, helpers, and views with Waterline ORM for MongoDB
• Passport.js Authentication: Multi-strategy authentication with JWT tokens and Active Directory LDAP integration in fog-plugin-activedirectory
• Buildroot (Embedded Linux): Custom Linux distribution for FOS with package creation and cross-platform builds (x86, x64, ARM64)
• jQuery & Bootstrap: Front-end integration with 611,489 bytes of JavaScript in FOGProject and Bootstrap CSS framework

Complex Systems Architecture

• Distributed Systems: Multi-node storage replication and multicast imaging across network infrastructure in FOGProject
• Operating System Development: Custom Linux OS with kernel compilation, driver integration, and PXE/iPXE network boot configuration in FOS
• Enterprise Integration: Active Directory LDAP authentication, Exchange Server mailbox automation, and AirWatch MDM integration
• Security Patterns: CSRF protection, authorization flow optimization, input validation, and JWT authentication with proper expiration mechanisms

Code Quality & Engineering Maturity

Proactive Security Leadership

• SSRF Prevention (October 4, 2025): Implemented comprehensive URL validation with filter_var($url, FILTER_VALIDATE_URL) and scheme whitelisting to prevent Server-Side Request Forgery vulnerabilities
• CSRF Protection Framework: Dedicated csrf.class.php (3.5KB) with integrated FOGCore::checkAuthAndCSRF() applied across sensitive endpoints in fogproject
• Security Policy Documentation: 8.3KB SECURITY.md with supported versions, private disclosure process, and 7-business-day response commitment
• External Security Contribution: Reported PHP core vulnerability (Issue #15484) with detailed reproduction steps, verified and resolved August 2024

Comprehensive Testing & CI/CD

• GitHub Actions Workflows: Automated CI/CD in FOS with create_experimental_release.yml, create_release.yml, and make_usb.yml
• Testing Infrastructure: lifecycle.test.js and route/routes.test.js in fog-node with ESLint configuration for code quality
• Build Automation: Grunt-based build pipeline with 10+ task configurations including babel, cssmin, uglify, and asset optimization

Documentation Excellence

• Comprehensive README: 6.2KB README with versioning strategy, semantic versioning schema, and installation instructions
• Contributing Guidelines: 7.4KB CONTRIBUTING.md with code of conduct, repo structure, and PR guidelines
• Issue Templates: Structured GitHub issue templates for bug reports, feature requests, and general issues
• Multi-Language Support: 7 language translations (German, English, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, French, Italian) demonstrating global user consideration

Sophisticated Version Control

• Automated Releases: Monthly patch releases via fog-workflows with consistent version bumps (1.5.10.1719 → 1.5.10.1720 → 1.5.10.1721)
• 18 Official Releases: From version 1.5.8 (2020) through 1.5.10.1721 (October 2025) in fogproject releases

Evolution & Growth Journey

Community Impact & Leadership

FOG Project Organization Membership

Massive Community Reach

Cross-Project Collaboration

• 15 pull requests submitted with 10 merged (67% merge rate) across FOGProject and external projects including AltoRouter (1,251 stars), iPXE (1,792 stars), and fog-plugin-hostext
• Major Integration PR: PR #25 merged 1,068 commits with 137,575 additions and 309,826 deletions across 1,167 files (November 2014)
• 25 issues created across 11 projects demonstrating active problem identification and collaboration
• Detailed bug reporting: sysPass issue #1184 with 46 comments showing sustained troubleshooting collaboration

External Project Engagement

• PHP Core: Reported Issue #15484 on php/php-src (39,580 stars) with 7 comments, verified and resolved
• NodeBB Forum: 6 issues opened on NodeBB (14,815 stars) contributing feedback on code rendering, threading, and search functionality
• AltoRouter: Submitted comprehensive PSR-2 standardization PR #186 with 505 additions and 283 deletions

Knowledge Sharing & Documentation

• Community Scripts: 14 commits to fog-community-scripts (21 stars, 18 forks) from March 2017 through August 2024
• Documentation Contributions: 2 commits to fog-docs (24 stars, 24 forks) in September 2024
• Public Tools: awpowershell (9 stars) shared publicly under GPL-3.0 license for AirWatch automation

Active Maintainer Support (2025)

Professional Network

• 30 followers on GitHub demonstrating community recognition
• Location: Wisconsin
• GitHub Member Since: April 15, 2014 (11+ years)
• 14 public repositories shared with the community

Sustained Excellence: A Decade of Impact

Career Milestones

• 2014: Core contributor status within 4 months of GitHub account creation
• 2015: High-velocity contributor with 11+ commits per day average (2,734 commits in 8 months)
• 2016: Achieved #2 contributor status in systems programming with FOS
• 2017-2018: Enterprise automation expertise recognized with 9-star awpowershell project
• 2020-2021: Ecosystem architect with modular plugin design and Node.js architecture
• 2024-2025: Project maintainer and security leader with 11 years of sustained contribution

Quantified Impact

Tom's 4,286 commits to the main FOG Project repository and #2 contributor position in the FOG Operating System with 165 C-language commits showcase systems-level programming mastery. His Node.js architecture work with 109 commits to fog-node and 5-plugin ecosystem development illustrate architectural vision and full-stack expertise. With sustained activity through October 2025 including security fixes and documentation leadership, Tom continues making lasting contributions to one of the most significant open-source computer imaging solutions serving IT administrators worldwide.