contributing to foss (archived)
TRANSCRIPT
Contributing to FOSS
ByBuddhika SiddhisenaCoFounder & CTO
THINKCube Systems Pvt. Ltd<[email protected]>
Member of LKLUG & FOSS.LK<[email protected]>
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What is FOSS
?
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What is Free & Open Source
Software?
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What is FOSS?
• The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0)
• The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1)
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2)
• The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3)
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Why Contribute?
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Why Contribute to FOSS
• Make a difference
• Global Exposure
• Become better at what you do
• Merit based on performance
• Experience working with others
• Show Professionalism
• Career development
• Have fun
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Hello everybody out there using minix -
I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing since april, and is starting to get ready. I'd like any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons) among other things).
I've currently ported bash(1.08) and gcc(1.40), and things seem to work. This implies that I'll get something practical within a few months, and I'd like to know what features most people would want. Any suggestions are welcome, but I won't promise I'll implement them :-) Linus ([email protected])
Linus Torvalds
Creator of the Linux kernel
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How is FOSS developed?
Getting to Know Open Source
The Cathedral and the Bazaar
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Software Development Models
● In his essay “The Cathedral and the Bazaar”, Eric S Raymond (ESR) compares two software development models
● The traditional “Cathedral Model” – closed, centralized, formal and propitiatory
● “Bazaar Model” used in open source – open, decentralized and informal
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Bazaar Model
● Every open source software has a “home page” and a “CVS repository”1
● Communication is done over a mailing list – discussions are archived publicly
● Developers contribute in their own interest
● Regular contributors gradually gain recognition over their technical merit (and nothing else) and sometimes become developers with “CVS write access”
● “Project management”, “requirement documents”, “architecture diagrams” etc. are seldom heard of !
1CVS is not the only version control system used in open source
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Bazaar Model Internet Infrastructure
WWW
CVS Mailing lists
List archives
Mirrors
FTP
DevelopersContributorsEnd users
VARs
RSync
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Bazaar Model Today
hobby programming, not very usable
usable, but not in production
usedin critical
applications
used in productionenvironments
commercial organizations
universities,non-profit organizations,
governments,high caliber individuals
sponsoring
end users
enthusiasts
individuals
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Bazaar Model Example – Linux Kernel
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How to become a contributor?
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#1Become a FOSS User
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Become a contributor
• Give feedback (report bugs, feature request)
• Help with Documentation
• Submit graphic art, mockups
• Submit patches
• Gain trust with project lead
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Become a commiter(commit access)
(be part of the team)
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Start your own project(become a project leader)
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FOSS in Sri Lanka
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Questions?
