How do you support open source ?

CPU Gastronomy · 2011-04-25 02:00:32

Hi guys,

I'm curious about how do you support open source (I include the GNU movement in that) ?
By saying that, I mean do you contribute by coding patches, by donating to developers or foundations, simply helping some newcomers in the forum, fight for open source in court, etc.
Any form of helps ! (But please, skip the gross ones...we don't want to know that)

Personally, I recently became a Member of the Linux Foundation (and quite happy about it) and sometimes help some people in the forum.
I try to explain what's the meaning of free software and open source to people.
I recently "convert" my brother to Archlinux.

I would really like to help by coding, but, as a student (and I'm considering myself as a neophyte, even if I'm the "Linux guy" wherever I go...meh), I just don't have the time or the capacity. But that will come.

ngoonee · 2011-04-25 02:29:26

CPU Gastronomy wrote:

I would really like to help by coding, but, as a student (and I'm considering myself as a neophyte, even if I'm the "Linux guy" wherever I go...meh), I just don't have the time or the capacity. But that will come.

As a student you have the most free and disposable time you'll ever have in your life before retirement .

Inxsible · 2011-04-25 02:33:14

Amen to that ngoonee,

I find it really really difficult to find time to do anything with computers and coding or just play around with linux especially since my girlfriend moved in with me. Every time I sit on my desk and switch on my computer, "its invariably not the time to do it" -- So I have to switch it off

mrmylanman · 2011-04-25 02:34:28

Yeah I thought I was busy as a student as well. Now I guess technically I'm not as busy, although I had a full time job when I went to school too, but I'm still tired when I come home from work and dealing with all the other stuff "in the real world" lol.

Anyhow I would like to contribute code as well, but I don't know much at all about programming. I do sing the praises of Linux and open source software in general. At work we are starting to use open source software a lot more often, and I think my constantly standing up for it has a big part in that so that's very cool.

My boss, I think, had the stereotypical notion of "free means shoddy" but that's starting to change.

CPU Gastronomy · 2011-04-25 02:41:51

The worst in that is that I know I have all the time, I just lose too much time in futile things.
Yeah, maybe I should stop just planning projects (and proscratinate...argh, my nemesis !) and stop saying "I'm still not good enough, I should practice" and "I could do that, that, that, that and that and that, etc." and just participate.
Let's begin tomorrow (too tired after running after three kids all day long and it's a little late).

Last edited by CPU Gastronomy (2011-04-25 02:47:04)

cenobyte · 2011-04-25 08:03:01

Personally i contribute back to open-source by helping in various forums when i can.

I have converted people to Linux in the past including my mom which is easy if they have hardware that plays well with Linux and all of there needs are met with Linux.

Thank-god for Linux mint 10 i have not been able to get anyone converted to arch but i think arch would be overkill for what most of my friends and family use i also try to hand out CD`s containing Linux when i can also it is important to remember to practice what you preach.

litemotiv · 2011-04-25 08:31:38

CPU Gastronomy wrote:

The worst in that is that I know I have all the time, I just lose too much time in futile things.
Yeah, maybe I should stop just planning projects (and proscratinate...argh, my nemesis !) and stop saying "I'm still not good enough, I should practice" and "I could do that, that, that, that and that and that, etc." and just participate.
Let's begin tomorrow (too tired after running after three kids all day long and it's a little late).

I read 'student' and then 'three kids', now i'm like

hrobeers · 2011-04-25 08:35:42

I donate and I use it.

CPU Gastronomy · 2011-04-25 10:17:50

litemotiv wrote:

I read 'student' and then 'three kids', now i'm like

Naaah, they aren't my kids; they're my cousins; it was Easter ! Anyway, I'm too young to have kids; I'm just 19 !

.:B:. · 2011-04-25 10:28:25

Inxsible wrote:

I find it really really difficult to find time to do anything with computers and coding or just play around with linux especially since my girlfriend moved in with me.

Tell her to move out, in the end your relationship might benefit from it

Berticus · 2011-04-26 04:04:21

ngoonee wrote:

CPU Gastronomy wrote:
I would really like to help by coding, but, as a student (and I'm considering myself as a neophyte, even if I'm the "Linux guy" wherever I go...meh), I just don't have the time or the capacity. But that will come.
As a student you have the most free and disposable time you'll ever have in your life before retirement .

really?!?! I find myself with absolutely no free time. I come back from classes, and I have to do more work. I figured once I get out into the real world, it wouldn't be so bad. Job starts at 9, ends at 5 (or whatever hours), and you don't take your work home with you. Well, usually you don't take your work with you.

jasonwryan · 2011-04-26 04:15:08

Berticus wrote:

I figured once I get out into the real world, it wouldn't be so bad. Job starts at 9, ends at 5 (or whatever hours), and you don't take your work home with you. Well, usually you don't take your work with you.

Lolololol...

Back on topic: I advocate for the use of FOSS in government here, I donate time and money to projects that I benefit from and I do my best to share the meagre amount of knowledge that I have with anyone that finds it helpful because that is how I have been helped over the years.

stlarch · 2011-04-26 07:00:43

Inxsible wrote:

I find it really really difficult to find time to do anything with computers and coding or just play around with linux especially since my girlfriend moved in with me. Every time I sit on my desk and switch on my computer, "its invariably not the time to do it" -- So I have to switch it off

Just wait util you get married. LOL
I heard a great saying today. It went something like, give up all your ambitions in life or die alone. Those are the choices.

vinhsynd · 2011-04-26 23:29:08

I write contribute to wiki pages, and when there are donation links for project I use - I donate.
However my biggest contribution is not submitting the hackney'd scripts I write - as it would only further waste an otherwise productive developer's time in frustration.

arinlares · 2011-04-27 04:34:01

If there is a wiki for a project I use that covers something I know, but isn't there, I'll usually throw something in. I also only recommend free software, so long as it works as good as, or better than, closed-source similar programs (7zip vs WinRAR, the obvious Firefox vs IE, etc, but not currently Gnash over Flash, for instance)... I can't contribute code, and I don't really enjoy breaking things, but report bugs if they haven't been reported, so this is the most I can think to do at the moment.

Last edited by arinlares (2011-04-27 04:34:20)

ewaller · 2011-04-27 06:17:19

I donate money.
I donate code.
I write detailed bug reports.
I abide by the licenses.
I use it at work.
I make it absolutely clear at work how the licenses work and the benefits provided by FOSS.

JohannesSM64 · 2011-04-27 06:25:27

By "open source", do you mean open source or free software?

CPU Gastronomy · 2011-04-29 01:20:15

JohannesSM64 wrote:

By "open source", do you mean open source or free software?

As I said in the first post : when I said open source, I mean the two (I know they're not the same thing, but in this topic, I don't care).

Last edited by CPU Gastronomy (2011-04-29 01:21:00)

manzdagratiano · 2011-05-01 04:42:56

I am trying to spread the FOSS gospel out there as much as I can:

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 54#p926254

I like to help out distressed souls on forums as and when I can - Ubuntu, Launchpad, here.

I would like to provide monetary assistance, but I am a poor graduate student... Once I finish my Ph.D. and get a real job, then that avenue shall also be covered.

thelastblack · 2011-05-02 05:34:44

i am a student and i write something for a site(linuxreview.ir, but it is in persian not for u).... i think it is the least i can do....

Arch Linux

#1 2011-04-25 02:00:32

How do you support open source ?

#2 2011-04-25 02:29:26

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#3 2011-04-25 02:33:14

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#4 2011-04-25 02:34:28

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#5 2011-04-25 02:41:51

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#6 2011-04-25 08:03:01

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#7 2011-04-25 08:31:38

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