How can I help the OSS community?

faemir · 2007-12-27 23:09:57

I've used linux for quite a few years now (started back with red hat 7). Basically - after using it for so long I really feel that I want to give something back. The problem is, I don't know how. All that I have done so far is on some other forums help a couple of with problems, and I've taken on a couple of packages in the AUR. I want to do more.

Computer-related skills I guess I could list (not that there is much) - I'm pretty good at designing websites, and i'm confident with coding them as well. Related to that - I have done some other logo / other graphics design.

What can I do to help? I would be willing to learn something as well to do it - I'm currently learning php and mysql so I can do some more advanced website - but where I go from there I don't know. Hell, at sometime I would love to learn some kind of programming - c or c++ but that may be a while off and I guess it would take a few years to have the skills / ability to actually do something useful with it. I also have a lack of knowledge on /how/ I can learn languages - for php and mysql there are places I have found like w3schools, but as for lower level programming, I don't have a clue.

Help me help you

Last edited by faemir (2007-12-27 23:11:52)

brebs · 2007-12-27 23:35:49

Write a GPL ALSA driver for the X-fi soundcard, since Creative are such xxxxx. That will help get "Linux on the desktop", which is one of the tickboxes outstanding for world domination.

Wil probably take a year or two - but I promise, after that, I'll never ask for anything again :-)

faemir · 2007-12-27 23:44:21

Awww come on, I'm being serious here I really want to help in some way or another. It just frustrating not knowing how.

brebs · 2007-12-28 00:02:57

I *am* being serious. I've helped out with hundreds of soundcard-related threads, and wrote ALSA wiki article. Linux needs decent support for a decent contemporary soundcard, and software audio mixing via dmix is poor in my experience.

I've also seen this kind of thread before, so I can give the standard answer if you prefer: Find an open-source itch, then scratch that itch. Yep, that's basically the usual answer - always a bit too vague to be useful.

Another thing I would suggest is to find a decent contemporary A4 page scanner, and write a SANE driver for it, e.g. the Canon CanoScan LiDE 90.

If these projects are too much to take on, then write pkgbuilds.

tomk · 2007-12-28 00:15:32

For Arch specifically: run the testing repo, report bugs, with fixes if you can. In general, hang around the bug tracker, looking at reported bugs, verifying them and/or suggesting fixes.

For OSS in general: pick a project that you like, an app that you use a lot, and get into its bugtracker, as outlined above.

Dusty · 2007-12-28 05:42:49

If you want to stick with your website and graphic design skills, find a project you respect that has a crappy site or logo and design one for them. I was thrilled when Basu offered to redesign the Pallavi website for me. A lot of open source developers don't have the time, skill, or interest to do this sort of thing.

If you want to learn more advanced stuff, first decide what you want to do, then do it. I guarantee you can do it if its possible, it just might take a lot of reading and studying to get there. :-)

The key is to be interested in what you choose to do.

Dusty

wuischke · 2007-12-28 08:27:09

Regarding Arch: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Mutualism_Arch

If you would like to do some webdesign/ light programming in PHP and/or C++, I can offer you two projects:
1. Redesign of the amule.org website in collaboration with me.
2. Creation of a new webserver template for amuleweb. You'll need some knowledge of HTML, PHP and and maybe C++, but you could learn during the project.

If you are interested in any of the two, please feel free to contact me. It's wuischke [æt] amule [døt] org. I'm no super-programmer, but I would help you out as I could.

ypnos · 2007-12-30 02:05:49

The XMMS2 project needs help with its website.

You could also start by improving the Arch Wiki

jacko · 2008-01-02 18:38:01

On this note... How does one edit the wiki's here on the arch site? Not that I can remember now, but a few had some grammatical errors that where rather confusing to me when reading them as a newbie. How would I go about fixing some of these grammatical errors and how would someone else go about verifying that I got it right once it was altered.

What I mean by this is, to me I would re-write some sections of the wiki to make it more streamlined and to the point. Cut out duplicate sections and such stuff, etc. But how do I know that I am doing the right thing? Just because the altered steps I took differ from the wiki doesn't mean that the wiki wouldn't work for someone else just the way it is.

--shrugs Guess this is why I never offer to help because I am just so insecure in my abilities. Though, my abilities managed to get me thus far. Oh well, more things to contemplate on...

Wilson Phillips · 2008-01-02 18:55:17

Just do it. Choose something and go for it. There are many ways to help the community.

For me, I choose to donate my time helping other users with their problems. Answering threads helps that person and someone else that might be searching for the same answer later. Since I am not a programmer, this suits me just fine.

Editing a wiki for spelling and grammatical errors is a big help. Making instructions easier to understand helps everyone that uses the wiki. Again, it doesn't require a programmer. Most wikis only require you to register and you will have the authority to make the needed changes. You can be making a difference in a matter of minutes.

Updating the man pages for your distro is a huge job and any development team would be glad to have volunteers for that. Once again, it doesn't require a programmer.

Last edited by Wilson Phillips (2008-01-02 18:58:49)

byte · 2008-01-03 09:23:03

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Be_bold

Go for it.

Bebo · 2008-01-03 11:47:38

If you're good with languages, help projects with translations. At least for large projects, translating is mostly shooting at a moving target, so it's never complete. Help is often very appreciated. I've been involved with Battle for Wesnoth in this way, and there is a good chance they'll cheer if you ask to help

Arch Linux

#1 2007-12-27 23:09:57

How can I help the OSS community?

#2 2007-12-27 23:35:49

Re: How can I help the OSS community?

#3 2007-12-27 23:44:21

Re: How can I help the OSS community?

#4 2007-12-28 00:02:57

Re: How can I help the OSS community?

#5 2007-12-28 00:15:32

Re: How can I help the OSS community?

#6 2007-12-28 05:42:49

Re: How can I help the OSS community?

#7 2007-12-28 08:27:09

Re: How can I help the OSS community?

#8 2007-12-30 02:05:49

Re: How can I help the OSS community?

#9 2008-01-02 18:38:01

Re: How can I help the OSS community?

#10 2008-01-02 18:55:17

Re: How can I help the OSS community?

#11 2008-01-03 09:23:03

Re: How can I help the OSS community?

#12 2008-01-03 11:47:38

Re: How can I help the OSS community?

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