Re: Advice
> Thanks for the information,
> It sounds like I have quite a bit of reading and research to do.
Don't get discouraged! It is hardest at the beginning.
> I still feel like I don't know which direction to go in,
> but I am assuming everyone starting out felt the same way.
Of course! Everyone has to start somewhere.
> I am going to just keep up and correct some bugs, then maybe
> down the line I can decide to try to join a team.
The biggest thing is what _you_ bring to debian. It may seem really
hard to find a place to start but in reality it is easy: do what you
love to do.
For example one of my interests is perl so I have joined the
debian-perl team. There I can learn about packaging perl modules as
well as the language itself when I read the source code I am
packaging.
But since you are interested in C/C++ I recommend the following
things;
- Learn how to package an orphaned C/C++ package for debian
- Triage and fix bugs in C++ packages in debian
- Write software that uses other C/C++ libraries
(i.e. Qt, Gtk+, etc.)
These are non-trivial tasks which contribute to debian. In doing
these things you will interact with the Bug Tracking System (BTS),
the Package Tracking System, DEHS, debian qa, package construction,
the mentors mailing list, other mailing lists, etc.
All these resources will work to increase your knowledge of debian,
operating systems in general, and software development.
It is hard, you will meet some impatient people along the way, but
you will contribute to the largest community-developed, free
GNU/Linux system in the world - and that is worth the effort.
Jeremiah
> Thanks,
>
>
> --- On Sun, 8/24/08, Serafeim Zanikolas <serzan@hellug.gr> wrote:
>
> > From: Serafeim Zanikolas <serzan@hellug.gr>
> > Subject: Re: Advice
> > To: debian-mentors@lists.debian.org
> > Date: Sunday, August 24, 2008, 6:40 PM
> > Hi Seth,
> >
> > [Don't be discouraged by terms/programs mentioned below
> > you might be
> > unfamiliar with; it just means that you have to read the
> > debian policy/devel
> > docs. Also, I assume that you're interested in
> > technical/packaging work.]
> >
> > On Sun, Aug 24, 2008 at 07:12:45AM -0700, Setheck wrote:
> > > Hello!
> > > I am new to debiam devolpment and Im afraid I need
> > some help getting started. I'm not new to development
> > and I'm hoping with a list of what I hope to gain
> > someone can point me in the right direction.
> > >
> > > Overall I am looking to gain a better understanding of
> > functional use of C,C++, or another similar language.
> > > I would also like to contribute to the community and
> > from what I have read it sounds like maintaining an orphaned
> > package may be the way to go.
> > > I would very much like for someone to take me under
> > their wing and guide me through the various ins and outs of
> > Linux development.
> > > In generall I hope to become a competent and valueble
> > asset to the Linux community.
> > > I chose debian because I am an avid user of ubuntu and
> > debian proper.
> >
> > As a relatively new package maintainer myself, I would
> > suggest that you
> > familiarise yourself with the debian processes (read the
> > policy and
> > maintainer/developer guides) and get practical experience
> > of applying that
> > knowledge. I found that creating an actual
> > debian-policy-compliant package
> > from scratch was far more educational than merely reading
> > any number of guides
> > about dpatch/make/VCS/etc.
> >
> > Having said that, owing a package is a major commitment,
> > based on which you
> > will be judged. You should pick a program that you have a
> > personal interest
> > in, and ideally are in a position to understand its
> > internals (for instance,
> > to judge the applicability of a patch or even write one
> > yourself, if
> > required).
> >
> > If you're serious about debian you should sign up at
> > least in d-announce,
> > d-devel (at least skim through it), and d-mentors. d-devel
> > is useful, amongst
> > others, for getting a feel of the consensus (or variety of
> > approaches) on
> > issues that are not precisely mandated by policy.
> >
> > Now some advice to make your work more likely to attract
> > sponsorship and
> > feedback from DDs:
> >
> > * avoid basic mistakes by reading the policy and new maint
> > docs, and checking
> > your package with lintian and debuild (or similar tools)
> >
> > * ideally ITA instead of ITP: given the large number of
> > orphaned packages,
> > adopting one is often more appreciated than packaging a
> > new program (this is
> > not to say that there aren't new programs that are
> > worth adding to the
> > archive)
> >
> > * prepare QA uploads: this refers to shaping up packages
> > that have been
> > orphaned [1, 2] (ie, packages with maintainer set to
> > Debian QA group); QA
> > work is a great way to contribute because you can gain
> > experience without
> > committing to a package, and you are more likely to get
> > sponsorship.
> > Certain QA uploads are trivial, but only after one has
> > knowledge of policy
> > and practical packaging experience. Consider inspecting
> > QA uploads that get
> > sponsored in d-mentors and consult [4].
> >
> > Careful though not to waste any time with QA work on
> > packages that should be
> > considered for removal from the archive [3].
> >
> > > With that said I would like to put out a formal
> > request for a mentor and/or general help in starting and
> > continuing to contribute to the community.
> >
> > I understand the need for a personal mentor but
> > unfortunately debian doesn't
> > have such a provision. Instead there's the mentors
> > mailing list and irc
> > channel, where people are fairly helpful and polite. Plus
> > you will be getting
> > feedback on a case-by-case basis when your work is
> > sponsored by a DD.
> >
> > Finally, as a new maintainer I was given an excellent piece
> > of advice which I
> > happily pass on: not to rush to apply for NM status, but
> > instead postpone it
> > until ones reaches a point of significant and systematic
> > contribution. This
> > may at first feel frustrating, especially with the need to
> > get sponsorship,
> > but it's for good reasons: to maintain the quality of
> > debian and let new
> > contributors demonstrate that they are up for a long-term
> > commitment.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Serafeim
> >
> > [1] http://qa.debian.org/orphaned.html
> > [2]
> > http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=packages@qa.debian.org
> > [3] http://wiki.debian.org/qa.debian.org/removals
> > [4] /usr/share/doc/debian-policy/upgrading-checklist.txt.gz
> >
> >
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>
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