89 lines
3.5 KiB
HTML
89 lines
3.5 KiB
HTML
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
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<HTML>
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<HEAD>
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<title>TitleOfArticle LG #44</title>
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</HEAD>
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<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#0000FF" VLINK="#0000AF"
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ALINK="#FF0000">
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<H4>
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"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
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</H4>
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<center>
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<H1><font color="maroon">
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Other ways to join and contribute to the Open Source community</font></H1>
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<H4>By <a href="mailto:eriksev@linuxdev.net">Erik Severinghaus</a></H4>
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</center>
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<P> <HR> <P>
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Though Linux, is/was/always-will-be a hackers OS, there are lots of guys that
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couldn't hack the kernel to save their life. There are however lots of other
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badly needed areas which could use support.
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<H1>Documentation</H1>
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This is one of the most important, and ignored, areas of Linux. Lets face it,
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coders don't ususally like to write documentation. Find a project you really
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like (start w/ a small app or something) and see if you can write an easy way
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to do the basic stuff, and then document the more advanced features. Have a
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tough time figuring out how to do something? Chances are lots of other guys
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are having the same problem. Write a HOWTO or Mini-HOWTO and submit it to the
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<A HREF="http://metalab.unc.edu/linux">LDP</A>. There are tons of other
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things that need documentation, and developers will love ya for it :).
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<H1>Bug Testers</H1>
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This is another thing that will make you a developers best friend. Take the
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programs, push 'em to the limits, and make 'em break. If you can do something
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to crash it, send a polite email to the author with your system specs, what
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version of software, exactly what you did, and exactly what happened when it
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crashed. Even better, do an strace if it seg faults and send the author the
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results.
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<H1>Packaging</H1>
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Finding rpms and debs of the latest programs is tough to do. Reading some man
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pages to learn the ins and outs of rpm and dpkg, and rolling generic .tgzs
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into unofficial (or even better: official) packages is of great help to
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everyone.
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<H1>Advocacy</H1>
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This can be very useful <I>if done correctly</I>. Dispelling the endless FUD
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is always a Good Thing, but only if done in a polite and constructive manner
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(completely free of profanity). Please, before you do this, read the
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<A HREF="http://metalab.unc.edu/linux/HOWTO/mini/Advocacy.html">advocacy
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HOWTO.</A>
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<H1>Conclusion</H1>
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These are just a few of the ways to help out and contribute to the Linux and
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Open Source communities. Remember, finding something you enjoy doing will help
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you do better work, and not get burned out.
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<P> <hr> <P>
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<center><H5>Copyright © 1999, Erik Severinghaus <BR>
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Published in Issue 44 of <i>Linux Gazette</i>, August 1999</H5></center>
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