Looking for resources to get started

[Julian Elischer]

On 4/22/11 10:58 AM, Robert Lorentz wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm very interested in getting started with FreeBSD development. My interests are wide but specifically core OS, performance, scheduling, cryptography, perhaps filesystems etc.
>
> I have seen the "Ideas" list and there is some good stuff there but those are fairly complex/large tasks. Where can I find something more basic to address to get myself familiar with the process of contributing?

ok so the first things are:

Find a way to get an updating image of the sources in your favourite 
SCM system, (svn, cvs, p4, git, hg)
once you have that, get familiar with building kernels, booting new 
kernel images and how to recover
when you screw it up..  that should take you a couple of weeks if you 
haven't already done so.
then pick an area that interests you and just start playing with the 
code.

Add printfs, learn to trace execution with gdb, dtrace, etc.
Pretty soon you'll find something to fix, there are plenty of things 
to fix.
Make a patch and submit it and get to know the procedure.
Don't worry, things will LEAP out at you to be fixed :-)

Get to know the people in the area you are playing with and discuss your
changes and ideas with them.
If you get too annoying by fixing too many things well they'll punish
you by putting you up for your own commit privs. :-)

This is not a company. No-one is going to assign you work..
do what you want.

> My motivation for contributing is to learn more about the FreeBSD kernel and core OS and to put my skills toward FreeBSD which I find interesting and worthwhile. I am  knowledgable in C, scheduling, data interface, somewhat also in cryptography
>
> Thanks,
>
> Robert_______________________________________________
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