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How to help / support Linux ? - your idea's

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  • How to help / support Linux ? - your idea's

    So I was wondering what are the best (and most efficient) ways to support Linux?

    I've first tried Linux in 2003, a dual boot with Mandrake and Windows XP. I was overwhelmed by the possibilities and to much addicted to games to really use it at the time. But given this negative experience I have loved Linux since that moment.

    Several years later I tried Fedora Core 4/5/6, but my hardware wasn't up to the task (ATI X850), so I sold my computer and for some years I didn't use computers that much other than the basic stuff.

    Yet some years after that I bought a computer again and have used Ubuntu since 8.10 (I think) till 10.10.

    I love it! And now I would like to contribute to the community, but how? I can do some HTML and Java but no other programming. So what would be the best way to start? (I've got a lot of free time the next 6 months so that's not a problem.)

    The other options to support I came up are:
    - Join the Linux Foundation (I see this a donation, but how helpful do you think this is?)
    - Report bugs. (I've never done this though and don't know how yet)
    - Donate hardware to developers (I have a lot of hardware available, but don't know any developers)
    - Translate at https://translations.launchpad.net/

    But I can't come up with more idea's, so that's why I am asking here! Does anyone have a good idea or an answer to my question? Thanks!

  • #2
    Originally posted by Vassili View Post
    So I was wondering what are the best (and most efficient) ways to support Linux?

    I've first tried Linux in 2003, a dual boot with Mandrake and Windows XP. I was overwhelmed by the possibilities and to much addicted to games to really use it at the time. But given this negative experience I have loved Linux since that moment.

    Several years later I tried Fedora Core 4/5/6, but my hardware wasn't up to the task (ATI X850), so I sold my computer and for some years I didn't use computers that much other than the basic stuff.

    Yet some years after that I bought a computer again and have used Ubuntu since 8.10 (I think) till 10.10.

    I love it! And now I would like to contribute to the community, but how? I can do some HTML and Java but no other programming. So what would be the best way to start? (I've got a lot of free time the next 6 months so that's not a problem.)

    The other options to support I came up are:
    - Join the Linux Foundation (I see this a donation, but how helpful do you think this is?)
    - Report bugs. (I've never done this though and don't know how yet)
    - Donate hardware to developers (I have a lot of hardware available, but don't know any developers)
    - Translate at https://translations.launchpad.net/

    But I can't come up with more idea's, so that's why I am asking here! Does anyone have a good idea or an answer to my question? Thanks!
    Well, I think that bug reporting (and even better bisecting) would be the most important contribution to any project. And it will also be useful to you: just use the system normally and whenever something doesn't behave correctly try to find the problem and if it is not known report it; this way it will probably be solved in the next release of the project and you will benefit from it.
    A suggestion, though: don't bother reporting bugs to launchpad, usually the will be set to "triaged" and stay that way until upstream finds them and solves them. It is usually more productive to report them directly to the projects bug tracker.
    I hope this is useful.

    Comment


    • #3
      An integrated, distributed, transparent, independent or venture solution - payment platform for opensource software development.

      1. User has a problem or has a wish.
      2. User browse for similar problems or wishes and looks at their state.
      3. Developers offer a solution for money and put the required implementation time.
      4. More devepers offer a solution for money and put the required implementation time.
      5. Users browse available developers and sets his money on developer.
      6. Once implementation time matches with estimated time, the machine calculates ideal team.
      7. Machine gets money from users to bank account and gives green light for devteam.
      ---
      8. Once the solution is implemented users are to test it out and vote.
      9. If it is very acceptable, the machine opens moneyflow to developers.

      10. Everyone is happy, the money is sharply distributed and the result is a quality opensource solution.


      And no, it SHOULD NOT be lead by ANY Canonical crap. RedHat should take on this or similar PRODUCTIVE company.

      Comment


      • #4
        Thank you for your replies!

        It's good to know where to post the bug-reports.

        @ crazycheese
        It's a very interesting idea you have there, but woudn't it have a to big impact on the people who are programming for free in there spare times? I mean if they would also start asking money we woudn't have helped Linux at the end...

        And do you think it would only work if a big company got on with it? Or would it work if, for example, we would start it?

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Vassili View Post
          It's a very interesting idea you have there, but woudn't it have a to big impact on the people who are programming for free in there spare times? I mean if they would also start asking money we woudn't have helped Linux at the end...

          And do you think it would only work if a big company got on with it? Or would it work if, for example, we would start it?
          You may program for free if you wish or want something and able to do it yourself.

          You should program for money if you are a professional programmer, and only professional programmers bring very good results. Results that other people with money, that want that results, can and want to fund.

          Linux will be professional and everyone will have family, house and car.
          But the difference is that result will be open and available for free as well. For further study and development(involving money).

          Comment


          • #6
            That's true. So reading your message I conclude you think a website started by Phoronix members to let people pay developers (any, professional or not) to fix bug, write drivers etcetera would probably result in less quality code? I that correct?

            But it might still be a great idea to start though, wouldn't you think?

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Vassili View Post
              That's true. So reading your message I conclude you think a website started by Phoronix members to let people pay developers (any, professional or not) to fix bug, write drivers etcetera would probably result in less quality code? I that correct?

              But it might still be a great idea to start though, wouldn't you think?
              More money, more developers, more code, less bugs, more support, more linux user base, more money->

              The difference though is that
              a) people push features, not companies push features on people
              b) it is distributed
              c) the code will live up to the point it is needed
              d) security
              e) no artificial boundaries
              f) people with no money or huge financial troubles may use, learn and contribute - legally.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Vassili View Post
                So I was wondering what are the best (and most efficient) ways to support Linux?

                I've first tried Linux in 2003, a dual boot with Mandrake and Windows XP. I was overwhelmed by the possibilities and to much addicted to games to really use it at the time. But given this negative experience I have loved Linux since that moment.

                Several years later I tried Fedora Core 4/5/6, but my hardware wasn't up to the task (ATI X850), so I sold my computer and for some years I didn't use computers that much other than the basic stuff.

                Yet some years after that I bought a computer again and have used Ubuntu since 8.10 (I think) till 10.10.

                I love it! And now I would like to contribute to the community, but how? I can do some HTML and Java but no other programming. So what would be the best way to start? (I've got a lot of free time the next 6 months so that's not a problem.)

                The other options to support I came up are:
                - Join the Linux Foundation (I see this a donation, but how helpful do you think this is?)
                - Report bugs. (I've never done this though and don't know how yet)
                - Donate hardware to developers (I have a lot of hardware available, but don't know any developers)
                - Translate at https://translations.launchpad.net/

                But I can't come up with more idea's, so that's why I am asking here! Does anyone have a good idea or an answer to my question? Thanks!
                I am donning my asbestos suit.


                Kill off the damn distros and enforce a bit of discipline in the community.

                stop jamming everything in the kernel.

                Get it down to maybe 3-4 distros tops, focus developer efforts.

                unify the tool kits and GUI enviroments.

                Work closely with hardware manufacturers.

                Improve the latency issues with audio, video and system responsiveness.

                Be polished and professional and couterous.

                Polish existing applications and canabilize redundant ones, you don't need 400 programs that rip CD to mp3's just 1-2 really good ones.

                then once you achive those goals, PC builder and OEM's will be knocking on the door. The only good way to improve linix is to objectively look at the weakest parts of the system cuasing low adoption.

                OEM's don't like takining risks.

                Linux should be as easy to use as windows " for the average dummy"

                To be honest Linux should have a tennet that it should ship without a terminal, however that gets achieved. when its reach that point. Put the terminal back in.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Thatguy View Post
                  I am donning my asbestos suit.


                  Kill .........
                  I don't know if that asbestos suit is meant to kill you or us.


                  Linux needs more third party software support. We need more companies producing proprietary, closed source software that you have to pay for.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by superppl View Post
                    I don't know if that asbestos suit is meant to kill you or us.


                    Linux needs more third party software support. We need more companies producing proprietary, closed source software that you have to pay for.
                    Which is not going to happen until linux is a somewhat standardized OS with alot less fracturing.

                    Comment

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