openSUSE:Junior jobs

How to participate

Junior jobs - Build Service Junior Jobs - Marketing jobs

With our Junior Jobs we want to give interested people a simple start to contribute to openSUSE development. These tasks are so called "low hanging fruit": easy and basic jobs. But they are also important for us!

The tasks have links to people, mailing lists and IRC channels where you can ask for help on how to approach the task.

Make sure to look at our relatively new portal contribute.opensuse.org.

Find more information on participating in openSUSE on the How to participate wikipage.

What are Junior Jobs?

Beside the general How to participate portal describing the many ways for you to participate in the openSUSE project we would like to offer you pointers to areas where you can get started with simple things.

How to use this page?

For students and others who want to (learn to) help out

Look for something interesting and follow the links and instructions! Once you dive in you'll find many helpful people along the way and it's perfectly OK if you don't know your way yet. A Free Software Project like openSUSE always takes time to get into and learn. What you have to realize is that it is all about people. People who do work, people who discuss things, people is what makes everything move! Our websites, mailing lists and great technologies - it was all started by someone like YOU who just wanted to make a difference...

So dive in, don't be afraid. You'll learn, meet interesting people from all around the world, travel to new places and have fun!

Communication

If it is all about people these people must talk, right? Yup, they do. Here you can find information about the openSUSE communication channels!

For developers and active members

Developers and active members should add simple tasks here.

Each Junior Job should contain the following information:

Description: short information on the Junior Job, with some detail on what needs to be done.
Required knowledge/experience: What are the minimum skills required to perform the activity. For example C++ knowledge, packaging experience, and so on.
Contact information: Ideally, the e-mail of who is responsible in this area or links to mailing lists and IRC channels where the junior can ask for help. Also links to additional information like how-tos and documentation! A personal email link is really preferred as it makes the barrier much lower than a mailing list.

Junior Jobs and areas where you can easily join

Packaging

Contribute a new package to openSUSE

Are you a packager and want to put new packages in openSUSE distribution? See the Packaging Portal for information on how to package and build packages on build.opensuse.org.

Do you want something simpler and help us with updating packages in openSUSE?

Help With Package Updates

This page shows Packages with the summary of "New upstream version xy available" which wait to be picked up and get updated. A first introduction to packaging and further information how to package you'll find in our Packaging portal. After reading and maybe your first efforts you can find help at our IRC channel at Libera Chat #opensuse-packaging and on our

packaging@lists.opensuse.org - packaging mailinglist.
Subscribe - Unsubscribe - Help - Archives
- Skill-Level: medium
- Required: a bit of knowledge on RPM packaging and/or a willingness to learn it!
- Contact: opensuse-packaging@opensuse.org mailing list (Subscribe first). Also relevant are the opensuse-factory or opensuse-project mailinglists. Be sure to check out IRC, ask questions on #opensuse-project!

Quick view: Portal:Packaging

Do Some Bug Fixing

Especially for people who are interested in openSUSE bugfixing and want to help make openSUSE more stable we have the so called "Junior Job" Bugs. Those are bugs which the assignee thinks are solvable with limited work and technical knowledge but are pretty important to get fixed to keep going. You can fix bugs with OBS yourself as explained on the fixing bugs documentation. General information on Bugzilla - our bug tracking tool - and how to access it are written here. Find your first bug to work on in the list of Junior Job Bugs.

Junior Job bugfix workflow

Bug assignee decides that bug is actually a Junior Job.
Bug assignee puts the JJ: prefix to the bug summary.
- There is an edit link next to the summary at the end of bugzilla page
Contributor finds a bug using bugzilla search.
Contributor adds comment that he wants to work on bug and if possible estimates how long it will take to fix it or make clear he/she will need help.
- Examples: "I'll take care of this during the weekend"; "I'd like to do this but I'll probably need help"
Contributor:
- tries to fix bug. In case he/she needs help, asks on the #opensuse-project channel for help or adds a comment to the bug page so the assignee can answer the question(s)!
- fixes bug, reports it upstream if the bug is not openSUSE-specific, sends submit request to the devel project and puts the request number and eventually link to the upstream bug report into bugzilla.
- If there is no update after proposed time period, bug is considered free and anybody can retake it.
Bug assignee will review the request and either accept it and push it to the factory or decline it and tell the contributor what was wrong and needs to be fixed.
- Skill-Level: low-medium-high
- Required: it is hard to say what is required to fix a bug as they are all different. Sometimes you need to know a lot about packaging - sometimes just a little. Sometimes you need to be a C coding expert, sometimes you can just fix a bash script... But usually, the jobs picked as Junior Jobs are easy so you can dive in - and ask for help where you need it!
- Contact: opensuse-packaging@opensuse.org mailing list (Subscribe first). Also relevant are the opensuse-factory or opensuse-project mailing lists. Be sure to check out IRC, ask questions on #opensuse-project!
- Of course, the person who posted the junior job is the FIRST to ask!

Quick view: The packaging Portal and of course our page on Fixing bugs!

Documentation

Documentation and in particular the wiki is key to success of the distribution, and Geeko knows it! Let's help him to keep it up with the effort.

General information
Visit the openSUSE:Wiki team to read how you can contribute to the openSUSE wiki and find information on how to take part to the documentation project. Then, take a look at the list of pages that need to be expanded.

General contact information

Mailing list: opensuse-web@opensuse.org mailing list.

Area specific tasks

Wiki Maintenance
- Help the wiki team to maintain openSUSE wiki. You can find a list of tasks on the Wiki Team page.
- Required knowledge: How to edit a wiki page.
- Contact: opensuse-web@opensuse.org mailing list (see above).

Extend the SDB
- Extend the SDB with articles, and add missing instructions that will make clear difference between SDB and HOWTO article.
- Required knowledge: How to edit a wiki page, in addition to the specific knowledge required to write the documentation.
- Contact: opensuse-web@opensuse.org mailing list (see above).

Documentation for the new media handling
- Documentation for the new media handling and alternatives (autofs, ivman) in the SDB.
- Required knowledge: How to edit a wiki page, in addition to the specific knowledge required to write the documentation.
- Contact: opensuse-web@opensuse.org mailing list (see above).

Document the rpm-md+ format
- Document the rpm-md+ format we use in the 10.1 update directory.
- Required knowledge: How to edit a wiki page, in addition to the specific knowledge required to write the documentation. Part of it, the signing, is explained on SDB:Secure installation sources
- Contact: opensuse-factory@opensuse.org mailing list.

Extend YaST documentation
- Of course many pages are straightforward, but for the others we have to write instructions. The opening page (control center) there is probably no need to be documented. For the modules we could make a starting page with sub pages for option pages if applicable.
  Here is an example of the proposed layout: fr:Yast:Agent_de_transfert_de_mail
  If known, it would be very useful to add the name of the yast module found in rpm list. A copy in each language with the good images is a plus.
- Required knowledge: How to edit a wiki page, in addition to the specific knowledge required to write the documentation.
- Contact: opensuse-web@opensuse.org mailing list (see above).

Add examples of openSUSE usage
- The wiki should not document only the internals of the distribution, but also the USE of it.
  Answers to question:"How do I set openSUSE for ... ?", can be motivating factor to give it a test run.
  
  The most common usage is:
  - Internet communication mail, newsgroups, IRC , Instant Messaging,
  - Internet browsing, reading articles, listening music, watching movies
  - Photo classification, retouch, graphic creation,
  - Desktop and/or server(s) for home or small office network
  - A library for your collections of music, books, antiques, stamps or coins
  - A learning or motivational tool to re-ignite, engage, and encourage your innate curiosity
- Required knowledge: How to edit a wiki page, in addition to the specific knowledge required to write the documentation.
- Contact: opensuse-web@opensuse.org mailing list (see above).

Quick view: Portal:How to participate – Portal:Teams – Wiki Team – SDB – YaST

Art and branding

Are you an artist or a designer? Join Geeko to keep openSUSE the greenest and most beautiful Linux distribution!

General information
Visit the Artwork Portal learn about the openSUSE artwork team. You can add your designs to the openSUSE:Pixel pool to show off your designs and help influence the next version of openSUSE's artwork.

General contact information

Mailing list: mailing list.
the Artwork team has an irc channel at #opensuse-artwork on Libera Chat but also hangs out frequently in #opensuse-marketing. Learn more about Libera Chat: libera.chat you can use their webchat here: web.libera.chat or use an irc client to connect to the network. Examples are Konversation or Xchat; generic chatclients like Pidgin and Kopete can usually also connect to IRC but are less comfortable for the group-chat that IRC is.

Area specific tasks
There is a number of specific tasks that often need help.

creation of brochures, folders, stickers, buttons and such for the Ambassador team to give out at conferences
creation/improvements to themes: making the default openSUSE better or finding a new one
creation of posters, banners & improvements to our website(s)

Quick view: openSUSE:Pixel pool - Portal:Artwork

Existing work
Make sure to have a look into currently open requests and open issues in our github repository.

Communication and marketing

Weekly News

Visit our News Team page!!! Sascha Manns is currently team leader and person-to-contact if you want to help!

General Information
Visit our News Team page.

General contact information

Mailing list: opensuse-marketing@opensuse.org mailing list.
find more on our news team page, including a connect team page!

Area specific tasks

help the openSUSE Weekly News by translating
- Description: Provide support to the main translation team of each supported language or translate OWN in your own language!
- It would be awesome if you start translating to another language! It is a lot of work to do that alone but often that is how it starts.
- If you already frequently translate the openSUSE Weekly News to another language and for example put it on your blog or some site - we'd love to have your blog on planet.opensuse.org!
  - of course you should consider joining the team and doing this regularly...
- Skill-Level: medium
- Required: Knowledge of one or more languages
- Contact: opensuse-marketing@opensuse.org mailing list (Subscribe first)
- URL: openSUSE:Weekly_news_team

help the openSUSE Weekly News by writing articles or sections
- Description: write for openSUSE Weekly News!
- We are searching the whole time for people from different sections of the openSUSE project to post news from the subprojects and in general Authors who are willing to write stories for the Weekly News. If you are interested contact us!
- Skill-Level: medium
- Required: Being able to write a bit (very good writing skills not needed, we work as a team and help each other!)
- Contact: opensuse-marketing@opensuse.org mailing list (Subscribe first)
- URL: openSUSE:Weekly_news_team

Quick view: The openSUSE Weekly News on our news.opensuse.org website

People of openSUSE

General Information
Visit the wiki-page of PooS.

General contact information

Once upon a time there were interviews with people active in openSUSE. The people who worked on it moved on to other things - now there are no more interviews being done...
it would be awesome if someone would revive this! It is not difficult - pick the questions from the earlier interviews, maybe add your own twist - and pick people who haven't been interviewed yet. Send them a mail with the questions attached and ask them to answer the questions. Then the real task: ping them until they finally give up and answer the questions for you ;-)
Then fix it up a little and/or add a follow up question - you probably don't have to change much... Be sure however to get a nice picture of the person you interviewed for the article!
Once that is done, talk to the marketing team - how to get the interview online. Someone there is bound to know and be able to help you ;-)
ask on the #opensuse-marketing channel on Libera Chat or the mailinglist: opensuse-marketing@opensuse.org mailing list.
Maintenance of the interview series "people of openSUSE"
- Skill-Level: Easy
- Required knowledge: Communication skills, willingness to bother people until they answer you
- Contact: opensuse-marketing@opensuse.org mailing list
- URL: How to manage "People of openSUSE"

Quick view: Older People of openSUSE articles

Write or edit for News.opensuse.org

General Information
Visit news.opensuse.org - the openSUSE News site!

The openSUSE News Team maintains our news site, news.opensuse.org. They write articles but also edits them when others write articles. You can write articles and email them to news@opensuse.org where they will be picked up by the team; or join the ranks of editors if you like fixing up text and putting it in a (wordpress-based) news site!

General contact information

The news team hangs out on the marketing mailing list: opensuse-marketing@opensuse.org mailing list.
The news team webpage: openSUSE:News_team
There is of course the news@opensuse.org mailing list but this is a closed list for the editors as sometimes articles have to be kept secret!

Area specific tasks

write articles for news.opensuse.org
- Skill-Level: Easy
- Description: write for news.o.o is actually really easy. If you hang out on an openSUSE mailing list or read the blogs and know about something cool that is going on, write about it. It does not have to be perfect at all - put the information in the article, even if you do it "braindump style". The editors from the news team will make sure the article looks good when it is released!
- Required knowledge: Basic writing skills (really, nothing fancy needed!)
- Contact: opensuse-marketing@opensuse.org mailing list

Quick view: news.opensuse.org

Other things

The openSUSE Project needs ...

Jobs around the Build Service
We do look for help with our openSUSE:Build Service tools, see the BuildService Junior Jobs page! Please ask or submit your ideas around the build service at the mailto:opensuse-buildservice+subscribe@opensuse.org mailing list.

Testing and finding issues is a critical component to the delivery of any software. Check out the openSUSE:Submitting_bug_reports page and the openSUSE:Testing page for more info!

openSUSE is a world wide community, and the world has many languages. Translating openSUSE to other languages is just as important as developing programs! See the Localization teams page and the Localization guide for more information.

Quick view: GNOME – KDE – YaST – Zypper – Build Service – Mirrors