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==How can I get involved in Octave development?== | ==How can I get involved in Octave development?== | ||
Be around. Be social. Participate in the [https://mailman.cae.wisc.edu/listinfo/help-octave help] and [https://mailman.cae.wisc.edu/listinfo/octave-maintainers maintainers] mailing lists. | Be around. Be social. Participate in the [https://mailman.cae.wisc.edu/listinfo/help-octave help] | ||
Find things about Octave you don't like, and start thinking about how to fix them. | and [https://mailman.cae.wisc.edu/listinfo/octave-maintainers maintainers] | ||
Many people who now contribute to Octave first spent several years helping in the mailing list before they started to delve into | mailing lists. Find things about Octave you don't like, and start thinking | ||
the code. | about how to fix them. Many people who now contribute to Octave first spent | ||
A good way to learn Octave is to understand the problems other people are having with it, so being helpful in the mailing lists not only helps Octave as a whole, but it also prepares you to be a better Octave contributor. | several years helping in the mailing list before they started to delve into | ||
the code. A good way to learn Octave is to understand the problems other | |||
people are having with it, so being helpful in the mailing lists not only | |||
helps Octave as a whole, but it also prepares you to be a better Octave | |||
contributor. | |||
If you feel ready to dive right into the code, read [[Hacking | here]] and [http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/get-involved.html here] for guidance. | If you feel ready to dive right into the code, read [[Hacking | here]] | ||
But do not send an email to the mailing lists listing your skills and offering to help. | and [http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/get-involved.html here] for | ||
We won't just suggest things for you to do. | guidance. But do not send an email to the mailing lists listing your | ||
We lack volunteers and we do need your help, but because of that, we also lack the time to provide good guidance and mentoring. | skills and offering to help. We won't just suggest things for you to do. | ||
If there is a specific short-term project you would like to work on, say so, and just do it. | We lack volunteers and we do need your help, but because of that, we also | ||
Then ask for help or advice when you're doing it. | lack the time to provide good guidance and mentoring. If there is a | ||
It is a lot more important that you do something that you're actually interested on than something we suggested because it only matches your skills. | specific short-term project you would like to work on, say so, and just | ||
do it. Then ask for help or advice when you're doing it. It is a lot | |||
more important that you do something that you're actually interested on | |||
than something we suggested because it only matches your skills. | |||
We also need help with this wiki and the [http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/doc/interpreter/ manual]. | We also need help with this wiki and the | ||
These are also important tasks. | [http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/doc/interpreter/ manual]. These are | ||
The documentation is easy to patch, and the help text for individual functions even more so. | also important tasks. The documentation is easy to patch, and the help text | ||
Editing this wiki is even easier | for individual functions even more so. Editing this wiki is even easier. | ||
Look at our [[Projects]] and [[Summer of Code Project Ideas]] if you need specific inspiration for coding tasks that we would like to get done. | Accurate bug reporting is also very useful. Find and report | ||
[http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/bugs.html bugs], making an attempt to | |||
diagnose them. Eventually, you will also know how to fix them. If you want | |||
to help with bug reports or patches, subscribe to | |||
[https://savannah.gnu.org/mail/?group=octave the bug tracker mailing list]. | |||
You'll get updates on all bug activity, and you can jump in when you see | |||
something you can help with. | |||
Look at our [[Projects]] and [[Summer of Code Project Ideas]] if you need | |||
specific inspiration for coding tasks that we would like to get done. See | |||
also the list of [[short projects]]. | |||
=Licensing issues= | =Licensing issues= | ||