Re: [outreachy] am I in the right track to contribute

["Gábor Boskovits" <boskovits@gmail.com>]

Hello Laura,

Laura Lazzati <laura.lazzati.15@gmail.com> ezt írta (időpont: 2018.
okt. 11., Cs, 21:58):
>
> On Thu, Oct 11, 2018 at 2:05 PM Gábor Boskovits <boskovits@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hello Laura,
> >
> > Laura Lazzati <laura.lazzati.15@gmail.com> ezt írta (időpont: 2018.
> > okt. 11., Cs, 16:32):
> > >
> > > On Thu, Oct 11, 2018 at 6:24 AM Gábor Boskovits <boskovits@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Hello Laura,
> > > >
> > > > Laura Lazzati <laura.lazzati.15@gmail.com> ezt írta (időpont: 2018. okt. 11., Cs, 3:25):
> > > > >
> > > > > On Wed, Oct 10, 2018 at 3:12 PM Gábor Boskovits <boskovits@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Hello Laura,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Laura Lazzati <laura.lazzati.15@gmail.com> ezt írta (időpont: 2018. okt. 10., Sze 18:41):
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> On Tue, Oct 9, 2018 at 1:17 PM Björn Höfling
> > > > > >> <bjoern.hoefling@bjoernhoefling.de> wrote:
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> > Hi Laura,
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> > On Tue, 9 Oct 2018 10:08:44 -0300
> > > > > >> > Laura Lazzati <laura.lazzati.15@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> > > Hi everyone!
> > > > > >> > >
> > > > > >> > > I don't know if is it OK to be telling you what I am/ I've been doing
> > > > > >> > > these days, I kind of like doing so to have feedback, and also to let
> > > > > >> > > you know
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> > This is exactly the way to go! It's good to hear where you stay, what
> > > > > >> > you tried, where you succeeded, where you got stuck. If you get stuck,
> > > > > >> > tell us about the paths you already tried out and why you don't get
> > > > > >> > further alone.
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> Sorry for being absent for a day. After updating and upgrading my
> > > > > >> computer, I am stuck trying to see why the sound stopped working. Yes,
> > > > > >> this kind of thinks happen but just now?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > No worries, one day off is perfectly ok, however if you did not get an answer in 3 or 4 days, then please contact us, since in that case there is some communications mistake.
> > > > > > Last time losing sound happened to me after a dist-upgrade in ubuntu, and turned out, that the pulseaudio package shipped with a configuration that was not compatible with the version of the binaries supplied. I ran it in the foreground, and in the startup messages or in the log I found that it could not parse the config. It can be something entirely different though. I hope this helps.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks :) Unluckily i made a mistake and ended up needing  a fresh
> > > > > install. But I am the kind of person that always has data backup and
> > > > > is aware of the software and utilities that needs. Tomorrow I will go
> > > > > on with my VMs, the one with only Guix, and one with GuixSD and start
> > > > > with the package stuff, so that I can contribute as much as I can,
> > > > > even if I am not chosen for outreachy.
> > > >
> > > > Sorry to hear that, but glad that you did not suffer any data loss.
> > > > Having the VMs back by tomorrow is nice, thanks for the update.
> > > Luckily yesterday I ended up late at night and found that I could
> > > import my VM with Ubuntu guest with guix running. I do have a
> > > question. I use Virtualbox, and Downloaded the .iso file of GuixSD, I
> > > have just installed the VM for GuixSD in VirtualBox - I read that in
> > > the documentation it is mentioned to use quemu- but strangely I
> > > managed to install it without any problems in VirtualBox with the .iso
> > >  I made the internet connection work, because the interfacewas down,
> > > running other commands not shown in  the documentation, now I have it
> > > strangely in state unknown but tried ping and works.
> > > https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/en/html_node/Preparing-for-Installation.html#Preparing-for-Installation
> > > (I am writing down in my daily journal everything I am encountering, )
> > > I have even found that I cannot run shutdown -h now, don't know why
> > > tried shutdown --help and it does not show the option, or read
> > > manpages, or fin where .bash_history is located.
> >
> > shutdown is handled by shepherd on GuixSD, and it does not have these
> > options. You can try simply shutdown or halt.
> > .bash_history on my GuixSD system is located in ~/.bash_history, as
> > expected. Also on my GuixSD system system
> > man pages work as expected. Are you facing these issues in the
> > installation image?
> >
> > It is nice that you managed using VirtualBox. I am not suprised that
> > it works, but worth a mention in the documentation
> > I think. You wrote that you have a question, what is it?
> >
> I guess the question was all what I wrote, without putting it as a
> question. I don't know why but now manpages work, while the internet
> connection is down again (shutted down the machine with halt). Before
> that, I recall the info command, and started using it. And the problem
> with not finding .bash_history was being used to ll in Ubuntu,
> forgetting that ll is an alias for ls -laF. I realized that after
> doing a find and  trying ls -ltra, and remembering working with other
> distros. But my mail was already sent.
> Does modifying the documentation counts also as a contribution? I
> mean, I do not intend to only do so, but I don't know where to start.
> If documenting, if packaging R, seing the issue with clojure (I've
> never used clojure before), keep playing with GuixSD, please, let me
> know what is better.

Sorry if this is confusing. I should have communicated much clearer.

Please do the packaging first, as these types of contributions go the
fastest.

Yes, documentation changes count as a contribution, but
usually go slower, as more discussion is involved.

The clojure issue is not an urgent one, it is only a convenience thing,
so you don't need to work on it.

Playing with GuixSD will definitely pay out well later, but you can't
register it as a contribution, so I would do that later if I were you.

Do you notice the internet connection going down after you have installed
GuixSD? (On the installation image the connection is down on boot)

> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> > One thing that was today on the Outreachy mentors-mailinglist: If you
> > > > > >> > finally made a contribution, please go directly on the Outreachy
> > > > > >> > project page, select the Guix project and formally record your
> > > > > >> > contributions. That's important to us and for the whole Outreachy
> > > > > >> > project to see who/how many applicants are possible candidates for a
> > > > > >> > project
> > > > > If I do the R packaging, where do I record in Guix? And I am keeping
> > > > > my daily journal with the problems I encounter, but I am not very sure
> > > > > about where to upload it for Guix. As regards my daily journal. is it
> > > > > OK to hace it in Google Drive? I know its FOSS, but it's a good way of
> > > > > easily updating the doc and having it accesible. And in outreachy it
> > > > > says that Refining current documentation is a contribution too. I
> > > > > don't know if this applies also to problems I encounter and how I
> > > > > managed to solve them.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > If you have a working package, and you followed the contribution guide, you got to the part
> > > > where you can send your patch. The debbugs issue tracker creates an issue for the patches
> > > > sent to guix-patches@gnu.org. These patches are then reviewed, we will give you feedback,
> > > > and when it is in a shape to include it in guix, we will accept it, upstream the changes and close
> > > > the issue. This completes the contibution. Then you will have to record this on the Outreachy site.
> > > > https://www.outreachy.org/apply/
> > > >  in this point:
> > > > 4. Record in-progress contributions on the Outreachy website. You'll need to go to the community landing page linked from the projects listing page. Then click the 'Record Contribution' button. Add links and descriptions to your contributions and the project timeline before the application deadline. You can always go back and edit your recorded contributions. A contribution doesn't have to be merged or accepted to be recorded.
> > > > describes the process.
> > > > Note that you can record the contibution while it is still in progress.
> > >
> > > Maybe it is because I'm kind of sleepy, but I dont understand very
> > > well this part. Should I be recording an in progress contribution
> > > without having sent it to you first? Or after sending it to the guix
> > > patches mail without receiving the feedback?>
> >
> > I guess you need to reference the contribution somehow, so I believe
> > the earilest you should try recording the contribution is after it
> > gets an issue assigned, so you can use the issue URL as a refence.
> > A patch gets an issue assigned after you send a mail to the
> > guix-patches list. You will receive a response that tells the e-mail
> > address where further communication should go regarding that patch.
> > For an example see: http://issues.guix.info/issue/32709
> > (it is tagged as easy by the way, if you would like to give it a try)
> >
> > I can accept your contribution when the patch gets upstream, and the
> > issue is closed. We usually close an issue by metioning the commit
> > (and also the branch) where it made upstream.
> >
> > > > You can get faster responses if you CC your mentors to the message sent to guix-patches, so that we can notice the incoming patch.
> > > >
> > > > For now I suggest sending the notes with the difficulties encountered in a mail to the devel list, accompanied with suggestions on how to clarify the relevant parts of the documentation. Documentation changes tend to take longer, as it usually involves community discussion, but you can get this started. You can keep your private copy of these on google drive, and it is possible to create a git repo somewhere to keep track of a file with these, preferably an org mode text document.
> > > > WDYT?
> > > Yes,  for me it is OK. I have an account in bitbucket, but because it
> > > allows me to have private repos without having to pay extra for that -
> > > most people here use github. Is it ok to use it even it is not FOSS? I
> > > was reading what an org mode text document is. I know about people
> > > arguing about emacs-vi. Do I need to install emacs for that? I have
> > > always been a vi-vim user. Don't mind installing it, or using another
> > > repo, but please let me know.
> >
> > Actually installing emacs is not required, but recommended, as it is
> > very well integrated with guile and guix.
> > Org mode is a good way to keep things organized, but it is not a
> > requirement either. (But once I tried it was
> > a never look back experience for me.) You can try vim-orgmode for
> > basic org mode functionality.
> > If you are ok with having a repo on gitlab it would be nice. It is
> > FOSS, and it allows you to have private
> > repos without having to pay extra for that :) I've moved just recently
> > from github there. (And also a lot of my colleagues.)
> >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > See the "Application Setup" section in the manual, for more info.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> > > I installed guix on a VM with an Ubuntu distro and it worked fine - i
> > > > > >> > > ran some basic commands.
> > > > > >> > >  I am trying to install GuixSD over that VM too and on bare metal -
> > > > > >> > > don't know if this two steps are necessary, but looking at the tasks
> > > > > >> > > for Outreachy one items says that I will be doing documentation for
> > > > > >> > > it.
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> > Concerning bare metal: Guix uses 100% Free Software und thus uses the
> > > > > >> > libre kernel, not the normal vanilla kernel. That means some binaries
> > > > > >> > included in the vanilla kernel are stripped off. Hickups might occur,
> > > > > >> > especially with Network, WLAN and Graphics, compared to Ubuntu.
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> I thought that by installing bare metal ment installing it on a VM
> > > > > >> without any operating system. I mean, putting the ISO there. I only
> > > > > >> have one retro PC available with no OS where I could be trying that -
> > > > > >> it is like 13 years old, and it is not a laptop.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > It is ok to skip that all together, a VM install is more than enough for now.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >> > As always before installing a new OS, make backups of your data and
> > > > > >> > configurations on that machine!
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> > > 1) should I write, at least for myself, the problems I've been
> > > > > >> > > encountering in the whole process of doing everything?
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> > Yes, very good! I do that for myself too. It leads to good, reproducible
> > > > > >> > bug reports, bug fixes, documentation fixes, blog entries and could also
> > > > > >> > be used as a starting point for a screenplay for the videos.
> > > > > >> Love doing this kind of things.
> > > > > >> >
> > > > > >> > Björn
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Best regards,
> > > > > > g_bor
> > > >
> > > > Best regards,
> > > > g_bor
> > Best regards,
> > g_bor
> Regards!
> Laura
Best regards,
g_bor