Applying for Outreachy
Thank you for your interest in the Linux kernel internships! Please read the following thoroughly.
Also, make sure you:
Join the outreachy-kernel mailing list
- Join the #outreachy IRC channel on irc.gnome.org
- Join the #kernel-outreachy IRC channel on irc.oftc.net
Patch submission process
Complete the Linux kernel first contribution tutorial by March 22, 2018, and email your first patch to the outreachy-kernel mailing list and the relevant maintainers. Do not send patches to the main Linux mailing lists! Note that your patch must be accepted by March 22, and you may have to go through several patch revisions. The more high-quality, complex patches you get accepted, the more likely your chance of getting accepted for an internship. Note that we look at patch quality, communication style, ability to learn, and applicant background as well, so don't get discouraged if you see people sending a lot of patches. Submit early and often!
Complete at least one small task from the projects you are interested in. Completing small tasks for a particular project makes it more likely that you'll be accepted for that project. Make sure to complete tasks for a couple of different projects, because it's often the case that some of the projects will get a lot of applicants. Before you start on a small task, please claim that task on the task list page, unless the task specifically says that this is not necessary.
Application tips
Here are some tips for how to answer various questions on the Outreachy application.
Are you planning to apply for Google Summer of Code?
(Not applicable for December applicants). This question is designed to make sure that participants in Outreachy also apply to GSoC if they meet the summer of code applicant requirements. Basically, the idea was to make sure applicants get the most chances to get an internship. We do encourage all students to also apply to GSoC, especially to the Linux Foundation projects.
Please describe your experience with the organization's product as a user and as a contributor (include the information about the contribution you made to the project you are interested in here):
Please include some information about yourself, such as:
- Do you run Linux on your personal computers?
- Have you used Linux at university labs or other places?
- What Linux distros do you use?
- Have you ever compiled a custom kernel?
- Have you ever made a change to a kernel driver?
- Have you ever contributed a patch to the mainline kernel? If so, please provide links to the patches, and indicate whether they were accepted.
- Do you have C or C++ experience?
- Have you taken operating systems or computer architecture classes before?
- Do you have experience with the command line?
- Have you compiled a project before?
Please provide a link to all patches authored by you, e.g. https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/log/?qt=author&q=Sarah+Sharp. If a contribution has been accepted into another mentor's tree but not into Greg or Linus' tree, please ask them to provide a link to that contribution.
Important Update This year, the applicants are required to add their contributions on the Outreachy application form along with a detailed description. Please provide a link to all your patches in the application.
Who is a possible mentor for the project you are most interested in?
Please review the participating Linux kernel projects. List the projects that you are interested in participating with, in order from the most interesting project to the least interesting project. For each project, say why you are interested in this particular project (e.g. it fits your background or interests in school, or the mentor has been particularly helpful, etc.). If you have completed any small todo items for that particular project, please link to those accepted contributions. Here is an example list:
First choice ------------ Project name: EHCI driver rewrite Mentor: Alan Stern Reason for choice: I'm interested in EHCI because I have been working on code for USB to serial adapters, and I want to learn more about the USB host controller driver. Completed tasks: Greg KH has accepted my patch to remove the FISH/SOUP macros from the PL2303 driver. https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/gregkh/usb.git/commit/?id=eb44da0b3aa0105cb38d81c5747a8feae64834be Second choice ------------- Project name: TTY code cleanups Mentor: Alan Cox Reason for choice: I like the idea of learning more about the TTY layer. Completed tasks: I started on Alan's suggestion to trace the TTY layer by running ftrace on a write call to a USB serial adapter TTY file. The completed graphviz output can be found here. Third choice ------------ Project name: Sparse warning cleanups Mentor: Josh Triplett Reason for choice: Josh is very responsive as a patch reviewer, and I have been able to learn a lot about sparse by following his advice. I hope to work more with him on sparse cleanups. Completed tasks: I completed one patch, which is now available here. Fourth choice ------------ Project name: HPET timer coalescing Mentor: Tony Luck Reason for choice: I don't have any background in servers or embedded Linux systems, but I would like to learn more about them. Diving into the timer subsystem seems to be a good way to start learning about this area. Completed tasks: None.
Note that you may not get your first or second choice of projects. Often a particular project is very popular, and we may need to move further down your list of projects. Please make sure to list as many projects you are interested in as possible, even if you haven't completed a task specifically for that project.
Please describe the details and the timeline of the work you plan to accomplish on the project you are most interested in (discuss these first with the mentor of the project):
Application Deadlines
MAKE SURE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION BY MARCH 22, 2018.
Still have questions?
Contact jlawall, shraddha or vaishali on #outreachy (irc.gnome.net) or #kernel-outreachy (irc.oftc.net), or email the outreachy-kernel mailing list. Make sure you are subscribed to that mailing list.