FOSS Outreach Program for Women (OPW)
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Welcome OPW applicants! The Linux Foundation is sponsoring internships for women and genderqueer/genderfluid people to work on the Linux kernel. The kernel is the most basic layer of the Linux operating system. It encompasses many things: hardware drivers, filesystems, security, task scheduling, and much more.
How to apply
The official deadline for applying to OPW is May 8th. Please fill our your [https://live.gnome.org/OutreachProgramForWomen#Application_Process initial application] by May 8th, and then update by May 17th with your initial patch. Please take a look at our [:OPWApply:application FAQ] for more info on how to fill our your initial application. Applicants will be notified by May 27th if they have been accepted.
If you are interested in being a Linux kernel intern, please:
Join the [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/opw-kernel opw-kernel mailing list]
- Join the #opw IRC channel on irc.gnome.org
- Join the #kernel-opw IRC channel on irc.oftc.net
Read our [:OPWApply:instructions for applying], and apply by May 8th.
Use our [:OPWfirstpatch:tutorial] to send in your first kernel patch by May 17th.
Participating Linux kernel projects
Interns may switch between projects, depending on how much work each project provides. This will allow interns the opportunity to learn about multiple kernel subsystems. Mentors from all three projects will be participating in patch review, answering questions, and providing advice for interacting with the kernel community.
Applicants for all projects should have basic experience with C or C++. Optionally, we would love it if you have basic operating system knowledge, know your way around a Linux/UNIX command line, and/or know the revision system called git. Please note that these three skills can be learned during the internship.
Ethernet
The Linux kernel ethernet drivers communicate with network hardware, to give you access to the Internet. Ethernet devices can be as simple as the 1 gigabit ethernet controllers in your laptop, to much faster ethernet controllers in servers.
Interns would work on the Intel 1 gigabit ethernet driver, igb and/or ethtool, the networking configuration userspace application that works with the drivers. Wired ethernet devices supported by igb are found in some laptops and most servers, but hardware will be provided if you don't have access to it. What will be required is a PCIe slot to put the any hardware you need into and at least one other system (laptop is fine, as long as it has an RJ45 network drop) to use as a link partner and a network cable to link them.
Required skills: Experience with Linux network configuation and basic C programming stills
Optional but learnable skills: Knowledge of networking and networking features found in most ethernet devices.
Mentors: Carolyn Wyborny [:CarolynWyborny:(contact info)] Anjali Jain [:AnjaliJain:(contact info)]
USB
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The Linux kernel includes a USB stack that communicates with the hardware behind your USB ports (USB host controller drivers), and includes USB device drivers that talk to your USB devices (USB device drivers).
Interns would work on the USB 3.0 host controller driver. The Linux kernel USB 3.0 host driver works 10 times faster than USB 2.0 host driver. The USB 3.0 driver still needs a lot of work, so there are plenty of small bug fixes that interns can tackle. If time permits, interns could also work on small to medium features.
USB 3.0 hardware will be provided to accepted interns if you don't have access to it.
Required skills: Experience with manipulating linked lists in C, knowledge of basic boolean algrebra (bit masks and manipulating bits)
Optional but learnable skills: Knowledge of USB or other low-level busses
Mentor: Sarah Sharp [:SarahSharp:(contact info)]
Suggested reading for accepted interns: [http://lwn.net/Kernel/LDD3/ Linux Device Drivers] and [http://www.beyondlogic.org/usbnutshell/usb1.shtml USB in a Nutshell]
x86 core
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In the heart of the Linux kernel is code that runs directly on x86 processors. This includes early boot code, etc.
This part of the kernel is usually considered one of the more complex areas of the operating system. However, with a bit of guidance, it's really fascinating to see how a computer begins the journey from powered off to a blinking cursor at your login prompt.
Interns would work alongside PJ on central boot code in the Linux kernel. Today, the kernel brings CPU's online one by one in a serial fashion. We can do better. Several stages of changes are planned to go from a completely serial approach to a fully parallel approach to bringing CPU's up. Interns would work on some of these planned changes.
Required skills: Knowledge of how to use and manipulate pointers and function pointers in C is a must.
Optional but learnable skills: Knowledge of computer architecture, x86 assembly
Mentors: Peter Waskiewicz Jr (PJ) [:PeterWaskiewicz:(contact info)]
Driver cleanups
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Not all Linux kernel drivers are immaculate, pristine, and perfect pieces of code. Specifically, the code that lives in the drivers/staging/ area of the Linux kernel source tree need lots of help and cleanups in order to get them up to the expected level of rosbustness and readability that the rest of the Linux kernel is known for.
These drivers live all come with a TODO file that lists what needs to be done to them in order to get them cleaned up. These tasks range from the simple "fix coding style issues" and "remove unused code", to the more complex "port the driver to the proper wireless stack", so a wide range of skills can be learned if desired.
Interns would pick one of these drivers to clean up, submitting patches that address the TODO items, and eventually, help move it out of the staging area of the kernel, to the "proper" location. Having the hardware that is being controlled by these drivers is not necessary, but if desired, it can be found and shipped to the Intern doing the work.
Required skills: Basic knowledge of the C language is needed, and the ability to build and boot a custom-built Linux kernel is desired.
Mentors: Greg Kroah-Hartman [:GregKH:(contact info)]
Xen subsystem in Linux
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The Linux kernel interfaces with the Xen hypervisor via hypercalls and also with other kernels by backend and frontend drivers. Xen's architecture allows to seperate each guest completlty and they can communicate amongst each other using backend/frontend drivers. But as any software exists there are bugs and the need to improve, cleanup and in general make it better. And also help in writting documentation on how Linux and Xen interact.
The intern would work on a smörgåsbord of issues the Xen components in the Linux kernel has. The ones that fit within the three month period are concentrated in:
- Making the event channel mechanism capable of fast checkpointing so that Remus (a software approach to lock-step and fail-over working) can properly work.
Multiple design issues with the block protocol (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vh5T8Z3Tx3sUEhVB0DnNDKBNiqB_ZA8Z5YVqAsCIjuI/edit). Also there are bugs in the code.
- Multiple issues with the net protocol - lack of documentation (designs and internals), performance test and analysis, bug fixes etc.
- Understanding the Xen platform and writing documentation on how it works to be made in an architecture paper (or doing this alongside the other projects and just writing down what has been learned).
Required skills: Knowledge of how to use and manipulate pointers and function pointers in C is a must.
Optional but learnable skills: Knowledge of computer architecture, x86 assembly
Mentors: Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk [:KonradRzeszutekWilk:(contact info)]
Yeah, that sounds cool!
If you are interested in being a Linux kernel intern, please:
Join the [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/opw-kernel opw-kernel mailing list]
- Join the #opw IRC channel on irc.gnome.org
- Join the #kernel-opw IRC channel on irc.oftc.net
Read our [:OPWApply:instructions for applying], and apply by May 8th.
Use our [:OPWfirstpatch:tutorial] to send in your first kernel patch by May 17th.
Creative Commons Photo Credits
[http://tux.crystalxp.net/ Pink Tux], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfly/130659908/ Ethernet], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/zopeuse/56910709/ Tux on Hardware], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/paolomargari/4946053155/ Messy Stairs]