Hiring Edubuntu Staff

[Scott Balneaves]

On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 03:40:07PM +0100, alan c wrote:

> I agree. The several bug entries (in ubuntu) that I have filed, at
> least got responses. Not ones I always wanted, but I did feel a part
> of it all.  Maybe feedback to users is the key area for action, even
> though resource might not be available currently? This resource might
> not require a high level of 'developer' skill, but an ongoing
> systematic energy with easy close communication with the few developers.

As always, the act of commenting on, and dealing with prioritizing, testing,
etc. bugs is a time consuming one.  Certainly, a role for someone who wants to
get involed with Edubuntu, but can't code, etc.  would be to at least keep an
eye on the bugs, ask for more info where needed, quantify and/or test/confirm
bugs etc.

As an example, from my point of view, two of the biggest problems we've got now
are:

1) Handbook.  Topic based help is great, but brand new users could really do
with an "owners manual" that gives them more insight into the kind of "OK, so
how do I actually go about setting up a thin client lab, and laying out my
users?" questions we get, as opposed to the "How do I make this particular
function do what I want" questions the topic based help addresses.  Imagine the
teacher who's just been delivered a classroom full of cast-off pc's from some
business/charity, has an Edubuntu cd in their hand, and says: "OK, now what?"

2) Sabayon user control.  After the questions (which we can answer pretty well)
like "I'm trying to get my Dell PanGalacticGargleBlaster 1000dxm computer
booting, and it say ENOFOO, what does that mean?" answered, the *very next
question* is, "OK, so how do I make this icon show up on every ones desktop?".
One bug report I've seen on sabayon was to the effect of "This hasn't worked
for a year!  Doesn't anyone care?"

https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/sabayon/+bug/150068

The problem is, Sabayon's broken *upstream*.  It doesn't work on a whole bunch
of distros.

Solution?  I'm committed to becoming an upstream for Sabayon.  But it's a big
program, with a lot of fancy footwork going on under the covers.  My PPA's got
test builds.  They're not working *yet*, but we're closer.  And, I've managed
to open a dialogue between myself and the upstream developers.

This has taken months of effort.  But I'm committed to seeing it happen, 'cuz
it *needs* to happen.  However, while I'm spending nights digging into sabayon
code, I'm not commenting on/looking at kstars bugs :)  So if someone wants to
start helping with the load that way, that'd be great.  I'm not saying *fix*
the bugs, but at least looking at them, confirming them, getting more
information, and if there's a hot spot you feel we're not addressing, let us
know.

> What action has been taken to try to get more developers? Is there a
> way of calling for volunteers?

I think that's what we're doing right now! :D

Cheers,
Scott

-- 
Scott L. Balneaves | Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear
Systems Department | and the blind can read.
Legal Aid Manitoba |     -- Mark Twain