Task List

Code

Easy

Migrate from dpatch to quilt

Mentor: Gergely Nagy

The task would consist of migrating packages from dpatch to something else (preferably quilt). Most of this can be easily done very easily, and could almost be automated (there's even scripts to help one do this), but manual review is still highly preferred. The goal would be to convert a handful of packages, and submit bugs to the BTS. While working on this task, one would learn a couple of tools related to Debian package building, and would learn a lot about packaging in general aswell. But extensive packaging knowledge is not needed for the task. There are many packages still build-depending on dpatch, and it's very easy to choose a couple of easy ones. An added benefit of this task is that multiple people can work on it simultaneously, thus increasing the benefit for Debian.

Medium

Team Metrics web interface

Mentor: Sukhbir Singh

Develop a website for the Team Metrics project that has an interface to present the statistical data from blends.debian.net .

Convert 3 packages using deprecated Python helpers to dh_python2

Mentor: Piotr Ozarowski

Debian packages traditionally used one of two Python packaging helpers (python-support and python-central). However, both of these are now deprecated in favour of a single helper, dh_python2. Your task is to convert 3 packages still using python-support or python-central, to dh_python2.

More information about migrating Python packages to dh_python2 can be found here.

Triage the unknown package backlog

Mentor: Gergely Nagy

Have a look at the backlog, and find reports that:

This involves figuring out whether issues can be closed (the package is not in Debian anymore (being in stable counts as being in Debian!), or it never was), or reassigned (typo in package name, for example).

Students are advised to create an action plan first, and consult the mentor before taking further action.

Hard

Scripts to aid in handling bugs against unknown packages

Mentor: Gergely Nagy

This task would be a bit of coding: writing scripts that would assist one in determining what to do with a misfiled bug:

Documentation

Easy

Write 5 manual pages

Mentor: Vincent Cheng

Debian packages which provide binaries in /usr/bin, /usr/sbin, /bin, /sbin or /usr/games should have a manual page; a missing manpage is considered a bug (refer to Debian Policy section 12.1 for details). Your task is to write at least 5 manual pages of substantial length for packages with missing manual pages (check here for a list of such packages), and file bug reports to the Debian BTS with your completed manpages.

You may find this webpage to be a useful resource; also consider using help2man(1) to start you off on the right track.

Medium

Documentation for Team Metrics

Mentor: Sukhbir Singh

As of now, the Debian Teams Activity Metrics project doesn't have any documentation. Your task is to write documentation for the project and reflect what it is about. This involves understanding the project and how it works.

usercategories documentation

Mentor: Gergely Nagy

I "recently" discovered usertags, and while they're pretty simple, and reasonably well documented, the documentation on usercategories is... lacking. Researching and documenting this part of the BTS would be welcomed by many.

Hard

Outreach

Easy

Create a default set of user data to make a demo machine non-empty

Mentor: Sune Vuorela

Create a video showing how to install Debian in your language, and upload it to YouTube

Mentor: Sukhbir Singh

Add more screenshots to screenshot.d.n

Mentor: Sukhbir Singh

Medium

Hard

Quality Assurance

Easy

Go (deb-)tagging!

Mentor: Vincent Cheng

Packages in the Debian archives can be tagged with a list of descriptive tags, a set of categories to describe Debian packages. However, a large number of packages in the archives are not yet tagged; your task is to tag 20 packages with the most appropriate set of tags.

This page has links to everything you need to know to accomplish this task. Once you're ready, go deb-tagging!

Medium

Orphaned / QA-maintained package face-lifting

Mentor: Gergely Nagy

Orphaned and QA maintained packages tend to bit-rot from time to time. This task would involve choosing at least two packages that are in need of an update (ancient standards-version, obsolete debhelper compatibility level, that kind of stuff), and update them to something more modern, such as standards-version 3.9.2, and debhelper 8.

While there, these packages could also be (optionally) converted to 3.0 (quilt) format, if they aren't already.

Make 5 packages lintian clean

Mentor: Vincent Cheng

Lintian is a tool that analyzes Debian packages and outputs a list of packaging issues and possible Policy violations in that package. It contains automated checks for many aspects of Debian policy as well as some checks for common errors.

Your task is to fix all lintian errors and warnings in 5 packages of your choice, i.e. to make those packages lintian clean. One place to start is here.

Hard

Validate tools used in the Team Metrics project

Mentor: Sukhbir Singh

For the Debian Teams Activity Metrics project, we measure the performance using a variety of metrics. Your job will be to test the statistical output generated, compare them with the raw data and help us to identify possible flaws in our tools that generate these statistics. Please note that this task will require lots of investigation of perhaps large amounts of data. Bonus points if you can automate your approach.

Fix a RC bug

Mentor: Vincent Cheng

Fix any release-critical bug currently in the Debian BTS (bug-tracking system). A RC bug is a bug that has severity "critical", "grave", or "serious". Your task is to learn how to handle bugs in Debian, and then to pick any RC bug and fix it.

Research

Easy

Medium

Hard

Suggest new metrics for measuring team performance

Mentor: Sukhbir Singh

For the Debian Teams Activity Metrics project, find and suggest new metrics that will help in gauging team performance. Ideas that are not perfect (or nowhere near it), are also welcome.

Training

Easy

Medium

Hard

Translation

Easy

Medium

Hard

User Interface

Easy

Show four different desktop environments in Debian, and showcase their strenghts and weaknesses

Mentor: Sukhbir Singh

Create a video titled '''The Unstable Desktop''', showing how Debian unstable is useful as a desktop, despite its scary name

Mentor: Sukhbir Singh

Create a video showing how to upgrade an older version of Debian to a newer one, and upload it to YouTube

Mentor: Sukhbir Singh

Medium

Hard