Student Application Template
Name Andrei-Mihai Nicolae
Contact/Email: I am available on IRC ( nclandrei), GTalk( a.mihai.nicolae) and YM( andreinicolae1994), but I can also be contacted on Skype( nclandrei).The emails where I can be contacted are: a.mihai.nicolae@gmail.com andreinicolae1994@yahoo.com a.nicolae@jacobs-university.de
Background: I am a first year Computer Science undergraduate student at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany. I have always been passionate about computers and programming in general, having worked with C/C++ and Python since 8th grade. Now, I can say that I have extended my range of skills, varying from Javascript, HTML5, PHP to Java or even basic Scala.
Since the academical year started, I have already taken 2nd year courses, passing the Data Structures and Algorithms course and currently having Software Engineering, but I have also been employed at DFKI Bremen, the German Reasearch Center for Artificial Intelligence, where I have extensively worked with image processing, C/C++ complex algorithms, basic manipulation etc.
Debian-related, I have been using Debian since 2010, when my journey in the open source world also started. After seeing this project proposed, I have worked on my packaging abilities and eventually managed to patch, for example, audit and doxygen packages such that they will break cycles in the build-dependency tree, thus I consider I am ready to take this task further on.
Project title: Bootstrapping Debian
Project details: -
Synopsis: As the main task is to make Debian buildable on itself, making the process of bringing up new architectures easier and Debian self-supporting, changes will have to be made in the about 60 "odd" packages, eventually turning the cyclic build graph into an acyclic graph( build tree). Of course, this will be possible only with the acceptance of the maintainers of the packages, with whom there will be a permanent communication. At the end of the summer, the desired outcome would be to have Debian fully bootstrappable.
Benefits to Debian
- make Debian properly self-hosting
- allow new architectures to be brought up easier, thus making Debian's aim of becoming the "Universal OS" more approachable
Deliverables: Will have fixed the ~60 "odd" packages, status of the bootstrappability of Debian.
Project schedule: The official frimetame is from May 19 to August 18, which means exactly 13 weeks. The project can be split as following:
- (Up until May 18) Community bonding, working on "easier-to-fix" packages before the actual coding period starts
- (3 weeks) Deal with the packages in the "Feedback Arc Set" ( for the 1st SCC) section from bootstrap.debian.net which are not involved in cycles.
- (5 weeks) Solve the packages involved in Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 Self-Cycles, as these will probably require the greatest amount of time.
- (3 weeks) Focus on the other packages which have to be solved after we have analyzed the new snapshot( from where we can see where there is still work to do).
- (2 weeks) Go through the other SCCs( which have way fewer vertices) to solve the remaining cycles.
Of course, another very important task throughout all weeks will be to maintain a permanent and friendly communication with the package maintainers such that there are no problems with submitting the patches.
Exams and other commitments: I will have exams from May 20 until June 8.
Other summer plans: Except a 3-4 days vacation at the beginning of August, I will work full time on the project. Obviously, I can recover those lost hours, as I am willing to work from 40 up to 45 hours/ week.
Why Debian?: The huge number of available packages, the possibility to easily choose wether you want to be on the stable release or switch to testing/ unstable, experience with Debian in general( around 4 years), excellent community, support for a wide variety of architectures.
- Are you applying for other projects in SoC? Yes.