Frequently asked questions from new contributors.
Where can I find documentation on contributing?
This FAQ is a good start. After reading it, I recommend you follow up with our documentation on contributing
What skills are needed to contribute?
There are ways to contribute no matter what your skills, but these are the skills most needed to contribute at a high level.
- Programming language knowledge. Knowledge of
Cis most useful due to its use in projects like the Linux kernel. Knowledge ofPython,JavaScript,Java, shell scripting and other programming languages can also be rather useful. - Version control knowledge. Knowledge of
gitis critical for contributing at almost any level. Even our documentation is maintained throughgit. See tutorials at https://lab.github.com. - Linux kernel knowledge. While far from the only open source operating system utilized on Beagles, it is the most popular. Getting familiar with both kernels and distributions, including the ABI and Linux Standard Base, can be very valuable. See tutorials at A Beginner’s Guide to Linux Kernel Development (LFD103) - Linux Foundation - Training.
- Embedded bus literacy. Knowledge of
I2C,SPI,UART,GPIO,USB, and other low-speed and even high-speed digital interfaces are very valuable. Knowledge some basic analog circuits utilizingPWMandADCare also very useful. See tutorials at https://e-ale.org and other tutorials on Sparkfun and Adafruit learning sites.
What are some first projects to which I can contribute?
Check out Issues · beagleboard/Latest-Images · GitHub
What is Google Summer of Code and how do I get started?
See https://beagleboard.org/gsoc.
How do I demonstrate my skills?
This is something to be determined.