How To Help

Volunteers are key to the success of gNewSense. This is a community effort -- we do not have the support of corporations behind us like many other distributions do, and so it depends on YOU to make things happen.

Read below to learn more about how you can help.

Get familiar with the gNewSense Processes that interests you most.

Become a contributor.

How can I help the most right now?

Currently our greatest need is for Developers, so if you fit this and other roles you should consider applying for this one.

Development Team

Description of this role

Hack the Builder scripts and package management.

Skills you possess or want to learn

Python, C, bash, GNU tools, DEB/Packaging, Bugfiling

Examples of where and how you can contribute in this role

Go to the Development Team home page

Bug forwarding

Description of this role

Forward gNewSense bugs upstream.

Skills you possess or want to learn

'reportbug', Debian bug reporting.

Examples of where and how you can contribute in this role

Forwarding bugs from our BTS to Debian's BTS

Go to the Bug forwarding Team home page

Website Team

Description of this role

Improve gNewSense's image creating the best possible web interface for users and contributors on the Internet.

Skills you possess or want to learn

Moinmoin, python, CSS, HTML, PHP

Examples of where and how you can contribute in this role

Go to the Web Team home page

Artwork Team

Description of this role

Creating artwork and designs for the gNewSense community on request.

Skills you possess or want to learn

Inkscape, GIMP, OO.org, design, usability/interaction

Examples of where and how you can contribute in this role

Go to the Artwork Team home page

Documentation Team

Description of this role

Write documents, guides, how-tos, FAQs, marketing material, process/methodology docs, release notes.

Skills you possess or want to learn

Writing, editing, grammar (wordsmith), technical, explaining complex ideas well.

Examples of where and how you can contribute in this role

Go to the Documentation Team home page

Translation Team

Description of this role

Localize software and documentation into other languages.

Skills you possess or want to learn

You are able to translate English into other language or languages.

Examples of where and how you can contribute in this role

Go to the Translation Team home page

Package Freedom Verification Team

Description of this role

Verifying the license of each package to ensure it is a free license.

People who update the LibrePlanet Software Blacklist page with all the apps we remove from gNewSense.

Skills you possess or want to learn

free licenses

Examples of where and how you can contribute in this role

Go to the Package Freedom Verification Team home page

Packaging Team

Description of this role

To package and maintain software that is not included in our repositories

Skills you possess or want to learn

packaging

Examples of where and how you can contribute in this role

Go to the Packaging Team home page

Marketing Team

Description of this role

Through the development of processes and content, this project aims to spread gNewSense and to provide a central repository of ideas and information that can be used to deliver gNewSense to new audiences.

Skills you possess or want to learn

Strong writing, editing, grammar, ability to explain benefits of gNewSense to new users.

Examples of where and how you can contribute in this role

Go to the Marketing Team home page

Volunteer Coordinators

Description of this role

Help recruit project contributors, be a point of contact for the community members and channel the feedback to gNewSense developers.

Skills you possess or want to learn

community management

Examples of where and how you can contribute in this role

Go to the Volunteer Coordinators Team home page

Local communities

Description of this role

Support the spread and development of gNewSense in different locations around the world.

Skills you possess or want to learn

community management, Languages, programming, writing, etc.

Examples of where and how you can contribute in this role

Go to the Local Communities home page