* Contributing to the Mono project
- There are many ways in which you can help in the Mono project:
+ Mono has not been completed yet. It is a project under
+ active development and with a vibrant community. If you are
+ looking at ways of helping the project, you have come to the
+ right web page.
- <ul>
- * <b>Programmers:</b> You can work on a free
- implementation of the <a
- href="class-library.html">class libraries</a>, the
- <a href="runtime.html">runtime engine</a>, <a
- href="tools.html">the tools</a>, the <a
- href="testing.html">testing framework</a>
-
- * <b>Writers:</b> You can help us with writing <a
- href="documentation.html">documentation</a>.
- </ul>
+ There are three different philosophical approaches to helping
+ the Mono project, the selfish way, the altruistic or the
+ educational way.
+
+ The <b>selfish</b> way is packed with adventure. You start by
+ building your own software, and start using the compiler and
+ tools that come with Mono. Eventually you will run into
+ missing features, or a bug in the software. Since we ship all
+ the source code for Mono, you can start tracking down the
+ problem. Depending on how much time you have to devote to the
+ problem you could: <a href="http://bugzilla.ximian.com">File a
+ bug report</a> (read <a href="#goodbugreport">this</a>); track
+ down the problem and provide a better
+ <a href="http://bugzilla.ximian.com">bug report</a>; fix the
+ bug and provide a patch (you can <a
+ href="mailto:mono-list@ximian.com">post it</a> to the <a
+ href="http://lists.ximian.com/mailman/listinfo/mono-list">mono
+ mailing list</a>; or discuss the solution on the mailing
+ list. Ideally you will also write a <a
+ href="testing.html">regression test</a> so the bug does not
+ get re-introduced in the future.
+
+ The <b>altruistic</b> is probably the easiest because you get
+ to pick a piece of Mono that you might want to work on. You
+ can pick an unfinished <a href="class-library.html">class</a> (from our <a
+ href="class-status.html">class status page</a>); help with the
+ <a href="documentation.html">documentation effort</a> (<a
+ href="http://lists.ximian.com/mailman/listinfo/mono-docs-list">mailing
+ list for the documentation effort</a>); fix existing <a
+ href=http://bugzilla.ximian.com/buglist.cgi?product=Mono%2FClass+Libraries&product=Mono%2FRuntime&component=CORLIB&component=misc&component=System&component=System.Web&component=System.XML&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&email1=&emailtype1=substring&emailassigned_to1=1&email2=&emailtype2=substring&emailreporter2=1&changedin=&chfieldfrom=&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&short_desc=&short_desc_type=substring&long_desc=&long_desc_type=substring&bug_file_loc=&bug_file_loc_type=substring&keywords=&keywords_type=anywords&op_sys_details=&op_sys_details_type=substring&version_details=&version_details_type=substring&cmdtype=doit&newqueryname=&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&form_name=query">runtime
+ bugs</a>; <a
+ href="http://bugzilla.ximian.com/buglist.cgi?product=Mono%2FMCS&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&email1=&emailtype1=substring&emailassigned_to1=1&email2=&emailtype2=substring&emailreporter2=1&changedin=&chfieldfrom=&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&short_desc=&short_desc_type=substring&long_desc=&long_desc_type=substring&bug_file_loc=&bug_file_loc_type=substring&keywords=&keywords_type=anywords&op_sys_details=&op_sys_details_type=substring&version_details=&version_details_type=substring&cmdtype=doit&newqueryname=&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&form_name=query">compiler
+ bugs</a>; help with the <a href="tools.html">tools</a> or
+ writing <a href="testing.html">tests</a> that help make Mono
+ more robust or help with the <a
+ href="http://www.go-mono.com/winforms.html">Winforms
+ effort</a>.
+
+ The <b>educational</b> way is an interesting one, because you
+ pick a technology you are interested in, and work on that
+ technology to learn the technology.
Those are just broad things that need to be worked on, but
something that would help tremendously would be to help with
small duties in the project that need to be addressed.
+ You can see what needs to be done in the class libraries <a href="class-status.html">here</a>
+
+* IRC Channel
+
+ Many developers get together on the <b>#mono</b> irc channel
+ on the <b>irc.gnome.org</b> server.
+
+** To start contributing
+
+ As a programmer, you can contribute in three different scenarios to Mono:
+
+ <ul>
+ * If you only have Linux/Unix.
+ * If you only have Windows.
+
+ * If you have both Linux and Windows.
+ </ul>
+
+ You might also want to check our <a href="#setup">common
+ setups</a> section that describes some common setups that people
+ use while working on Mono.
+
+*** Contributing to the class library, regression tests or the compiler
+
+ This only requires Windows currently.
+
+ To start developing classes or to contribute to the compiler,
+ you only need Windows and the .NET Framework 1.0 SDK. Please notice
+ that you do not need Visual Studio (although you can use it if
+ you want). The .NET Framework SDK requires some version of
+ Windows XP or Windows NT. If you are running Windows 98, 95
+ or Me, you could use instead the <a
+ href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/default.asp?url=/downloads/sample.asp?url=/msdn-files/027/001/829/msdncompositedoc.xml">.NET Redist package</a>, but it
+ lacks the documentation browser and the ildasm program (C#, VB, JScript and IL
+ assembler are included).
+
+ You can get it <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/default.asp?url=/downloads/sample.asp?url=/msdn-files/027/000/976/msdncompositedoc.xml&frame=true">here</a>
+
+ If you are new to .NET, writing regression tests is a good way
+ of starting to contribute: it will help you get used to C# as
+ well as getting comfortable with the .NET APIs.
+
+ This helps because at this point you might be the best
+ qualified person to fix a problem found by the regression
+ test, or you might have a new class to implement in the .NET
+ world that only has a test suite.
+
+ To get started writing tests see the <a href="testing.html">Test Suite</a>
+ section. <a href="mono-contribution-howto.html">Here</a> there is a good All-In-One introduction to the art of writing tests.
+
+
+*** Contributing to the runtime engine
+
+ This only requires Linux, currently some tasks are easier if you
+ have access to Windows as well.
+
+ Here are a few things you can do:
+ <ul>
+ * Port the runtime to other architectures.
+ * Port the runtime to other operating systems.
+ * Finish the IL code verifier in the runtime.
+ * Hack the JIT, improve the code generator, add new
+ pattern rules, improve the register allocator.
+ * Implement the debugging interfaaces
+ </ul>
+
+** Bug reporting
+
+ If you find bugs in Mono, please make sure you enter a bug
+ report so we can keep track of problems in Mono.
+
+ To enter bug reports go to <a href="http://bugzilla.ximian.com">
+ http://bugzilla.ximian.com</a> and enter bug reports against
+ your favorite component (Mono, Runtime, C# compiler).
+
+ You can review the list of current bugs by going <a href="http://bugzilla.ximian.com/buglist.cgi?product=Mono%2FClass+Libraries&product=Mono%2FMCS&product=Mono%2FRuntime&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&email1=&emailtype1=substring&emailassigned_to1=1&email2=&emailtype2=substring&emailreporter2=1&changedin=&chfieldfrom=&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&short_desc=&short_desc_type=substring&long_desc=&long_desc_type=substring&bug_file_loc=&bug_file_loc_type=substring&keywords=&keywords_type=anywords&op_sys_details=&op_sys_details_type=substring&version_details=&version_details_type=substring&cmdtype=doit&order=%27Importance%27&form_name=query">here</a>
+
+ Check our <a href="bugs.html">Bugs</a> that contains links to
+ easily add a bug report, or to query the existing bugs.
+
+<a name="goodbugreport"/>
+** How to make good bug reports
+
+ A mail from Paolo to mono-devel-list contained this check list:
+ <ol>
+ * Submit a test case, the smaller it is, the better
+
+ * Use <a href="http://bugzilla.ximian.com">
+ http://bugzilla.ximian.com</a> to report the bug.
+
+ <p>In <b>addition</b> to bugzilla, posting to the list is
+ fine if the bug merits larger exposure or design
+ discussions to solve; posting to the list twice or more
+ is just a way to annoy people and make them waste time,
+ specially when you start a new thread about it.
+
+ * If the test involves libraries or assemblies that are
+ not part of mono, add info about where to download all
+ the dependencies, and how to compile/install them.
+
+ * If compiling the test case requires more than:
+ <pre> mcs test.cs </pre>
+ provide the <b>full command line</b> you used to compile
+ the test.
+
+ * If running the test requires more than:
+ <pre> mono test.exe </pre>
+ provide the <b>full command line</b> needed to replicate
+ the bug.
+
+ * Provide info about the version of the software you're
+ using (both mono and the operating system or relevant
+ libraries).
+
+ * Provide the output you expect the test case to produce.
+
+ * Provide the actual output <b>you</b> get from the test case.
+ </ol>
+
+ A good bug report complies with at least 6 items from the list.
+ If your bug report complies with 3 or less items, it is very
+ poor and it means it will take much more time to fix (when it's
+ not ignored).
+
** Small tasks
A few smaller tasks are here, dropped in no particular order:
<ul>
- * <b>MCS compilation process:</b> Currently MCS does
- not build with a single `make' command. This should
- be fixed (this being part of the `Joel Test' that
- software has to pass).
-
* <b>Mono/doc and web site:</b> They need to be
packaged up in the official `distribution'
+
+ * Adding serialization support to all the classes.
+
+ We have many classes, but we have not implemented in
+ many cases the serialization and re-incarnation support in
+ them (this is pretty straight forward code, and simple,
+ but there is a lot to be done here).
+ </ul>
+
+* Emacs support
+
+ Brad Merryl's C# mode for Emacs is available: <a
+ href="http://www.cybercom.net/~zbrad/DotNet/Emacs/">http://www.cybercom.net/~zbrad/DotNet/Emacs/</a>
+
+* Books on C# and DotNet.
+
+ <ul>
+ * Dotnet Books (<a href="http://www.dotnetbooks.com">http://www.dotnetbooks.com</a>)
+
+ * Dotnet Resources (<a href="http://www.dotnetexperts.com/resources/">
+ http://www.dotnetexperts.com/resources</a>)
+
+ * O'Reilly C# Essentials (<a href="http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/csharpess/">
+ http://www.oreally.com/catalog/csharpess</a>)
+
+ * O'Really .NET Essentials (<a href="http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/dotnetfrmess/">
+ http://www.oreally.com/catalog/dotnetfrmess</a>)
</ul>
-* Special note
+<a name="setup">
+* Common Setups
+
+ People running both Linux and Windows while contributing to
+ Mono use a number of tricks to increase their productivity.
+
+ Scenarios:
+
+ <ul>
+ * <b>Linux host and Windows host</b>
+
+ The Windows file system is shared (right click on
+ your hard drive icon, and select sharing, allow this
+ to be shared).
+
+ The Windows machine has the required build tools
+ (cygwin, and the .NET framework). On the Windows
+ machine, you want to setup the ssh server (run the
+ ssh-host-config program to configure your ssh) and
+ run it (from a cygwin terminal, type: /usr/sbin/sshd).
+
+ From the Linux side, you want to mount the Windows
+ file system, using something like this:
+
+<tt><pre>
+ mount -t smbfs -o uid=miguel,username="Miguel de Icaza" "//quack/c$" /mnt
+</pre></tt>
+
+ In the above example, my Linux user name is
+ `miguel', and this will allow this user to have
+ read/write access to the share.
+
+ The host name is `quack', and the name of the share
+ is `c$' (that is the C: partition).
+
+ The file system is accessible on /mnt.
+
+ You can perform your cvs update and cvs commits from
+ the /mnt directory, and run Emacs or your favorite
+ Linux text editor on the Unix side in this way.
+
+ Then from another terminal, you can ssh into your
+ Windows box using ssh, like this: ssh "Miguel de Icaza@quack"
+ </ul>
+
+* Special Note
If you have looked at Microsoft's implementation of .NET or
- their shared source code, you will not be able to contribute
- to Mono.
+ their shared source code, you may not be able to contribute
+ to Mono. Details will follow when we know more about this.
+
+ In general be careful when you are implementing free software
+ and you have access to proprietary code. We need to make sure
+ that we are not using someone else's copyrighted code
+ accidentally.
+
+ Please do not use the <b>ildasm</b> program to disassemble
+ proprietary code when you are planning to reimplement a class
+ for Mono. If you have done this, we might not be able to use
+ your code.
- Please, follow care when reading proprietary code.
\ No newline at end of file
+ Please stick to published documentation for implementing any
+ classes.
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