Gentoo Linux x86 Architecture Development

1.  Project Description

The Gentoo Linux/x86 Project works to keep Gentoo the most up to date and secure x86 distribution available. We are responsible for the maintainance of all x86 specific meta-data and the testing of all other non-x86 specific meta-data on the x86 architecture to ensure portability. Portability implies reuseable meta-data.

Bugs are tracked and resolved from the Gentoo bug tracker and correspondence is maintained over the x86 mail alias.

2.  Project Goals

The goal of the Gentoo Linux x86 Arhitecture Development project is to guarantee that the x86 packages build using Gentoo meta-data are up to date. By continuously enhancing the meta-data, we provide the x86 user with the Gentoo community feeling, performance, freedom and up-to-dateness that they expect and deserve. The meta-distribution notion allows for a user to to be as bleeding edge as he/she wants:

Gentoo is unique because of its interpretation of the Meta-Distribution notion: all architectures share the same 'generic' meta-data (information about how to build packages—how to build a distribution). The x86 developers are responsible for building and testing packages using this meta-data. The meta-data gets marked 'tested' or 'stable' afterwards, depending on the building and testing experience. Our users can use (but don't have to use) this information to build a system that suits their needs.

3.  Developers

All developers can be reached by e-mail using nickname@gentoo.org.

4.  Recruitment

We are currently looking for users interested in helping the project with the following jobs:

Arch Tester

Job description

Gentoo/x86 needs more people testing packages. See Arch Tester's FAQ for more information.

Requirements

Being able to test packages and give good bug reports if there are problems with anything. Running a stable x86 Gentoo system or chroot. No quiz is required to start.

Contact

x86@gentoo.org

Team member

Job description

Gentoo/x86 needs more people testing packages and updating x86 keywords (marking packages as tested or stable on x86).

Requirements

Good understanding of ebuilds and Gentoo policies, experience with testing packages and most common QA issues. Becoming an Arch Tester is a great start. Team members are Gentoo developers, so they are required to take ebuild quizzes.

Contact

x86@gentoo.org

5.  Subprojects

The Gentoo Linux/x86 project has the following subprojects:

6.  Herds

The Gentoo Linux/x86 project maintains the following herds:

7.  How to Participate

Can you make computers do amazing things? Are you excited about exploring areas of computing never explored before? We are continuously looking for volunteers willing to spend some of their free time on this project. In return for your work, you get the respect of the x86 community.

If you are interested in helping, but don't have a niche that you are interested in filling, you can always look through bugs.gentoo.org. There are many, many bugs waiting to be found and fixed and many enhancements looking to find someone to code them. Figure out a fix, implement it, test it, and then keep trying to make the patch smaller. Post it for review on bugs.gentoo.org, and keep working on it. If it seems ignored, make a new comment in the bug and/or mention it in #gentoo-x86.

8.  Documentation

• Arch Tester's FAQ
• Chroot Guide
• List of packages that can be marked stable by their maintainers