Web page with list of wanted maintainers/developers/others

[marmarek]

For start:

• stable release maintainer (may be related to some paid support?)
• Debian template maintainer
• community manager?
• one more core developer

cc @mfc @bnvk

[bnvk]

This is a great idea, will think about this and the best place / approach to do on the site!

[mfc]

do you want to paste the position descriptions into this ticket?

I feel like it should be separate page ("Contribute"?), maybe also highlight discrete tasks that an interested community member could pick up (like the current exploration in KDE5 integration happening in qubes-devel).

[marmarek]

I must have missed your comment...

Debian template maintainer

Some related issues:
https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22C%3A+Debian%22

Not all included here, because I lack time to properly tag all the
issues... (see "community manager").

Generally tasks in this role would be:

• working on proper packaging of Qubes-specific components for Debian
  Missing python-gtk2 dependency in core-agent-linux #1567
  Split qubes-utils Debian package, resolve lintian warnings #1416
• debugging Debian specific issues (Debian template configuration,
  Qubes-specific code)
  "qubes-change-keyboard-layout" fails in Debian template (Fedora is working) #1514
  Debian template: Agent admitted failure to sign using the key #1438
• testing, handling users feedback

Stable release manager

Tasks here would be:

• deciding what would be fixed in stable release, and what only in new major release
• backporting fixes to stable release (and requesting core dev input when it isn't trivial)
• releasing packages for stable release (deciding when the package should be released to "current-testing" repository, when should be moved to "current")

Community manager

Tasks in this role:

• handling user feedback (sorting for bugs, feature requests,
  tagging issues on github, etc)
• asking for details for bug reports (logs etc), pointing existing
  reports, discussions (de-duplicating reports)
• tracking community developed features; tracking here means keeping
  information:
  • what feature
  • who is working on it
  • current state ("PoC", "work in progress", "almost stable" etc)
  • last status update date
  • links to relevant threads, patches (latest version) etc
• helping community in contribution:
  • pointing the right documentation, mailing list threads etc
  • when necessary, asking core devs for input, explanation of some
    mechanism (for example when documentation is missing...)
  • collecting such information and organising documentation for
    contributors
• (optional) handling small fixes (both documentation and code)

Some of those are already handled by @axon-qubes (thanks!).

Example of tasks for tracking:
#1527
#1512
#531
#474

Core developer (somehow obsolete, but pasting anyway)

Tasks here:

• actual debugging issues (output from "community manager")
• writing new features
• writing tests
• writing developer documentation (API, etc) - providing input for
  community contributors when requested

Skills required here:

• python
• shell scripting
• system configuration (basic services, startup scripts etc)
• git, make (obviously)
• (optional) networking, firewalling
• (optional) X11 protocol (raw)
• (optional) GUI frameworks (Gtk, Qt)
• (optional) kernel and/or hypervisor debugging skills
• (optional) low level stuff (UEFI, PCI communication,
  including IOMMU, networking down to ethernet layer, Xen
  backend/frontend interfaces)
• (optional) libvirt internals
• (optional) salt stack
• (optional) advanced desktop environment configuration, including
  writing plugins (KDE, Gnome)

The more "optional" the better :)

Example features for implementation:

• smaller:
  Qubes VM Manager - Restart button and multi-select #1499
  Backup: Option to automatically verify backup file upon creation #1454
  qubes-manager: "reset to defaults" option #1363
  Qubes Manager: Make it more difficult to delete VMs #1329
  Standard fsck isn't run on VM startup #979
• bigger:
  Voluntary window switching inside VM #1455
  Make libvirt notice network device disconnection when backend domain is shut down #1426
  Improve qvm-backup key derivation/management #971
  Centralized Tray Notifications #889
  Support for multiple DispVMs #866
  logvm(s) #830

[mfc]

can we remove community manager from the list? and push the rest to the website?

[adrelanos]

When will this page go online?

Do you mind me writing a small blog entry about it at Whonix blog in my own words? Draft:

---

The Qubes OS has several open IT positions.

Degrees, papers, past presentations, reputation, and so forth are great, build trust, but not a requirement. A hardcopy of "50" pages with various formalities is not required. In my view, as for the Debian template maintainer and core developer, a good way to get a position in a Libre Software project is to start as a volunteer working on open tasks. Be helpful. Relieve more work from existing developers than adding to their plate. This is the most convincing thing you can do.

[mfc]

Do you mind me writing a small blog entry about it at Whonix blog in my own words?

that would be really great!

Draft:

I'm not sure why you are highlighting things not in the position postings. Alternative draft:

---

The Qubes OS team is looking for several additional team members:

• Debian template manager
• stable release manager
• core developer

You can read more in their posting. From my experience working with the Qubes OS team, they are {how ever it is been working with the Qubes OS team for you}.

In my view, the Debian template maintainer and core developer positions are good ways to get a position in a Libre Software project, by starting as a volunteer working on open tasks. Be helpful. Relieve more work from existing developers than adding to their plate. This is the most convincing thing you can do.

[andrewdavidwong]

@adrelanos:

When will this page go online?

It's online now: https://www.qubes-os.org/join/

However, it's not currently linked from anywhere else on the site. Since that entails style changes, I'm leaving it to @bnvk

[mfc]

FYI we should probably add a position for Qubes Live USB maintainer

[andrewdavidwong]

What are the requirements, etc. for that position, @marmarek?

[mfc]

also GNOME desktop environment implementer

[adrelanos]

https://www.whonix.org/blog/the-qubes-os-team-is-looking-for-several-additional-team-members

[marmarek]

FYI we should probably add a position for Qubes Live USB maintainer
What are the requirements, etc. for that position, @marmarek?

Shell, python, bootloaders (grub2, isolinux), initrd creation (dracut), kickstart (automated installation, basics are enough). And general understanding of Qubes OS ;)

also GNOME desktop environment implementer

Yes!
And here skill set is easily defined: GNOME, GTK and whatever is needed to customize GNOME.
Tasks:

• custom window decorations (colorful frames)
• configuration for Qubes OS dom0 - disable unneeded stuff like file manager, configure menu to ease navigation through multiple VMs - similar to what is configured in KDE

Some status and problems to solve: #1806

https://www.whonix.org/blog/the-qubes-os-team-is-looking-for-several-additional-team-members

Thanks!

[andrewdavidwong]

I've added the two positions. Questions:

• Who should applicants contact regarding these positions?
• Do we want to advertise these positions (e.g., announce on qubes-users, post on Twitter, Facebook, etc.)?

[mfc]

Who should applicants contact regarding these positions?

I would say have them email @marmarek? or else email their interest to qubes-devel@?

can we get the links to be links, have the right-side ToC for the listed positions, etc? not especially in a shape to share.

[andrewdavidwong]

can we get the links to be links,

That's being tracked here: #1932

have the right-side ToC for the listed positions, etc?

I think that's because it's not a Doc page. @bnvk?

not especially in a shape to share.

[andrewdavidwong]

I would say have them email @marmarek? or else email their interest to qubes-devel@?

I thought of having a [email protected] address that forwards mail to the core team, but upon reflection, I think the cons outweigh the pros:

Pros:

• More people available to respond, so less likelihood of important emails being ignored
• No manual forwarding required to get the right person
• No manual CCing required to keep people in the loop

Cons:

• One more email address to worry about
• People might not send email to this address in the right circumstances
• Race conditions
• Bystander effects
• Subtly discourages the use of PGP (or increases the complexity of using it)

[andrewdavidwong]

Ok, I've fixed/implemented everything. @marmarek, @mfc: Is there anything else to be done, or can we close this now?

[mfc]

awesome! really appreciated. I think the top grey box in the ToC needs something ("Roles"?), otherwise good to go and can be closed.

[andrewdavidwong]

Well, that's an artifact of using the doc layout for a non-doc page. You wanted the auto-ToC, and the way to get it was by setting this page to use the doc layout. But it's not actually a doc page, so it has no doc section. I'm not sure if there's a way to manually define one. @bnvk would know.

[mfc]

do we want to close this or keep this open to track future additions to this page?

for instance, should we remove debian template maintainer now that unman is listed as debian template maintainer on the team page?

also I would like to include on the Join page (or on the Contribute page) more language on ways to contribute that are not joining the team, highlighting different topics that may be of interest to contributors and letting them know about our tagging on github (rather than just pointing them to the issue tracker.

For example:

• help wanted
• UX and usability
• Windows tools
• Documentation
• privacy
• Debian

[adrelanos]

I think generally it's better to close tickets where work was done and
other work remains todo and to create new tickets for remaining /
follow-up work. That helps someone wanting to work on tickets to easily
grasp what is to do and not needing to reread the full ticket to figure
out what actually is todo.

[andrewdavidwong]

do we want to close this or keep this open to track future additions to this page?

I was under the impression that the only reason this ticket was still open was due to the web page formatting issue described in your comment here: #1700 (comment)

I agree with @adrelanos about the general ticket workflow.

for instance, should we remove debian template maintainer now that unman is listed as debian template maintainer on the team page?

Yes. Removed.

also I would like to include on the Join page (or on the Contribute page) more language on ways to contribute that are not joining the team [...]

You should submit a PR for this. If a ticket is also necessary, we should have a new ticket devoted to this.

[mfc]

do we want to close this or keep this open to track future additions to this page?

I was under the impression that the only reason this ticket was still open was due to the web page formatting issue described in your comment here: #1700 (comment)

that's super minor, let's close this. I'll do PRs for the Contribute page & Join page so that they are linked and have updated language. thanks all!