[SOLVED] Community involvement?

This is probably too soon post since I just started learning Linux seriously this week. What kind of help is needed in the community? It would give me some goals to shoot for along side my Networking/Security degree. One of the things I eventually want to get into is programming. I understand Kali Linux is the "offensive security" distro, but I would be interested in knowing if these things are possible with Slackware. If they are, I would love to know where to start in terms of involvement. If there is anything I can do to help, let me know. Even if it's donations, since I can't program yet.

The main things I want to know are:

1.) What forms of involvement are there?
2.) Languages in demand?
3.) Ways of giving back?

This is all pretty new to me, so this may be an awkward post for most slackers. I'll figure it out sooner or later. But any kind of is welcome. Thanks!

Speaking strictly as a user, off the top of my head, two ideas come to me: contributing to documentation and creating/maintaining Slackbuilds.

As an aside, I used to write training materials and user manuals (as well as teach training courses). There is no better way to learn about something than explaining it to others clearly, concisely, and coherently, because, in order to explain it cogently, you have to first comprehend it thoroughly.

A great way to help Slackware is by testing -current, filing bug reports, and (best yet) coming up with fixes. This involves characterizing the bug, studying the source code, and possibly testing a fix. Bug reports are most useful when they are specific.

You will need to distinguish between bugs in the upstream code and bugs in Slackware's implementation. Pat controls the latter but can patch or revert the former.
Ed

If there is a Slackbuild that is unmaintained or isn't available of a program you use, you could decide to maintain it for everyone
https://slackbuilds.org/guidelines/

I understand Kali Linux is the "offensive security" distro, but I would be interested in knowing if these things are possible with Slackware.

You can take small steps in using some of the software featured in kali, using Slackware .For instance you can get crunch from slackbuilds https://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.2/system/crunch/

Its software for generating custom wordlists that are used in "white hat" pentesting.

Basically generated word lists are lines of possible passwords in a text file; that text file can be fed into pentesting web scanners and it goes through every line of the wordlist to see if its a password

You can also get metasploit https://slackbuilds.org/repository/1...ork/metasploit


Regarding community help a bit of an off wall one would be something like 3rd world send some computers, at that location have slackware installed onto PC's distribute or use to help introduce slackware where it is probably not represented. It was something i was going to have a stab at in Ghana. Then Corvid19 came along, wife was seriously ill for a while etc

Originally Posted by ul7 The main things I want to know are: 1.) What forms of involvement are there? 2.) Languages in demand? 3.) Ways of giving back?

1. This forum itself is a way of giving back. As you learn more, you will be able to help others. Keep an eye on the newbie forum in particular. If you know the answer to a question or know how to find it, wade in.

2. Reporting bugs is useful. If you're really lucky, you'll get a response from a maintainer who will guide you through a series of tests to pinpoint the problem. I recently updated hwinfo and it suddenly started crashing. After some guided testing on a cloned git tree, I was informed that I'd unearthed a long-standing bug in a piece of assembler code, which just happened to surface on my machine.

3. Documentation. One of my favorite jobs is translating "English as she is spoken" into proper English. You'd be surprised how many foreign programmers (try to) write their own English documentation. If you speak a foreign language like a native, you can translate the other way.

4. Financial support. Particularly useful in Slackware. People here can point you to donation sites

Simplest way is using -current, reporting bugs on this forum, and trying to fix them yourself

Solid!! Thanks everyone!

You postings are contributing in them selves.