From: gabriele renzi <rff_rff@...>
Date: 2005-02-04T20:05:38+09:00
Subject: Re: lack of reaction to latest ruby implementations

yakumo9275@gmail.com ha scritto:
> Id be way more interested in YARV if it wasnt so convoluted
> to do. I have to download yarv (a given!), get a patch to
> the ruby CVS... then get ruby from cvs. patch ruby. try and build.
> 
> i would rather have a tarball i could just download where its all
> done.. then I have to try and not clobber any of my existing ruby
> install (an easy given).
> 
> i usually break things when I try applying patches.


write yourself a simple script to automate the task, and just have a 
little care to configure the ruby build with something like 
--program-suffix=19forYARVexperimentation

> but then what? where from there? what next? how do I give feedback? how
> do I help?   I think YARV is a very important next step for ruby, but
> what needs to be done to leap the chasm of just compiling it to being
> helpful and providing back?
> 


I agree on this, and I think it is also valid for ruby2c, rubydium and 
maybe ruby itself (but you have the ruby hacker's guide, there).

My 2c:
a great example of how to handle the newbie-developer-barrier is the 
Kernel Janitor project for linux (and IIRC there is something similar in 
freebsd-land).
Provide some tiny goals for newbie developers which are simple enough to 
be done for them and that basically annoy you :)
I.e. fix some of the thousand warnings that ruby and yarv spit out when 
compiled with various warning flags.

This allows to get a feeling on the internals, produces a useful result, 
and lowers the gap beetween "user" and "developer".