From: Rajinder Yadav <devguy.ca@...>
Date: 2010-10-16T11:04:37+09:00
Subject: Re: Helping with Ruby, where to start?

On 10-10-13 04:41 PM, Jeremy Bopp wrote:
> On 10/13/2010 3:29 PM, Rajinder Yadav wrote:
>> thanks for your assistance. I got the source off the trunk and built
>> Ruby, I guess I'll start off by getting familiar with the source code
>> and layout of the project. I did a quick browse of the bug database
>> and have a better idea where to look.
>
> No problem.  This is how you get started with pretty much any open
> source project.
>
>> I guess my first step is to read the README and compile a C module I
>> can call from Ruby to get use to the build tool. I don't have a Linux
>> background, but at home I use it exclusively from Ruby and Rails.
>
> Compiling a C module is not a bad idea, but there should be great deal
> to do within the Ruby interpreter itself.  Since you say you don't have
> a Linux background, is it safe to assume you primarily use Windows?  If
> so, you could help the RubyInstaller project:
>
> http://www.rubyinstaller.org/
>
> There is a big Contribute link on the upper right of that page with
> great details for helping out the project that makes it easy to install
> Ruby on Windows.
>
> There are also defects in the Ruby interpreter that primarily affect
> Windows builds, so you could focus on those as well.
>
>> I'll push myself to find a easy bug to reproduce and fix just to get
>> use to the process of going through the motions.
>
> That's the best way.  Find an itch and scratch it. ;-)
>
> -Jeremy
>

Yes I am a Windows developer, but at home I am exclusively using Linux, 
started doing this a year ago just to get better with Linux and than I 
discovered Ruby and Rails and I was hooked =)

So I'm more interested in helping out an open source project running on 
Linux in the RoR community. I'm thinking I might find a gem project that 
I find useful where I could lend a hand, a project that's not sexy and 
in need of extra help or maintainers.

I guess my first step would be to write a simple "hello world" gem 
plugin myself, understand the process. However I also just need to 
develop a habit of doing something I don't know how to do, rather than 
spending my time preparing!

--
Kind Regards,
Rajinder Yadav