French summer of code contest - libre summer of code - fossa2011

Training Tomorrow's Engineersby Contributing to Today's Free Software

Albert Cohen

October 26, 2011

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Outline

Two experiences with complementary objectives

1 A freshman course on computing systems based on AndroidRunning for 4 years as INF422 at École Polytechnique CS/CE10x

http://www.enseignement.polytechnique.fr/informatique/INF422

→ Looking for partners to improve the concept and the tools

2 Preliminary initiative for a �Libre Semester of Code� (`SoC )In the starting blocks at IRILL CS/CE49x

→ The topic of this talk

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http://www.enseignement.polytechnique.fr/informatique/INF422

Google Summer of Code (GSoC)

Huge success, for students and for projects

Since 2005

$5000 stipend from Google

More than 4500 students and 3000 mentors from 100 countries

Diverse projects: recent developments, . . . , core FSF projects like gcc

code research testing document

outreach training translation user interface

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Google Summer of Code (GSoC)

FLOSS projectStudent

Mentor fromthe project

Interest fromsomeoneat Google

Three-way matchmaking

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Libre Semester of Code (`SoC)

FLOSS projectStudent

Mentor fromthe project

Universitywith labeledcurriculum

Interest froma sponsoringcompany

Four-way matchmaking

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CS/CE Students Contributing to FLOSS projects

FLOSS projects draft the subjects

Describe tasks of the `SoC project

Identify mentors (from the project)

Two o�erings (non-exclusive)

Be confronted to collaborative development practices

Integrate into the curriculum

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1 Full-time scheme: summer or spring internshipI Similar to GSoCI Over a 3 months periodI Required for projects needing special technical skills or experience

2 Part-time scheme: substitution for a courseI Over a 4 to 5 months period, less than 15h per weekI Needs a realistic assessment of the e�ort (about half of an internship)



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Patch preparation, documentation, testing

Distributed and remote work

Experience of a large code base

Experience of a development project's culture

Peer review


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Validate ECTS credits (e.g., 24 or 12 depending on the scheme)

Explicit the knowledge and competences acquired

Comply with internship requirements and regulations

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The Student's Perspective

Implementation

Guidelines established by the `SoC ; lightweight curriculum labeling

Customization possible

Involvement of professors from the University/School

Start small: a few Master programs in France

On-the-�y matchmaking scenario

1 Students apply and are selected locally

2 Selected applications are directly proposed to the mentors

3 The `SoC validates the applications

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The Project's Perspective

De�nition of the `SoC project

Which prerequisites?

Who is helping, mentoring, tutoring?

A lonesome geek in the basement for 3 months?

Implementation and publicity

Identi�cation of the mentor

Submission of the `SoC project on a dedicated portal

Coordination between the mentor and the sponsor to select the applications

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The Sponsor's Perspective

Motivations

Companies interested in fostering R&D activity in FLOSS projects

Mutualization of development e�orts

Way to detect talents

Way to establish closer links with a project's community

Not directly drafting the subject!

Implementation

Guidelines established with the `SoC ; informal agreement

Compatibility with local employment regulation

Guidelines for the �nancial support

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The University's Perspective

Implementation

Communicate the university's expectations regarding the assessment of thedi�culties, risks of failure and evaluation

Involvement of the professors: selecting the local students, monitoring theinternships

Leverage local initiatives

Learn from and adapt to the local practices and experience

O�er more exposure and support

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From the GSoC to the `SoC

GSoC is �ne: no need to competeIndependent, non-pro�t organization preferable

Curriculum integration

Representativity of the selected FLOSS projects

Compatibility with internship or course requirements

Legal aspects regarding �nancial retribution

Many projects and companies deserve to be in touch with the best students

Diversity of the FLOSS development and education initiatives is always good

Research potential on the SoC model itself

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Potpourri of Di�culties

Feasibility of the part-time scheme?

Custom arrangement with every university?

Grading issues: characterize risk of failure independently of the student's skills

How to de�ne success criteria with the sponsor?

Promote the student's contributions, community recognition

French labor law for internships

Legal implementation may depend on the origin of the funds

Encourage professor's involvement in the drafting, tutoring or evaluation?

Next step European implementation: grow within EIT ICT Labs?

GSoC students are highly skilled; what to expect from more novicecontributors?

Schools who make money through internships (indirectly, �taxed'apprentissage�) may see the `SoC as a �nancial loss

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How to move on?

Support

Initiative supported by IRILL and System@tic cluster's �GTLL� (specialinterest group on FLOSS)

Former GSoC students and mentors interested in participating to the �rstexperiment

Need coordination with project-led initiatives (e.g., Mozilla drumbeat)

Need help from would-be mentors, professors and sponsors!

Questions

In which time frame?

With which information system?

Financial involvment of academic partners?

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Q & A

Thank youQuestions?

Contact

Albert Cohen: http://www-rocq.inria.fr/~acohenemail: mailto:[email protected]

Olivier Berger: http://identi.ca/obergeremail: mailto:[email protected]: http://www-public.it-sudparis.eu/~berger_o/weblog

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http://www-rocq.inria.fr/~acohen

mailto:[email protected]

http://identi.ca/oberger

mailto:[email protected]

http://www-public.it-sudparis.eu/~berger_o/weblog

French summer of code contest - libre summer of code - fossa2011

Education

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