Name: Steven Walter
Email: stevenrwalter@gmail.com
IM: stevenrwalter@gmail.com
I am a senior at the University of Kentucky, with two semesters until graduation. I'm majoring in Computer Science, and have been interested in open source software and Linux in particular for several years. I have used Gentoo as my primary distribution for over two years, and would like to give something back to the project.
As far as hardware support and software integration goes, it has been my experience that wi-fi is the area most in need of polish. To me, the NetworkManager project is a very exciting one, as it promises to provide solutions to many aspects of this complex issue in a vendor-neutral way. I would like to see that Gentoo benefits from this innovative software to the fullest extent possible.
In so far as programming skills go, my main proficiencies are in C, GObject-based C, Python, and Perl. I have contributed to several open source projects in the past, including gtk2-perl, the Perl bindings for GTK+, and Gentoo itself, generally in the form of bug reports and potential patches. Additionally, I have a working knowledge of HTML and Javascript, but would definitely describe myself more as code-monkey than graphics designer.
I am committed to dedicating 10 to 15 hours/week to this project, if accepted. With this time, I hope to:
* Rework the backend to work sanely in a more gentoo-esque way
* Fix any deficiencies with the ebuild to meet gentoo style and quality guidelines
* Get the required versions of packages included into portage
In my opinion, I am uniquely suited to complete this project because of my in-depth knowledge of and experience with C and Gentoo, as well as my passion for the Gentoo project, and indeed to further the success of Linux as a desktop platform for everyday users. Thank you for considering my application.