At DeepRoot Linux we have a nine-year-old tradition of working on Free Software projects with students. We feel that this is one way that we can contribute towards building Free Software and GNU/Linux skills and developing software that can be contributed back. Althought not all such projects we have initiated in the past have been successful, we are still trying to do the best we can to meet these goals.

We are trying to change the way we engage with students so that we can provide maximum value to them as well as the users for whom we are all trying to develop better solutions.

We hope that these projects will motivate students to be involved with Free Software and GNU/Linux earlier in their student lives. We hope developing Free Software and contributing to Free Software projects will hold a lot more aspirational value in future.

To know more, see http://projects.deeproot.in

Applying to work with us on a project

Prerequisite Skills

• Being able to use GNU/Linux as a desktop operating system
• Some programming or system admin experience on GNU/Linux and using Free Software
• Being able to work independently
• Ability to use the Internet as a learning tool
• Some level of committment to the Free Software Movement

Process of applying for a project

• Undergo a technical test to verify that you have the requisite technical skills.
• If not, then start by attending a training program instead of working on the project straight away.

Training program for students wishing to do a project with us

A lot of times we are approached by enthusiastic students who want to work on projects with us, but lack the requisite technical skills to be able to start off immediately. Before you actually get started with the project, we would like to ensure that you have the right knowledge and skills with regards to the tools and technologies that are to be used during the course of the project. Lack of these requisite skills sometimes forces many students to drop out of project mid-way because they are not able to cope up with learning on their own.

Our solution here is to offer you a full-fledged training program. This training program is designed to impart the necessary technical skills before you start with your project. It will also ensure that the time and effort of the people who will mentor you does not go in vain.

Having a training program also helps solve another problem - that of being fully committed to doing a project and not leaving it mid-way. To avoid such problems we are instituting a test that students will have to undergo to find out how much they have been able to grasp during the training session. Then, based on their performance, they will be assigned projects. In any case, the least that you will be able to take away from the whole experience is the training and practical knowledge and a corressponding certificate.

Licensing and Copyrights

All software written as a part of these student projects will be licensed under the GNU General Public License Version 3. Copyrights for the software will be owned by DeepRoot Linux. Credit will be given to the students who contribute to the project.