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Foundation, Inc."]]

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[[!meta title="Google Summer of Code"]]

We're in!  The GNU Hurd project is again participating in the [Google Summer of
Code](http://www.google-melange.com/) under the [GNU
umbrella](http://www.gnu.org/software/soc-projects/).

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This year's *student application period* is over.  Thanks for sending in your
applications!  We're now reviewing and discussing these, so please pay
attention to any questions posted on your proposal's page.  The Google site's
notification system should be sending out emails, too.

As we only have finite resources (meaning that we won't be able to accept all
GNU Hurd applications even if we wanted to), we will eventually need to make a
choice about whom to select.  For this, it is a very good idea to be in contact
with us, be it by answering the evaluators' questions on your proposal's page,
or by talking to us on the [[mailing_lists]] or on [[IRC]].  At this time, it
is important for us to get a good impression about the seriousness you're
showing with your application.

It is a good idea to get familiar with the GNU Hurd, by reading some of our
[[documentation]], and by using a GNU/Hurd system.  It is also a good idea to
send in some basic patches (this has already been mentioned in our
[[student_application_form]]), or discuss with us the principal steps you're
planning on doing in your intended work area.  Of course, we don't expect you
to already start working seriously on your project, but any input you're giving
us will make it easier for us to justify selectiong your specific proposal.  At
this time, it is not quantity that matters, and it also is not *the perfect
patch* we're waiting for, but it is rather that we see how you're generally
able to work with the code.

If you have any questions, don't be shy: please ask!  Nobody expects you to
know everything.  Even for the long-term Hurd contributors it is common to
openly post messages to [[mailing_lists/bug-hurd]] saying: *Hey, I don't know
how to do `X`, can someone please help me?*  And, as we're not working next to
each other in a conventional office or university setup, we'll need to
establish and get used to different communication channels.

[Timeline](http://www.google-melange.com/gsoc/events/google/gsoc2011).  As
boring as it is, but the next step is waiting: we will have to wait for Google
to announce the number of slots that the whole GNU project gets, and we'll be
discussing with our GNU peers about how to split these up among all the GNU
subprojects.

-->


# Applying for a Task

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Applications for 2011 are closed.

-->

We have a list of [[project_ideas]], and students are likewise encouraged to
submit their own project proposals.  Please follow our
[[student_application_form]].

Then, don't forget to visit <http://www.google-melange.com/>, and press the
button for submitting your proposal.

Please read up about [[contributing]] in general, and please ask any questions
you might have, on the [[mailing_lists]], or on [[IRC]], for example at one of
our [[regular_IRC_meetings|IRC#regular_meetings]].  Generally it's a good idea
to [[get in contact with us|contact_us]] as soon as you're beginning to spend
time on a project.


## Outside of the GSoC Scope

Working on one of these projects is generally a good opportunity to get started
with Hurd development, even outside of the GSoC context.  Please don't hesitate
to contact us regarding mentoring even if it's not GSoC time at the moment, or
if you aren't a student anyway.


# History

In 2006 and [[2007]], we participated in GSoC under the umbrella of the GNU
project, getting one slot each year.  In the following year, we successfully
participated on our own, instead of as a suborganization of the GNU project.
Read about our five students' success on the [[2008]] page.  The next two year,
we participated under the GNU umbrella with one slot in [[2009]], three in
[[2010]], and one again in [[2011]].