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Some of the questions might seem quite intimidating at first. But don't
despair. Most certainly you won't be able to answer all of them right away --
this is intentional. The goal is *not* to prove that you already know
everything. Rather, we want to see that you are willing to do your howework: To
do some actual research to find the necessary answers.

Most likely you won't be able to get all answers without contacting us
directly. (On [[IRC]] or using [[mailing_lists]].) This is intentional as well.
We want to see that you are able and willing to communicate with us, to get the
information you need. This is also a chance for us to get to know you a bit :-)

Also keep in mind that you do not need to give perfect answers when you first
hand in your application. The application process allows us to give feedback;
to request further input on anything that we need.

With these explanations, we hope the questions don't look so scary anymore :-)

**Note:** The application Form is [limited to 7500
characters](http://code.google.com/opensource/gsoc/2008/faqs.html#0.1_student_app).
This is not much. You will need to put some of your information on an external
server, and link to that.

* Please describe the task of the project you want to work on, in your own
words. Be as specific as possible. It's not sufficient to rephrase the
description from the project ideas page; show us that you actually understand
what this task involves! Read the available documentation (and possibly code)
if necessary. And don't hesitate to ask us if you have questions :-)

* Give a preliminary schedule for your work. The exact dates will obviously be
only guesses; but try to be specific about all the individual steps you will
have to do to complete the task.

* What things will you have to learn to be able to complete the project? What
do you already know?

* Why did you choose this project idea? What do you consider most appealing
about it?

* Please describe your previous programming experience in detail. What
languages do you use? How long have you been programming, and how much? What
kind of programs have you written? What kind of programming (and related) work
are you enjoying most?

* Have you been involved in any free software ("Open Source") projects yet?
Which projects, how long, and in what way have you been involved?

* Please try to describe your understanding of how a free software project
works, how people interact in the community. Include anything specific you know
about the Hurd project. How do you imagine your interaction with the community
during GSoC?

* Have you been active in the Hurd project/Hurd community before? In what way?

* Are you running or have you run a Hurd system yet? What did you do with it?
How was your experience?

* Have you ever compiled parts of the Hurd -- including the Hurd
servers/libraries, glibc, gnumach, or some standalone traslator? Which ones,
and how? Please go into details.

* Please briefly describe the Hurd, including the goals, architecture etc.

* What makes you interested in the Hurd? Why do you want to work on it? What is
your vision of it's future development?

* Are you subscribed to bug-hurd@gnu.org, or other Hurd-related mailing lists?
Do you have general experience with mailing list communication?

* Are you using the #hurd IRC channel on freenode? Are you familiar with IRC in
general? Do you have a permanent internet connection, and/or access to one
during the summer?

* In what time zone do you live? Would you be able and willing to shift your
day/night rhythm to better match that of other Hurd developers, if necessary?

* When are the exams and vacations at your University?

* How much time do you intend to spend on your GSoC project per day/week during
the summer months? What other major activities will you engage in during the
summer? (Moving apartments, longer vacations, other obligations, etc.) If any,
how do you intend to make sure you will be able to dedicate sufficient time to
your project nevertheless?