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OSD600 Winter 2010 Weekly Schedule

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** '''Comment''' in at least one other student's '''blog''' with your feedback to what they wrote. <b>Reminder: Comments have to be approved for them to be be shown on your blog. Check your blog settings.</b>
** Watch online lectures for this week about open source community, blog your reactions.
 
== Week 3 and 4 (Jan 25) - Managing and Building Large Source Trees ==
 
* Revision Control Systems (RCS)
** Introduction to RCS
** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concurrent_Versions_System cvs], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subversion_(software) svn], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercurial_(software) hg]
** Common concepts and tasks
*** Repository
*** Local Working Copy
*** RCS Changes (changesets) vs. Backups
*** Typical read-only activities: Checkout, Update, Log, Status
 
* Build Environments
** Finding and Installing build dependencies
*** Example: [https://wiki.mozilla.org/MozillaBuild Mozilla Build] for Windows
*** Using yum, MacPorts, etc.
** Operating systems, cross-platform builds
*** Virtualization - [http://www.virtualbox.org/ Virtual Box]
** Machine requirements
*** Fast I/O, lots of RAM (for linking)
** Tools
** Libraries
** Settings
*** Environment variables, PATHs
 
* Build Tools
** [http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf/ autoconf]
** [http://www.gnu.org/software/make/ make]
** Common open source approaches to automation (Python, Bash)
 
* '''Readings/Resources'''
** [[How the Build Works|How the Mozilla Build Works]] (on-line lecture) by Mozilla's J. Paul Reed
** [http://sparc.senecacollege.ca/pub/mozilla.lecture/mozilla-20073/1-Mozilla-build-system.avi Mozilla's Build System] (on-line lecture) by the owner of the Mozilla Build System, Ted Mielczarek
** [http://hgbook.red-bean.com/read/a-tour-of-mercurial-the-basics.html Introduction to Mercurial]. The [http://hgbook.red-bean.com/ full book] is excellent to read or use as a reference, but this section is a must.
** [http://vocamus.net/dave/?p=607 Great Introduction to GCC/G++] (Brian Gough's [http://www.network-theory.co.uk/docs/gccintro/ An Introduction to GCC for the GNU Compilers gcc and g++])
** [http://www.eng.hawaii.edu/Tutor/Make/ Introduction to Make and Makefiles]
 
* '''TODO'''
** '''Watch''' online lectures about the Mozilla build system.
** '''Read''' the material on Mercurial, GCC, and Make
** [http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Build_Documentation Build Firefox] (or [https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Developer_Guide/Source_Code/Getting_comm-central Thunderbird]) on at least one of Windows/Linux/OSX, and preferably two platforms. Blog about the experience:
*** What problems did you have?
*** What did you learn in the process?
*** What surprised you?
*** '''Note:''' Do not put build output in your blog. You can use your wiki pages for that. The blog should be commentary on the experience of building a large piece of open source software.
** '''Pick your project''' and '''complete''' your [[Winter 2010 OSD600 Initial Project Plan|Initial Project Plan]] due by Friday at midnight.
 
== Week 5 (Feb 8) - Navigating the Mozilla source tree ==
 
* Learning to be Lost Productively
** Adding to Mozilla is not like writing a program from scratch
** Leverage the existing code by reading, studying, and copying existing code and styles
* Mozilla Source Code structure and style
** [https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Mozilla_Coding_Style_Guide Mozilla Coding Style Guide]
** [http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Mozilla_Source_Code_Directory_Structure Mozilla directory structure]
** [https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Source_code_directories_overview Mozilla Source Code Directory Overview]
** [http://www.mozilla.org/hacking/portable-cpp.html Portability Rules for C++]
* Searching for Code
** http://mxr.mozilla.org
*** [http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/ Firefox Source code (trunk)]
*** [http://mxr.mozilla.org/comm-central/ Thunderbird, SeaMonkey Source (trunk)]
** [http://scotland.proximity.on.ca/dxr DXR] - a Seneca/Mozilla project to add more data to MXR.
* How to Make Changes
** building with ''client.mk,'' ''clobber'' builds, ''incremental builds''
** Working with Patches
*** [http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Creating_a_patch Creating a patch]
 
* '''Readings/Resources'''
** Reading: Chapter 11 (pages 379-397) of Diomidis Spinellis, ''Code Reading: The Open Source Perspective'', ISDN 0-201-79940-5 - [http://www.spinellis.gr/codereading/ information about the book] - [http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com/?uiCode=seneca&xmlId=0201799405 eBook version via Seneca Library and Safari]
 
* '''TODO'''
** Lab - [[Real World Mozilla Source Code Reading Lab|Source Code Reading Lab]]
** Lab - [[Working with Patches Lab|Working with patches]]
** Begin work on your project, based on your initial project plan.
** Review, and where appropriate, comment on blog postings by other students.
 
== Week 6 (Feb 15) – Bugs, Bugzilla, and Debugging ==
 
* What is a bug?
** Open vs. Closed Bug Tracking - [http://www.arcanology.com/2007/09/19/ie-and-the-demise-of-borgzilla/ discussion of Mozilla vs Microsoft/IE]
** BMO - https://bugzilla.mozilla.org
** Lighthouse - http://processing-js.lighthouseapp.com/projects/41284-processingjs/overview
** Searching for Bugs
** How to File a Bug
** Dupes, Depends, Blocks
** Following bugs through bugzilla
* Mozilla Bug Case Studies
** Adding animation support to the PNG format - For Firefox 3.0, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APNG animation support was added to PNG], and then Mozilla's image library. See the [http://littlesvr.ca/apng/ project page] and [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=257197 bug 257197].
** Plug-in Watcher - Give the browser (and extension developers) a way to monitor the CPU load for a plugin (e.g., Flash playing a movie). This feature shipped in Firefox 3.0. See the [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Plugin-watcher project page] and [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=412770 bug 412770].
** Adding GPS Support to Fennec on Windows CE - Mozilla was interested in getting GPS support added to the Windows CE platform for Fennec. This project added it, and it will ship as part of the first Fennec release. See the [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Add_GPS_Support_for_Windows_Mobile project page], [http://www.ndaversa.com/2009/04/21/10-release-update/ blog], [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=477557 bug 477557], and [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=482613 bug 482613].
** Mercurial Web Improvements - Mozilla's HG Web interface is written in Python, JavaScript, and jQuery. A number of enhancements where requested for Mozilla's needs. This project added this, fixing nine issues in all. See the [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Mercurial_history_browsing project page], [http://blog.sidkalra.com/ student blog], and bugs [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=459727 459727], [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=445560 445560], [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=448707 448707], [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=468089 468089], [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=459823 459823], [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=471321 471321], [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=453162 453162], [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=486939 486939].
* Debugging Tools and Techniques
** C++ with VS.NET and gdb
** JS with Venkman and Firebug
** DOMi
** Error Console
** Lab - [[Dive into Mozilla Debugging Mozilla Lab|Debugging Mozilla]]
 
* '''Readings/Resources'''
** [http://vimeo.com/9205730 Bugzilla for Humans] (on-line talk and demo) by Mozilla's Johnathan Nightingale
** [[The Life-cycle of a Bug]] (on-line lecture) by Mozilla's Mike Connor
** [http://belmont.senecac.on.ca/pub/mozilla.lecture/lecture/mozilla-20073/vlad-debugging-seneca.avi Strategies for Debugging Mozilla] (on-line lecture) by Mozilla's Vladimir Vukićević
** [http://www.toolness.com/wp/?p=25 Account of fixing a first bug, by Mozilla's Atul Varma]
 
* '''TODO'''
** Create a [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org bugzilla] account
** Find 3+ bugs related to your project, and add them to your project wiki page
** CC yourself on two bugs that relate to your project
** Watch a user in bugzilla for the week and blog about the experience (e.g., ted, mfinkle, bsmedberg, or someone else related to your project)
** Be working on your 0.1 release. Ask for help if you're stuck
** Come up with some ways for others to contribute to your project and add them to your project wiki page. Remember, you're asking for help, so be clear about what you need done, and make it easy so that people will pick you vs. another project.
 
== Week 7 (Feb 22) – Bug Fixing: Putting it all together (building, debugging, patches, bugs) ==
 
* Finding a bug, filing, fixing, patching
* [https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Developer_Guide/How_to_Submit_a_Patch Submitting a Patch for Review]
* Using '''cvs/hg log''', '''blame''', and the list of [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Mozilla_Modules_and_Module_Ownership Module Owners] to determine who should review
* Good Examples of Bugs
** [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=343416 Bug 343416]
** [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=335878 Bug 335878]
** [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=132183 Bug 132183]
* Lab - [[Thunderbird Bug Fix Lab|Fixing a bug in Thunderbird]]
 
* '''Readings/Resources'''
** [https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Developer_Guide/How_to_Submit_a_Patch Submitting Getting your patch in the tree]
** [http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/lilmatt/2007/05/it_begins.html Personal blog account of fixing a bug]
** [http://fdiv.net/2007/05/15/the-secret-life-of-a-thunderbird-patch/#more-74 Personal blog account of fixing a bug in Thunderbird]
 
* '''TODO'''
** Complete and add '''2 new contributions''' to your personal list of contributions.
** Complete this week's [[Thunderbird Bug Fix Lab|lab]] (hopefully during class time). Make sure you complete the '''Wiki''' and '''Blog''' requirements in the lab.

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