StudentInfo

How to write the Application

Once the students applications period has opened, you have to submit your application on Google's Summer of Code website. Your application must be written in English. It should contain a detailed description of your project proposal. There are some ideas on this wiki for various projects, but be aware that it is perfectly fine for you to propose a project of your own instead. The important part is to start talking with people in the GStreamer community about it as soon as possible and get some feedback. Once you write your proposal you should consider answering questions such as:

• What is its ultimate goal?
• What components will it have?
• What benefits does it have for GStreamer and its community?
• Why you'd like to complete this particular project?
• How do you plan to achieve completion of your project?
• Why do you think you are be the best person to work on this project?
• What are your past experiences (if any) with the open source world?
• Why are you interested in improving GStreamer or GStreamer related applications?

When writing the proposal, be sure to describe what you will deliver, how this is useful and include a rough timeline how you plan to get there. Please include useful references (links to projects you worked on in the past, online references for code you wrote (for instance create an account on ohloh and add your contributions there), links to specifications you want to implement and so on) - anything that helps us see that your proposal is well researched and that you are suited to achieve the goals by the end of the summer. If you do that then any kind of project you can think of using GStreamer has a good chance of being selected.

Make sure to make a timeline of your project, with milestones and clear deliverables for these milestones Don't just answer these questions, use your imagination and try to be clear. Don't forget to show enthusiasm. Please try to use correct English if possible. The selection committee understands that not all applicants speak English as their first language. In fact, many GStreamer community members speak English as their second or third language!

Discussing your ideas or projects

The best place to get feedback on new ideas before you propose them or discuss existing ideas from the wiki is the GStreamer IRC channel. You find that on irc.freenode.com in #gstreamer.

You can also contact the GStreamer development mailing list which you find here: http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/gstreamer-devel

Choose your project with care! If you don't have a clear vision and goal for a project don't choose something which isn't very strictly specified. For instance writing a plugin to support a specific format is a good task if you just want to do *something*, as the task is very clearly defined and specified. On the other hand taking on the task of writing for example an 'easy to use video player' is a bad idea unless you yourself have a strong vision for what that entails. If your project ends up stalling because you have no idea for which direction to take it, there is a very real chance we will fail you and you don't get paid.

How to file the application

Google got a page with instructions on how you as a student file the application here: http://www.google-melange.com/gsoc/dashboard/google/gsoc2014

Before GSoC starts

To be ready to go if we're chosen to participate, you can read the documentation and prepare the development environment. For the later learn about the git version control system, clone the gstreamer modules and ensure that you can build and run the development version (e.g. in an UninstalledSetup).