I want to help you

[Boudewijn Rempt]

On Sunday 01 August 2004 14:10, you wrote:

> - Since I'm a computer technician (well, in fact I don't know the english
> word, developper ?), 

The mailing list keeps to English; you can mail me personally in French, 
German, English, Dutch, Wenyan and -- but prefarably not, since I donated my 
dictionaries to an orphanage in Siberia, and I'd have to buy new ones -- 
Russian. I'll answer in English, though...

> I never do a real Linux (neither KDE) program. I know 
> theory of C/C++ but I never do much than exercices with it.

I didn't know any C++ before I started on Krita -- but then, I have twenty 
years of experiency in other programming languages. It helps if you have that 
kind of experience, or, if not, a certain bravado. 

> - I never be involved in a real huge project such as Krita, so I'm not
> familiar with a developpment process like that.

First, you need to figure out what's missing from Krita that you can 
implement, then you need to figure out a way to actually implement it. No 
problem if you get stuck: ask around, and someone might be able to help you. 
Then you need the thick skin that's needed to be told that your approach suck 
without grabbing your hat and going. Then you need the flexibility to change 
your hack, or the persuasiveness to convince me that your hack is great and 
that I was wrong. (Which I might be: I don't know C++ all that well, and I 
know nothing about doing graphics apps. I'm a programmer, and a bit of an 
artist, but the twain haven't met until now.). Then, if the hack is good, 
and, importantly, if it DOESN't BREAK PAINTING, I will commit for you, 
mentioning your name so you get the karma points. When you present me with 
your next patch, I'll probably endorse an application to the KDE sysadmins to 
get CVS acess.

> - I never found how to compile Krita (Must I compil whole koffice from CVS
> ?)

This was asked only this week on this mailing list; that's another 
prerequisite. Skim all of the kimageshop mailinglist, especially 2003 and 
2004, and read the best parts.

>
> So, I'm full of good intentions but quite desoriented. Just tell me how and
> where I can grab the source, how compile it, which tool using for hack it
> (kdevelop ?), and what you want me to do :)

* Use one of the anoncvs repositories as detailed on developer.kde.org to get 
the source.
* Compilation is a simple make -f Makefile.cvs && ./configure && make from the 
koffice toplever directory.
* You can hack Krita source with any editor or any ide: elvis, vim, nvi, 
emacs, xemacs, uemacs, jove, nedit, gedit, jedit, kate, kdevelop, eclipse, 
slickedit, jove, joe, jed... As long as you keep religiously to the 
guidelines in the HACKING file in Krita's toplevel directory.

>
> Regards,
> Mr YouP
>
> PS : concerning my identity, I used to sign "Mr YouP" for all computer
> related stuff, but my real name is Olivier Oriol. As I'm an artist
> (drawing), and I consider hacking as an "artistic" activities, I prefer
> using a nickname for doing it (that isn't the same for my drawings :))

Well, if you end up hacking on Krita, you will need to use your real name to 
sign the copyright line. If you check the source, every file has one or more 
lines like

(c) 2004 Boudewijn Rempt <boud at valdyas.org>

The email addy is not obligatory, but the real name is.

-- 
Boudewijn Rempt | http://www.valdyas.org/fading/index.cgi