Re: [gentoo-dev] OT - Finding Linux dev resources

[Chris Gianelloni]

On Wed, 2005-04-27 at 15:35 -0600, info@××××××××××.net wrote:
> I've been in talks with a group of folks interested in starting a new
> Linux/Debian based company. This new company to be successful will need the
> ability to pull off the following:

You're going Debian based and you're asking here?  You've got some big
brass ones, buddy... ;]

> 1) Creation of a new distro based on key specific features of various distros
> available today

Why?  Why not improve one that's already there?

I'm just curious why everybody and their brother thinks it is a good
idea to make their own distribution.  I was actually thinking of
building my own distribution before I became a Gentoo developer.  I then
realized that I could really give a crap about 90% of the packages in a
distribution and my time would be best served contributing to an already
established distribution in the area that I was interested in working.
This reduced my workload significantly, and everything that I add
directly impacts on what I want to do.

> 2) Creation of new Linux games or vastly improvement on the Linux games
> available today

So you're wanting to code Linux-only games?  Are you planning on doing
this commercially?  Are you planning on actually making any money?

If you're talking about doing this as a commercial venture, I wish you
the best of luck and expect to see you back here in six months to a year
when your capital is blown.  *grin*

The last thing Linux needs is yet another failed attempt at making money
off the Linux gaming market.

If you're talking about improving non-commercial games, then I say go
for it.  I still think that you'd be much better off just contributing
to an already established distribution or game than starting over.

> Here's my questions:
>
> 1) How / where do I find and recruit top notch Linux kernel, application and
> game developers?

LKML has some good Linux kernel developers.  Of course, you wouldn't
really need them if you just chose a distribution that already exists to
base your work.  After all, that's one less mouth to feed that does not
directly impact your bottom line.

As for game developers, they're actually pretty easy to find.  You're
going to have a much harder time finding artists and musicians.

> 2) How would we best go about soliciting open source developers to help us out
> and what's the best way to manage these type of development processes ?

Do you really want open source developers, or do you want paid
developers.  You've left it rather open for interpretation.  If you're
looking for developers to work for free and to gvie their work away,
then you're going to have to generate interest in your product/idea, or
it won't get much attention from the community.

> Any tips, thoughts, past experiences, warnings, etc would be very helpful.

It all really depends on what you're looking to do and what you expect
to get out of it.

If you're just wanting to improve gaming on Linux, I recommend simply
contributing anywhere that you can do so.  Trying to commercialize it
isn't going to do much good, so long as 99% of all the games out there
are written fro an API that we have no real equivalent to and that is
designed to run on a platform that definitely isn't Linux.

> Thanks in advance for any advice you may have for me.

I hope that I am not coming across too badly, I just don't want you
running around looking at the world through rose-colored glasses.

If you think you've either resolved these issues or they do not apply to
you, then I wish you the best of luck.

> Also if anyone reading this is interested in learning more please pop me an
> email at info@××××××××××.net

I am also very curious in your venture, so consider this my request for
learning more, and hoping that I didn't scare you off too much... ;]

-- 
Chris Gianelloni
Release Engineering - Strategic Lead/QA Manager
Games - Developer
Gentoo Linux