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title: "FreeBSD GNOME Project: How To Help"
sidenav: gnome
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include::shared/en/urls.adoc[]

= FreeBSD GNOME Project: How To Help

There is always something to do around the GNOME FreeBSD camp. Grab something that sounds interesting to you, and run with it.

* Test existing ports, and link:../bugging[report bugs]. Try to build with weird configurations intentionally, before someone else tries to do so cluelessly.
* Regularly install GNOME from packages, and report any problems with the install or the functionality.
* link:{handbook}#ERESOURCES-SUBSCRIBE[Subscribe] to the freebsd-gnome mailing list, and help answer users' questions.
* Proofread the FreeBSD GNOME link:../../[project pages], and offer feedback and updates.
* Build, upgrade, and rebuild both stable and development versions. The builditinator.sh script, available from the link:../develfaq/#q3[MarcusCom] portstools repository, can automate the entire process, from start to finish.
* The following non-trivial porting tasks are needed.
** Fix `sysutils/system-tools-backends` to work with all supported versions of FreeBSD. This will require someone with FreeBSD configuration knowledged as well as a good knowledge of Perl programming. All patches can be submitted as PRs.
** Port http://www.gnome.org/projects/NetworkManager/[NetworkManager] to FreeBSD. This will require someone with C programming experience, and a good knowledge of wireless networking in FreeBSD. Additionally, this will require some FreeBSD userland changes especially to `ifconfig`.
** Port the http://live.gnome.org/GnomeBluetooth[GNOME Bluetooth] suite to FreeBSD. This will require someone with C programming experience and Bluetooth devices. The bulk of the work will be porting libbtctl to use FreeBSD's Bluetooth stack.
** Extend the FreeBSD hal backend to support missing subsystems. Currently, the most notable missing subsystems are `ieee1394` (i.e. Firewire), `bluetooth`, and `printer`. Those interested should use the latest http://www.marcuscom.com/hal-spec/hal-spec.html[HAL Specification] as a guide. Contact marcus@FreeBSD.org if you wish to help with this task.

Send any feedback to freebsd-gnome@FreeBSD.org.
