Eco-Libre Volunteer Test
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably looking to apply to be a volunteer with Eco-Libre
This documentation will describe how you can complete the Eco-Libre Volunteer Test, which is required for all volunteers at Eco-Libre
Why?
By completing this test, you will learn most of the tools and skills you need to be successful as an Eco-Libre Volunteer
Note
Be patient, and set your expectations appropriately. Completion of the Eco-Libre Volunteer Test will take you between a day and a few weeks. Or more.
You are not expected to know how to do this. You are expected to learn throughout the process of completing this test.
What?
The page that you are reading right now is a Sphinx-powered documentation page that’s run on GitHub Pages.
You will complete the Volunteer Test when you deliver a Sphinx-powered documentation page (very similar to this page), as well as demonstrate basic usage of GNU/Linux, git, FreeCAD, recordmydesktop, kdenlive, PeerTube, and Sphinx.
To complete the Eco-Libre Volunteer Test, please do the following
Install Linux
First, please install Linux.
All work with Eco-Libre should be done on Linux.
Eco-Libre strongly recommends that you use Linux Mint Debian Edition, but you can use whatever Linux system you want, as long as you can install git, inkscape, gimp, kdenlive, freecad, sphinx, and python.
If you’ve never used Linux before, then please use Linux Mint Debian Edition.
After you install Linux, please do all subsequent steps of this Volunteer Test inside Linux.
GitHub
If you don’t yet already have one, create an account on GitHub
Then create a new GitHub repo for this Eco-Libre volunteer test (eg “eco-libre-volunteer-test”)
FreeCAD
Record your screen as you do the following in FreeCAD:
Create a sheet of metal 1 meter x 1 meter x 20 cm
Using the Sketch workbench, carve your initials into the metal (5 cm deep).
Stop the video recording.
Kdenlive
Using kdenlive, speed-up the video so that it’s 30 seconds long. Add an open-source background soundtrack that’s compatible with CC BY-SA.
Upload (commit/push) the soundtrack file, source video, and kdenlive files to the github repo.
Render the video in kdenlive, and upload to PeerTube. Make sure the license of the video is CC BY-SA. Make sure the video description provides attribution to the author of the music.
Sphinx
Create a sphinx site in the github repo that’s hosted on GitHub Pages. Write a short text describing what you did in FreeCAD in the Sphinx page (if you got stuck on this test and would like to provide tips to future volunteers, here’s the space to document what you learned).
Add a screenshot of the CAD object in the Sphinx page.
Add the PeerTube video, embedded on the Sphinx page.
Submit
When finished, email Eco-Libre a link to the completed github-pages-hosted Sphinx site.
Resources
You are not expected to already know how to complete the Eco-Libre test. You are expected to learn through the process.
Use Google. Use YouTube. Search forums. If you can’t find an answer online, post your question to the online forums.
If you get stuck and aren’t able to make any progress for more than 8 hours, ask the Internet. Be thorough in your question. It might help a future volunteer :)
Here are some useful resources that will help you as you work on the Volunteer Test
LMDE installation documentation https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
FreeCAD Forums (ask questions about FreeCAD here if you get stuck working with FreeCAD) https://forum.freecad.org/
Kdenlive Forums (ask questions about kdenlive here) https://discuss.kde.org/tag/kdenlive
Free Music Archive - Internet Archive’s selection of openly licensed music
Previous Volunteers” Tests
It is not cheating to view past Volunteer Tests submitted by previous Eco-Libre volunteers.
It is not cheating to copy from previous Eco-Libre volunteers” tests. Everything we do at Eco-Libre is CC BY-SA. We encourage you to copy work from other Eco-Libre volunteers (so long as you provide attribution!)
Here are some examples of previous Eco-Libre Volunteer Tests: