Oft Ask: How to contribute to PostgreSQL?

Due to a recent thread started on pgsql-hackers, I'm posting this to the
lists. Vince is planning on putting in appropriate links for some of
this, and, Bruce, can we maybe put it into the FAQ?

I'm not an English major, so this is more techinese then anything
else...or, a rambling of an un-ordered mind, however you want to classify
it :)

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There are several ways that people can contribute to the PostgreSQL
project, and, below, I'm going to try and list them...

1. Code. We have a TODO list available at
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/todo.html, which lists enhancements that
have been picked out as needed. Some of them take time to learn the
intricacies of the code, some require no more then time. Contributing
code, altho not the only way to contribute, is always one of the more
valuable ways of improving any Open Source Project.

2. Web Site. http://www.postgresql.org is mirrored on many sites around
the world, as is ftp://ftp.postgresql.org. By increasing the number of
mirrors available around the world, you help reduce the load on any one
site, as well as improve the accessibility to the code. If you have
the resources to provide a mirror, both hardware and bandwidth, this is
another means of contributing to the project. All our mirrors are
required to use rsync, in order to be listed, with details on this
found at http://www.postgresql.org/howtomirror.html

3. Mailing Lists. We use software that allows us to use remote sites for
'mail relaying'. Basically, instead of our central server having to
service *all* remote addresses, it offloads email onto remote servers
to do the distribution. For intance, by dumping all email destined for
a subscribers in France to a server residing in France, the central
server has to send one email mesage "Across the pond", and let the
server in France handle the other servers. If you are interested in
providing a relay point, email scrappy(at)hub(dot)org (me) for details on how
to get setup for this.

4. Financial. In June of 1999, PostgreSQL, Inc was formed as the
"Commercial Arm" of the PostgreSQL Project. Although it was originally
formed to provide Commercial Support for PostgreSQL, it has expanded to
include Consulting services, PostgreSQL Merchandise (ElephantWear) and,
most recently, Database Hosting services.

As our mission statement (http://www.pgsql.com/mission.html) states,
our purpose (among several) is to provide funding for various project,
whether they be Advertising or Programming. Although not currently
available, but will be when the new site is up, there will be a set of
pages off of http://www.pgsql.com that will provide a cleaner means of
contribute financially towards having features implemented, as well as
showing funds available for various projects. For instance, 25% of the
revenue from Support Contracts will be ear-marked for stuff like
Advertising and a General Pool that we can use to fund projects that we
feel is important from a "commercial deployment" standpoint.

Marc G. Fournier ICQ#7615664 IRC Nick: Scrappy
Systems Administrator @ hub.org
primary: scrappy(at)hub(dot)org secondary: scrappy(at){freebsd|postgresql}.org