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# System prepended metadata

title: 'GSoC: FAQ'

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# GSoC: FAQ

## I want to know more about Unikraft. Where should I start?

A good place to start is the [documentation website](https://unikraft.org/).
You can also check out Unikraft's [`docs`](https://github.com/unikraft/docs) repo and build your own version of the site using the information from the [`README.md`](https://github.com/unikraft/docs#readme).

We also recommend taking a look into the [Unikraft Summer of Code sessions](https://unikraft.org/community/hackathons/usoc22/). If you fancy some live demos, check out [Unikraft's Youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP2-A06KLk0_qgGtKAla65A).

You can even reach out to community members on [discord](https://discord.com/invite/RG5ZQGKxyW). There you can discuss your doubts as well as ask questions; the community is always ready and willing to help.

## What to expect from mentors during GSoC?

Your mentors are the people you will interact with the most during your project; your guides and the ones that will solidify your integration into the organization.
They are also the people that will pass/fail you, so communicating with them not only regarding your issues, but your success too, should be on your TODO list.

## What are the midterm evaluations? What about the final evaluations?

They are key stages in your project.They require feedback from both the mentor and the mentee and they determine the status of your project; they also represent a great way for the mentor to decide whether your work will end successfully, therefore (potentially) integrating it.

As stated earlier, both evaluations are a pass/fail from the mentors, so mark the dates in your calendar. They are important!

## What should I be doing during the community bonding period?

As the name suggests, you should get to know the people you'll work with, the maintainers, the core, people that previously built the part of the Unikraft project you're working on.

You should, also, (if you haven't already), get accustomed to building and running Unikraft images and come up with a roadmap for the 12+ weeks that you'll have for your idea.

We strongly suggest you attend the Weekly Community Gatherings, formal and informal meetings where we discuss ideas, issues, PRs and other fun stuff.

Shy to even attend? Read the [meeting notes](https://github.com/unikraft/meeting-notes) and get your courage up!

## Is making a contribution necessary in order to apply to Unikraft?

Theoretically, you can apply without making a contribution, however, we believe that having even a small contribution proves that you are, indeed, not only ready, but willing to contribute to open source code.

For ideas, visit the issue page for [core Unikraft](https://github.com/unikraft/unikraft/issues) and external libraries, such as [newlib](https://github.com/unikraft/lib-newlib/issues), [lwip](https://github.com/unikraft/lib-lwip/issues), or [musl](https://github.com/unikraft/lib-musl/issues). We've marked some items with the `good first issue` and `kind/hackathon` labels to make things easier for you.

Take a look into the [docs repository](https://github.com/unikraft/docs/issues) as well, there's always work to be done when documenting a project of Unikraft's size.

Feeling lucky? Try fixing some build warnings. There's plenty of them, waiting just for you!

## Can I propose my own idea for a project?

If you have a project in mind, you are welcome to discuss it with the community members. However, the project needs to be approved by the maintainer members.

## How to perfectly kraft[^1] my proposal?

1. Start looking into the organization way before the Contributor Proposal Period, do not wait for the last week to start the investigation process.

2. Take a good look at the `ideas.md` file, choose a topic based on your current knowledge and begin browsing the web.

3. Join the [discord server](https://bit.ly/UnikraftDiscord) and ask questions! It's extremely important to be as active as possible.

4. Read the `README.md` for the year you are applying in. It contains critical information regarding the whole process, especially the proposal template.

5. Write your proposal. Get feedback from the community.

[^1]: Pun intended, based on the (soonly) deprecated Unikraft building tool, [kraft](https://github.com/unikraft/kraft)


