How to Become a Free Software Hacker

To Become a Free Software Hacker, you have to Get a good Unix distribution. After that, Learn how to use the command line. Then, Learn some popular programming language until you reach a more or less satisfactory level. To be more productive, you need to learn NetBeans or some other similar integrated development tool. Next, Learn and use advanced editor like vi or Emacs. Forth, Learn version control. After that, Find a suitable small free software project which you could easily join to get experience. Then, Contact the administrator of the selected project. Next, Carefully read the rules of the project and more or less follow them. Forth, Work in this project for several months. Remember Do not stick with the underground project for too long. After that, Find a serious, high level free software or open source project. As we are doing a serious jump now, you need to be ready for the far cooler acceptance. Then, Take and do a serious task. If you can, you must apply with your serious task to the Google's "Summer of Code" to get some money from this adventure. Next, Look for a suitable conference happening nearby ("Linux days" or something similar) and try to present your project there (all project, not just the part you are programming). Forth, Search the web for announcements about an install party happening nearby and try to join it first time as a user (watch for all problems and how hackers solve them) and next time as an installer. After that, Complete the task, cover with automatic tests and contribute to the project. For better understanding, you can look into a real example of the development history for a free software project.