Freifunkblog

An update on one of our Google summer of code projects: Service Discovery for Freimap. Stefano Pilla from Ninux.org is working on the project. We have widened the project a bit. He is now also working on porting freimap to IDE like Netbeans. This will make it easier in the future to implement new graphic map views.

Service Discovery works fine and at the moment Stefano is testing a prototype and working already on documentation. During the project he got in touch with the creator of JmDNS, Rick Blair. JmDNS is an implementation of mdns for Java. He also started an exchange with the creator of JXMapKit (SwingLabs - Josh) that is the new kind of map for freimap that we want to use with Openstreetmap.

screenshot of the "new freimap"

An important mentor for this project is Alx Morlang from Freifunk in Berlin. Thank you! And our friends from Ninux namely - Saverio, Claudio and all of the team. Service Discovery will be tested first in the freifunk ninux network in Rome during the upcoming weeks with mdns.

screenshot of the "new freimap"

Thank you to all applicants for the Freifunk Summer of Code project and congratulations to the accepted students! All together there were 49 applications for Freifunk. We could accept 10 students. They are currently updating their project proposals. I will present them here soon. We invite the students and anyone else to our Wireless Community Weekend at the end of May. More info coming out soon. Good luck for your summer of code projects For everyone who did not get in or people who did not apply, we welcome every contributor and user of the freifunk software tools and are looking forward to your involvement outside the Summer of Code.

Eight Questions to answer for your application for the Freifunk Summer of Code. We are interested in your answers to get an idea, how you would be able to contribute to Freifunk. Dont worry too much about a correct English. We are more interested in the content of what you have to say and how you could join up with us, than about perfect Englich.

1. Please tell us your name and your country or origin or local background.

2. Please list contributions to the Freifunk/OpenWrt and related projects or any other freely licensed Open Source project below.

3. Please tell us about your proposed project and the relevance to Freifunk. You can also provide a link where you offer more details here.

4.  What is your expertise and ability to conduct the project you propose? How do you plan to achieve the goals of the proposed project?

5. How would you describe your knowledge of development of Linux OS and OpenWrt related programming languages such as Lua?

6. How do you think you will participate in the Freifunk/OpenWrt development after the Google Summer of Code?

7. What would you like us to do to ensure that you stick with the project after the program concludes?

8. How do you plan to keep in touch with the Freifunk/OpenWrt community and your mentor during the summer of code?

Links

* http://socghop.appspot.com/org/show/google/gsoc2009/ffopenwrt

* Ideas http://wiki.freifunk.net/Ideas

 

I applied for the Google Summer of Code for Freifunk again this year and we got in :-) Please check the info page on the summer of code page for Freifunk here: http://socghop.appspot.com/org/show/google/gsoc2009/ffopenwrt . Applications need to be submitted via the Google Summer of Code website.

Discuss your ideas for development on the IRC channels of Freifunk and OpenWrt here:
irc.fu-berlin.de #freifunk
irc.freenode.net #openwrt 

We have set up a wiki page for ideas. Please add your idea here:
http://wiki.freifunk.net/Ideas

Some frequently asked questions from the Summer of Code FAQ

How does a student apply?
Students can submit their applications via the Google Summer of Code 2009 site from March 23 - April 3, 2009. ... make sure to check out each organization's "Ideas" list to get to know a particular open source organization better.  

What should a student application look like?
Your application should include the following: your project proposal, why you'd like to execute on this particular project, and the reason you're the best individual to do so. Your proposal should also include details of your academic, industry, and/or open source development experience, and other details as you see fit. An explanation of your development methodology is a good idea, as well. If the organization you want to work with has a specific application template they would like you to use, it will be made available to you to fill in when submitting your proposal via the GSoC web app.   

Can a student submit more than one application?
Yes, each student may submit up to twenty applications. However, only one application will be accepted. We've heard from our mentoring organizations that quality is better than quantity.   

Can students already working on an open source project continue to work on it as part of Google Summer of Code?
Yes, as long as they meet all other requirements for program eligibility. Students should be sure to note their previous relationship with the project in their applications. New work will need to be done for the project as part of participation in GSoC.   

Should students begin working on their applications before Google begins accepting program applications?       
That's up to you. Keep in mind, though, that our mentoring organizations will be publishing a list of proposed project ideas, so you may find that you'll want to revamp your application later, or create an entirely new one to address one of those ideas.   

Can a student work on more than one project?
No, each participant is only eligible for one stipend.   

Can a group apply for and work on a single proposal?
No, only an individual may work on a given project. Of course, students should feel free to collaborate with others to accomplish their project goals. 

Links

* http://socghop.appspot.com/org/show/google/gsoc2009/ffopenwrt

* Ideas http://wiki.freifunk.net/Ideas

Alex Morlang and Daniel Paufler had a presentation about the current advancement of the Freifunk 6mesh project for IPv6 routing in wireless mesh networks at a meeting of Freifunk core technologists in Berlin. The presentation is currently only partly available in English, but the German version offers good insights still for people working on wireless mesh networks anywhere. 

Links:

* pdf version at freifunk Berlin download site: http://download.berlin.freifunk.net/pdf/vortrag/6mesh/freifunk-ipv6-mesh-siit-praesentation.pdf
* Alexander Morlang http://blogs.k-ita.de/~alx/
* Daniel Paufler http://blog.leo34.net

Frank Brandewiede aka Brande hat einen kurzen Abriss geschrieben zur Geschichte von Freifunk und freien Netzen, den ich hier gerne teilen moechte.

Angefangen hat alles bereits 1996/97 mit der Intiative "prenzel.net". Damals gab es viele Diskussionen und Vorträge zum Thema freie Netze - Vorreiter gab es in Jena, Erfurt, aber auch London und Amsterdam. Mit den ersten drahtlosen Vernetzungen, teilweise bekannt unter den Namen "citywave.net", begann ab 1999 die Vernetzung mit WLAN. In den Jahren 2001 und 2002 bildeten sich in Berlin kleinere WLAN-Communities in Friedrichshain, Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg und Kreuzberg, im bootlab, aus dem auch reboot.fm gesendet wurde, fand dazu 2002 ein Kongress statt. 2003 fand in der C-Base die "freifunk summer convention" statt, in deren Anschluss Antennenbauworkshops, WLAN-Seminare und so weiter organisiert wurden.

Freifunk Wireless Community Weekend 2007, Foto: Alx

Die Idee, verschiedene Kulturstätten Berlins, wie zum Beispiel die C-Base, das Bootlab, das Tacheles, die KuFa und andere mit einander zu vernetzen, wurde schliesslich in Angriff genommen. 2004 gab es nach einer Veranstaltungs- und Workshopreihe einen kleinen Boom (siehe Artikel: Freie Netze breiten sich aus - Beispiel Berlin). Neben der C-Base (Projekt Berlin Back Bone) sind heute vor allem freifunk.net, WlanHain oder wlan36 wichtige Teile der Berliner Freifunk-Community.

Links:

* Medienspiegel http://wiki.freifunk.net/Medienspiegel
* Freifunk-Events http://wiki.freifunk.net/Kategorie:Konferenzen

Neue Nachrichten von der Freifunk-Initiative in und um Rostock. Wie Mathias Mahnke berichtet kommt das Dorfprojekt "Niex" innerhalb der Opennet Initiative gut in Fahrt.

Nachdem wir gemeinsam mit den Ortsansaessigen im vergangenen Jahr zwei 5 Ghz Uplinks zum Rostocker 5 Ghz Backbone gebaut haben, waren alle Voraussetzungen geschaffen.  Zu einer spontanen Infoveranstaltung im Januar per Handzettel im Ort kommen über 25 Interessierte, mehr als wir alle erwartet haben. Seit dem hat sich einiges getan und der Ausbau beginnt. Das ganze wird im Dorf selbst organisiert und scheint super zu laufen. Mögliche Links untereinander sind ausgekundschaftet und per Wiki organisiert.Super! Ein Dorf mehr, was unabhängig von kommerziellen Providern sich um ihre Netzanbindung selbst kümmern und das ganze in Gemeinschaft aufbaut.

Links

• https://wiki.opennet-initiative.de/index.php/Projekt_Niex
• https://wiki.opennet-initiative.de/index.php/Karte/Niex
• https://wiki.opennet-initiative.de/index.php/Vereinstreffen_Januar_2009#Infoveranstaltung_Niex_-_Freitag.2C_16.01.2009.2C_17_Uhr

News von Opennet aus Rostock: Gestern gab es die erste
"Openlab" Veranstaltung als Versuch verschiedene Hacker und Technikinteressierte an einen Tisch zu bekommen.

Wie Mathias Mahnke von der Opennet Initiative e.V. Rostock berichtet: "Ein Erfolg, aus dem "Nichts" sind wir 23 Leute geworden und obwohl wir eigentlich eine Teilnahmebegrenzung auf 20 Personen hatten. Einige sind zum Teil aus 90 km Entfernung angereist."

Mehr unter:
http://wiki.opennet-initiative.de/index.php/Opennet_Blog