RTEMS is proud to have been in multiple editions of the Google Summer of Code and we are applying to be a participating organization in Google Summer of Code 2025.

This page is a jumping off point for participating with RTEMS. The best thing you can do for yourself is to join our Discord and ask questions. We want you to be a part of the RTEMS community!

APPLYING GSOC CONTRIBUTORS MUST FILL OUT A Google APPLICATION

Our users forum for GSoC is located at https://users.rtems.org/c/programs/gsoc/47

The Git tracking repository is on our GitLab https://gitlab.rtems.org/rtems/programs/gsoc

Potential Contributors

• Read through all the material on this page.

Communications

• Talk to us on Discord or the RTEMS Users Forum. The best place to find answers to common questions is the Users Forum! You can also use the #gsoc channel on our Discord. You can usually expect a response in a day or two.
• Do not privately message RTEMS community members including mentors. You may publicly ask for permission to speak with someone privately. Unsolicited private messsages are likely to be ignored.

AI Usage

• Do not use Generative AI (e.g., chatgpt, other LLM) tools to write and format your communications. These tools inject their own style and make your thoughts more verbose without adding any value. In most cases, the prompt you give an LLM is more useful to us than the output you get from the tool. Before you submit something written with AI assistance, you should ask yourself if it is something that you would have written on your own.
• When you do use AI, you are expected to disclose what you used and how you used it. You may also be asked to provide the prompts and inputs you provided to the tool. You should make it a habit to keep track of how you use these tools and the lineage of your content when you co-create it with the assistance of any tool, but especially with the use of a generative AI tool.
• When in doubt, ask first.

Getting Started

• We require you to build, modify, and run RTEMS from git. The details are explained in our GSoC Getting Started Guide. Ask on the Users Forum for help.
• Note the current, unreleased version of the RTEMS development on git is 7.

Researching a Project Idea

• Pick a project from the list below. This is by no means an all-inclusive list and we are open to suggestions. Submissions of ports to new architectures, new BSPs, new device drivers, and test improvements are always welcomed. Mentors can be reached on Discord.
• The order of projects in the list does not reflect their importance, difficulty, or feasibility. Our project list is not exclusive: if you have an idea, solicit feedback in the GSoC topic area of our Users Forum.
• Work with potential mentors to appropriately scope projects for the time available through the program. The project descriptions often require additional knowledge to flesh out a project proposal. Scoping a project is especially challenging as each contributor brings their own experience and capabilities to bear. Since some projects have multiple steps, contributors should work with prospective mentors to define the scope of work in their proposal. Similarly, some projects might be a starting point for a class project or graduate thesis. We generally underspecify our project descriptions for students and new contributors on purpose. The scope that can be accomplished in the timeframe varies depending on individual contributor’s experience and skills. So, we like to let new contributors explore the projects and discuss with potential mentors in order to shape the proposal in a way that suits the contributor’s and mentors’ interests with a scope that is appropriate.
• You might also like to check out our full list of identified projects which has some projects we have not tagged as suitable for GSoC. Some of those projects can be good for beginners. Ask on Discord or the Users Forum!

Writing a Proposal

• Contributors applying to the RTEMS Project will need to fill out an application at Google Summer of Code using our template.

Ideas List

Large Projects (350 hours)

Medium Projects (175 hours)

Small Projects (90 hours)