Thursday, June 3, 2010

Work from Home job for Kernel Hackers

Someone I know from Hacker News sent me this email (lightly edited)


"I am likely to hire one high-class Linux kernel engineer in November
time. I would be interested to have information on any possible
candidates that may fit the work.

I am looking for people who are:

- Enthusiastic about linux kernel work
- Have working knowledge of CPUs, cache internals, SMP, concurrency,
memory management. ARM/Embedded knowledge would be a plus.
- Ability to bring out a solution on his own, even architect a design
without my intervention.
- Familiar with open source work flow, i.e. using git, knows how to
create a clean patch that is well tested and send it by email.
- Good communication skills, i.e. ability to write full English
sentences with correct wording and no typos - you would be surprised to
see how people even lack this.
- Past work experience on the linux kernel would be helpful.


The work environment involves telecommuting from home with occasional
yearly meetups. Most communication is done by email. We are all about
core kernel development"

When he originally talked to me about this I had someone in mind but he decided to go to grad school and will be leaving India in August for the USA. If I had any kernel dev experience I would have taken it up myself - looks to be an awesome job.


So if anyone has the qualifications listed above and wants a cool job working from home, contact me with details of what you've done and I'll connect you to the hirer.

NB:I've got some emails wrt this post. Just to clarify, contact me with details of what you've done wrt kernel hacking/systems work. Links to submitted patches would be nice, as would any links to core systems code of any kind. This is *not* a GSOC kind of mentored position and needs people with prior experience.

This post is now obsolete. Do NOT repeat NOT keep sending me CVs. They go straight into the garbage folder. 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi Ravi,
your blog always has so many encouraging entries something like Paul Graham's essays that i just felt like saying thanks to you.
Everytime i have some doubts about chosing a career in software , i go through your blog and some of the excellent articles you have written. Though most of the stuff here is for probably very bright developers in kernel programming,ai and functional programming. But certainly it is a learning experience for ordinary developers like me who feel more interested in computer science.
But one thing i always wanted to ask you, whenever i see my friends who have done MBAs from good B Schools and who are leading a good life somewhere in San Fransisco and i probably work much harder than them, ignore my family and still earn less than them...i sometimes feel that for how long i could do this. Most of the work in India, even in the so called big companies like Amazon,Google and Adobe is drudgery..i mean how long can i work like this maintaining the code written by westerners 10-15 years back.
What would you suggest an ordinary enterprise developer working in one companies like Adobe or Yahoo in India should do when he reaches 30....should he go for an MBA in order to earn well and give a better life to his parents and wife or continue in Software....i mean there are very few like you, but what about a normal,ordinary hard working developer , who would certainly be axed by the company when he reaches 40-45 ? What is your suggestion to such people....

Ravi said...

@anonymous,

I am the last person you should seek advice from. IN general you should do what makes *you* happy. If getting an MBA and becoming a manager makes you happy go for it,

"mean how long can i work like this maintaining the code written by westerners 10-15 years back."

These are questions to which *you* have to find an answer. No one else can do it for you.