FOSS Hack 2024 - Rules, Guidelines, FAQ [WIP]

Hackathon FOSS Hack 2024
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Registrations open at FOSS Hack 2024

Format of FOSSHack 2024

  • The Hackathon takes place in hybrid mode.You can choose to hack virtually or in person at our 10+ local editions all over India.
  • There is no central venue for FOSS Hack this year.
  • We will onboard both online and offline mentors to guide the participants.

Offline Track

  • Hackathons may be 12,24 or 36 hours depending on the organisers of the local edition. Participants can continue to hack online once their local edition ends.
  • Meals will be arranged for the participants.
  • Accommodation will not be made available by the organisers.
  • In person mentorship sessions, recreation, communication, and networking.

Online Track

  • Online mentorship sessions with scheduled time slots, and one to one interactions with mentors.
  • A central communication channel for participants to find teammates, ask questions etc.

Eligibility

  • The Hackathon is open to any Indian national who has a valid bank account

What you can work on:

  • A new FOSS app, tool, or library.
  • An alternative to any existing popular app or service.
  • Extending and improve an existing project or library.
  • Design projects: Redesign of an existing FOSS application.
  • Open hardware.

What you should (probably) not work on

  • An app or project that extensively uses proprietary service or API.
  • Yet another Keras model on available datasets.
  • A simple CRUD application.

Teams

Team size is 1-4 members.

Evaluation

  • License: Must have a valid Free and Open Source license .
  • Communication: A well written README and video demo are important. These will determine the first round of elimination. Before your code is reviewed, the quality of your README will be. Please be concise in explaining what your project does, how to install it, test it, and use it. Similarly, write concise and meaningful commit messages that show the progression of the project.
  • Completeness: Applications must be complete and working.
  • Design and aesthetics: If you are making a user interface, try and ensure that they are clean, modern, and usable.
  • Timeframe: The project must be reasonably built within the given timeframe. The judgement of the jury will be final in this.
  • Credits: If you are using existing code, make sure you credit it. Plagiarism, which is all too common unfortunately, is strictly not appreciated.
  • Demo Video: Participants must submit a video demo before the clock ends (uploaded on YouTube or any other platform that is accessible to the Jury). Restricted to 3 mins. No gyan, only demo.

Prizes

  • The total prize money will be divided among the best projects.
  • The number of projects to be awarded and amount to be given will be decided by the jury based on the depth and quality of the projects.
  • Prize money will be transferred to the winners individually via bank transfers within India. The recipients will need to furnish a copy of their PAN for TDS and tax documentation.
  • Submissions are judged on the basis of quality of contirbutions within the allotted 36 hours.

FAQs for the Hackathon

General

  • What is FOSS Hack?
    FOSS Hack 2024 is a hybrid hackathon organized by the FOSS United Foundation to promote the creation and use of FOSS projects in India. We invite developers—professionals and students—from all over India to compete for a cash prize of ₹10L by building Free and Open Source software and have fun doing it.

  • Why Participate?

    1. Win upto â‚ą10 Lakhs in Cash.
    2. Get Funds for your FOSS Projects
    3. Build your reputation as a hacker
    4. Get recognised by recruiters
    5. Share your code while having fun.

  • Can I contrubute to my own project?
    Yes, absolutely you can contribute to your own project.

  • How do I participate?
    Register on FOSS Hack 2024

  • Where is the Hackathon happening?
    The hackathon takes place virtually and at our 10+ local editions!

  • Licenses 101
    Ideally, all your projects and their components must be covered under the Open Source License. It must not use any proprietary components to function as a standalone software.

  • Is it mandatory to submit my project beforehand?
    Yes! Only the projects submitted before the deadline will be considered. The repositories should be public and the commits will be tracked since the date of registration.

  • What commits will be considered for judgement?
    Every project is different and the approach to develop it is subjective. The commits will be tracked since registration, to give us a better idea about your development process, and the commits made during the hackathon period will be considered. The argument for tracking the comments since submission of project is to understand how the project evolved, and have some context while judging.

  • Am I expected to share updates on my project as a participant leading up to the hackathon?
    It is highly encouraged to keep sharing updates on the progress leading up to the hackathon. It signals commitment and consistency, which may help you in the hackathon as well. Share updates even if you are contributing to an existing project. It keeps the hacker spirit alive. This documentation of your efforts also allows us to resolve any conflicts if they may arise.

  • What if two people are contributing to the same existing project?
    As long as the contributions and features being built are not conflicting, totally fine. However, if the two participants have a conflict over the contributions, their nature, or intended use, then it results in a problem.This is one of the reasons why sharing your progress and documenting it is a good idea. It works as an incredibly effective proof which leads to resolution. FOSS United and FOSS Hack Team do not bear any responsibility for a conflict.

  • How does mentorship work?
    We have mentors on our public channels where they can help you out with feasibility, usability, nuance to the project and anything under the sun. The mentorship discussion is completely organic and not catalysed by FOSS Hack. It is upto the hackers to take initiative, follow up and gain insights. Also, be nice while interacting on the channels.

  • What am I supposed to bring?
    Participants should bring their own laptops or other devices, as well as any software or tools that they need for their project. They should also bring any materials or equipment that they need for prototyping or testing.

  • Can we form teams?
    Absolutely! Hackers can form teams to participate in the hackathon, and contribute as a team. A team will be treated as an individual entity for participation purposes.

  • What if I can’t travel to take part in the hackathon?
    FOSS Hack 2024 is a hybrid hackathon. Find a local edition near you or hack virtually!
    You will be subject to the same judges, mentorship opportunities, rules and timings. Take extra caution to prepare meticulous documentation and updates, so we are able to follow through.

  • Will I be under the same FOSS Hack 2024 judgement criteria or each Local Chapter has separate prize pools, judges, etc.?
    No. Each FOSS Hack localhost is a part of the central hackathon, with a central prize pool and panel of judges.

TL;DR

FOSS Hack is hybrid, you can also tune in virtually, under the same rules, judgement panel, and access to mentorship.

Notes

These rules are constantly updated based on questions. We will email you the final set of rules before the hackathon starts!

For discussions and queries join our Telegram Channel .

Original Credit to this post by Rushabh Mehta and this post by @KaranGandhi

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