Stefan Eberle

— On the schedule —

Fresh Eyes on OpenSSL: A Newcomer's Report

Problem Space - Setting up the development environment and understanding the build system - Navigating a large, mature codebase for the first time - Understanding contribution workflows: mailing lists, and code review processes - First encounters with the differences between academic cryptography and production code - Working with IBM mentors to understand real-world requirements - Getting in touch with the OpenSSL Communities What I'm Learning - Differences between academic cryptography and production code - Backward compatibility requirements - Performance vs. security considerations - Working with legacy code that has been tested in production for years - OpenSSL's coding standards and conventions - The importance of community feedback and code review - Balancing academic ideals with practical constraints Where This Journey Leads As this is an ongoing project, the talk will also discuss: - Expected challenges in the coming months - Goals for the contribution - How the experience shapes my understanding of production cryptography - Lessons learned that can help others starting similar journeys Key Insights For Students: - How to identify suitable starting points for contributions - Applying academic knowledge to practical problems - Managing the learning curve when working with complex codebases - The reality of contributing to critical infrastructure projects For Mentors and Companies: - Effective onboarding strategies for new contributors - Supporting students in their first open-source contributions - The value of structured guidance and feedback - How industry partnerships can facilitate student contributions For the OpenSSL Community: - Making the contribution process more accessible - Attracting and retaining new contributors - Balancing established practices with new perspectives