0) Install svn and commit your own project to it
1) Read about and build your own project using Apache's ant
2) Read about and build a=your own project using Apache's maven (will likely involve restructuring of your project. That is fine, and will teach you a few things)
3) Install maven and svn plugins in eclipse. (ant is included)
4) Use svn plugin to download open source project. (Might also use cvs. Cvs plugin is included with default eclipse install)
5) Use maven plugin to build project cleanly. Possibly it uses ant. Probably not though.
6) Use built-in junit functionality of eclipse to run unit tests for given project. *Don't know what unit tests are or what junit is? Read about junit. Write a junit test for your own project.)
7) Pick a component of the project you want to understand. Inspect the units tests for this component to understand it. Unit tests are the real functional requirements documentation of any project, and usually best practices for their uses.
8) Read dev forums / lists for given project.
then you're management material. (Not completely true, but you mentioned that you see yourself doing this the rest of your career... and that you LIKE management... so...)
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0) Install svn and commit your own project to it
1) Read about and build your own project using Apache's ant
2) Read about and build a=your own project using Apache's maven (will likely involve restructuring of your project. That is fine, and will teach you a few things)
3) Install maven and svn plugins in eclipse. (ant is included)
4) Use svn plugin to download open source project. (Might also use cvs. Cvs plugin is included with default eclipse install)
5) Use maven plugin to build project cleanly. Possibly it uses ant. Probably not though.
6) Use built-in junit functionality of eclipse to run unit tests for given project. *Don't know what unit tests are or what junit is? Read about junit. Write a junit test for your own project.)
7) Pick a component of the project you want to understand. Inspect the units tests for this component to understand it. Unit tests are the real functional requirements documentation of any project, and usually best practices for their uses.
8) Read dev forums / lists for given project.
then you're management material. (Not completely true, but you mentioned that you see yourself doing this the rest of your career... and that you LIKE management... so...)