
How to get started in open source?
Linux, LibreOffice, GnuCash, and Audacity are all open-source projects, meaning the folks who write the code and/or the documentation are usually not paid for it. It’s quite impressive when you think of it. In a day when nearly everything is monetized, open source is still free. I used open-source software for years before contributing anything, including money, to pay for the wealth of intellectual capital I used.
Platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket host many open-source projects. Many of the projects have communities around them. You can join forums, Slack channels, or mailing lists where you can interact with project maintainers to get a sense of where and how you could fit in. You need to decide what you want to get out of contributing. What are you interested in? What topics animate you? Are you just looking to improve your portfolio, or are you interested in enhancing a particular software stack?
Start small: Begin with smaller contributions like fixing bugs, writing documentation, or improving test coverage. This helps you get familiar with the project and its codebase.
Submit a Pull Request: Once you have made some changes, submit a pull request explaining what you have done and why it is functional.
Engage and Learn: Participate in discussions, review others’ PRs, and contribute regularly. This engagement will help you learn and grow within the community. Use resources like Github Skills or Get Started with Gitlab.
Stay Persistent: Contributing to open source is a learning process. Don’t get discouraged if your initial contributions are not accepted. Keep learning and improving.
Some open-source projects are designed to help newcomers contribute to open-source software development.
First Contributions – Make your first contribution in five minutes.
Awesome for Beginners – A list of awesome beginners-friendly projects.
Awesome for Non-programmers – A list of open-source projects where you can contribute without programming knowledge.
A-Z resources for students – Curated list of resources for college students