Are you a developer looking to give back to the community and gain valuable experience in the process? If so, becoming an open-source contributor may be just what you're looking for. In this comprehensive guide, we'll take you through the basics of starting your open-source journey. From finding the perfect project to contributing your first code snippet, we'll cover everything you need to know to get started.
What is an Open Source?
Open Source is a way to introduce yourself as a tech person in the Global community and some organizations. In Open Source there is a term OSS (Open Source Software) which means that openly available source code in that you will read the code, update the code, and suggest some new feature in the code as well. But all the process is going through its rules and regulations (License).
Open Source is not only finding bugs, solving errors, and like that, it also believes in code with collaboration. You can create a network with people at the global level who are already working in organizations.
Why you should contribute to Open Source?
If you are new in tech or experience you have to start to contribute because by using Open Source you will gain a lot of experience and also will improve your communication skills. While you are contributing to Open source you will learn a lot of new programming languages, new tools, and new frameworks which is already used in big companies.
There are 5 Reasons that you should have to contribute :
1)Develop new skills: While you are contributing to open source that allows you to develop new skills, work on real-world projects, and learn from experience people. You can improve your communication, teamwork, coding and much more.
2)Build a portfolio: Open source also add to your portfolio, which can help you to showcase your abilities to potential employers or freelance clients. A portfolio of contributions demonstrates your expertise, dedication, and passion for technology.
3)Give back to the community: Open source is a collaborative effort, and by contributing, you are helping to make software better for everyone. You can fix bugs, add features, improve documentation, or create new tools that benefit the entire community.
4)Gain recognition and visibility: Contributing to popular open-source projects can bring recognition and visibility to your work. You can build a reputation as a skilled developer, earn the respect of your peers, and potentially attract job offers or consulting gigs.
5)Learn from others: Working on open-source projects means collaborating with other developers from around the world. You can learn from their code, feedback, and expertise, and gain insights into different programming languages, tools, and techniques.
How can you start Open Source?
There are many ways you have to contribute to open source but for that first of all you have a basic knowledge of Git and GitHub because all the open source projects are available on GitHub and Git is used to work with GitHub. So there are a lot of videos available on Youtube to learn Git and GitHub.
Following resources that will help you to learn Git and GitHub:
Git and GitHub by Kunal Kushwaha
After learning git and GitHub you can follow the steps to start contributions:
Choose a project: Start by finding an open-source project that interests you. You can use platforms like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket to explore repositories that align with your interests and skills.
Familiarize yourself with the project: Once you've found a project, read through its documentation, code, and issues to understand what it's about, how it works, and what kind of contributions are needed. This can also help you determine if the project is a good fit for you.
Start small: If you're new to open source, it's best to start with small contributions, such as fixing typos, improving documentation, or adding tests. These contributions help you get familiar with the project and its workflow.
Follow the project's guidelines: Before making any contribution, make sure you understand the project's guidelines and rules for contributing. These can include coding style, commit message conventions, testing requirements, and more.
Ask for help: If you get stuck or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask for help. Most open-source communities are friendly and welcoming, and many have dedicated channels (such as forums, chat rooms, or mailing lists) for newcomers.
Submit your contribution: Once you've made your contribution, submit a pull request or patch to the project. Be patient and open to feedback from other contributors or maintainers.
Keep contributing: Contributing to open source is an ongoing process. Keep engaging with the project, participating in discussions, and submitting contributions as you gain more experience.
And it's a wrap-up 🙂. I hope you have learned something from this blog. If it's helpful to you and your open-source journey then do like ❤, follow🤝 me on Hashnode, Twitter, and GitHub subscribe to my Hashnode newsletter so that you don't miss any future posts. Thanks for reading and have a great day!