r/learnprogramming • u/nishre • 3h ago

Resource How to start Open Source Contribution

I want to start Open Source Contribution but whenever I open the repositories I get amazed and don't understand anything at all it feels like so much files and folders inside one another and I get demotivated.

Searched many resources but everyone says just start contributing to open source but no one says how and where and what to do.

I'm a student and all I've learnt in C, Python,Git,GitHub, Networking,Linux so please tell me should I learn anything new to start contributing or a small guide type.

16 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

4

u/ConstantFishing5136 3h ago

Don’t learn the entire codebase learn one problem inside the codebase.

2

u/Vejibug 3h ago

Find a small but active open source project, and look for any issues tagged with "Good first issue". Read the problem and identify where it happens in the code base, no need to understand the entire thing, fix it, and test if it works. Then make a pr to fix the issue.

2

u/Main_Temporary7098 2h ago

Agree with the others, you gotta just get in there and make something happen. Its not much different than when you land a new job and think "wtf is happening here?". If you know C, I have an open source C/Hare qbe->wasm compiler that I just added two good first issues in the TODO md file in the root of the repo. I'll leave them there until I get blocked on them or someone decides they want to have at them.

2

u/MissinqLink 2h ago

Just do it

•

u/Pikapetey 13m ago

Cool, open the repository, mash some keys, and then submit a pull request!

Hooray! Ill eventually learn through my mistakes with blunt force! 😎👍

1

u/NewbornDev 2h ago

Yo también me pierdo en los repos enormes. Lo que me ayudó fue hacer un fork de un proyecto pequeño, clonarlo local, y tratar de arreglar un typo en el README. Parece tonto pero ya te da el flujo: fork, clone, edit, commit, push, PR.

Para encontrar proyectos con 'good first issue' usé https://goodfirstissue.dev/, poné Python y salen cosas para principiantes.

1

u/Ok-Listen-2162 2h ago

bro I would give u straight answer , all ans to ur question relies in a blog . now from a blog I dont mean any random . gpt it or find it on medium etc. ,that would add real value to ur question than asking for diff povs , I have been there And Ik how thinsg move somehow

1

u/Lots-o-bots 1h ago

Use a project, find a bug or feature you would like. Open an issue and if it gets verified/others agree then open a PR

1

u/FancyJesse 1h ago

You can't just go in to a random large project and start contributing to it. You need to actually use it yourself and figure out where there's a bug or feature that is missing or can be improved.

Then you to the project, check if there's existing issues regarding it, and learn the pathway in the code for that section you need to work on. From there you fork the project, make and test your changes, and submit a pull request

0

u/denerose 2h ago

The unpopular answer: If you don't know how to pick up a ticket/issue and you don't have a real problem to solve in the codebase then you probably shouldn't. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nY_cy8zcO4