Open Source Projects For Beginners 212
itwbennett writes "Whoever said 'everyone has to start somewhere' has clearly never tried contributing to an open source project — the Linux Kernel development team in particular is known for its savagery. But if you're determined to donate your time and talents, there are some things you can do to get off on the right foot. Of course you should pick something you're interested in and that you use. Check, and double check. You should also research the project, learn about the process for contributing, and do your utmost to avoid asking questions that you can find the answers to. But beyond that there are some hallmarks of beginner-friendly open source projects like Drupal, Python, and LibreOffice — namely, a friendly and active community, training and mentorship programs, and a low barrier to entry."
Re:All projects need your help. (Score:2, Informative)
Sadly, most OSS projects need technical writers and designers more than they need more programmers. But many of them only let in programmers, most of whom can't write or design worth a shit (and would consider it beneath them even if they could). And most technical writers and designers who do try to sign up get turned off pretty fast by being treated like shit by arrogant programmers.
Github makes it easy. (Score:5, Informative)
1) Get a github account.
2a) Submit a bug.
2b) Request a new feature.
2c) Fix a bug.
2d) Research and comment on an open issue.
2e) Add a new feature.
2f) Fix typos in documentation.
2g) Add documentation.
2h) Add a translation for your own language.
2i) Add a new theme/template.
2j) Make the project page nicer to look at.
2k) Thank the authors.
2l) ???
3) Profit!
Getting involved starts simply with making "first contact".
Any half-decent project team will gracefully accept anything you have to offer and pretty soon you'll find you have quite a lot to offer.
Like space games? (Score:4, Informative)
OpenHatch (Score:4, Informative)
OpenHatch is a non-profit dedicated to matching prospective free software contributors with communities, tools, and education.
http://openhatch.org/ [openhatch.org]
Very useful for beginners.
http://openhatch.org/search/?q=&toughness=bitesize [openhatch.org]
http://openhatch.org/search/?q=&contribution_type=documentation&toughness=bitesize [openhatch.org]
Re:wrong points (Score:4, Informative)
Like we didn't already know that from the tone of your comment. It does, though, go a long way toward explaining the overwhelming success of the Linux-based desktop environment.
It does, though, go a long way toward explaining the excellent utility and stability of the Linux kernel.
Not everyone shares your goals. I want stability more than shinies.
You can get a minor kernel patch in without a lot of experience, as others in this thread have done. A major kernel patch should come with a lot of scrutiny.
Re:All projects need your help. (Score:3, Informative)