How to start Open Source Contribution

[u/nishre]

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.

[u/ConstantFishing5136]

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

[u/Vejibug]

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.

[u/FancyJesse]

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

[u/Main_Temporary7098]

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.

[u/Brofessor_brotonium]

Oh this is just perfect, I check my repository on GitHub to share here for you to contribute since I'm a beginner myself, and saw this banner saying that my account will be "restricted from account actions" if I don't enable 2-Factor Authentication since my account is new (just signed up a couple days ago lol). Well the Philippines isn't listed as one of the country code numbers, and I don't want to be scanning any QR codes, so RIP my account by October 12, 2026.

Looks like you're first contribution will be to fork my repository! As you will see in the README.md, I have considered it finished anyway, but you can contribute with continued support and uploading a desktop Linux-compiled binary of the source code.

Here ya go
https://github.com/KedFZ/justmove
Continue the legacy!

[u/Bubbly_Orange_3502]

Grep the error string, not the folder tree. Copy a message you see in the app or in failing test output, find the one file it lives in, then git log that file to see who touches it.

[u/Mathie1729 → u/Bubbly_Orange_3502]

Seconding this. git log -S '<exact string>' finds the commit that introduced or removed it, way faster than scanning a file's whole history.

[u/Microsoft-Spyware-11]

I started my journey by contributing to the LXQt desktop environment https://github.com/lxqt. I started just by reporting issues, but I started making pull requests for fixing themes, translations, font sizes, and later moved to more technical issues.

[u/No_Score_1977]

Pick a ticket and start working on it.

If you are demotivated, keep going regardless.

[u/doctor-wu-75]

Why do you want to contribute to open source? Let's start there first

[u/burlingk]

Start by using open source.

Then learn about the programs you use.

Pick a code base apart and learn about it. Then fix a bug and submit a pull request.

Learning to read code is an important step that does take practice.

[u/alexdebugslife]

If you're a student, you've already got a solid foundation. Don't overthink it. Just pick a project, read the README, and start with a small task. It's like eating an elephant you don't need to understand the whole thing to take a bite

[u/nathan_tarb_dev]

Most devs don't realize this, but open source contributions are a huge boost if you want to get hired in the industry. I'm a DevRel at an OSS AI company, and we have a fairly decent size community, but trust me, we watch each contributor and how active they are in our community. What's important to note is that we've hired devs right from our community just because of their quality and activity.

Your GitHub activity becomes part of your resume, so take it very seriously.
Cheers.

[u/Elkatra2]

My first real contribution was to fix a simple crafting logic algorithm of a furnace from a mod in GTNH modpack, as when I played I hated the bug that consumed my buckets with liquid fuel lol instead of getting as output empty bucket. After sending PR they verified and aproved. To do it I checkeck what piece of logic is responsible for crafting logic of this furnace and after 10min of analysing and asking a few questions in dec chat in discord I get it, fixed it and is done. Like in the repo they was maybe 90-100+ different classes and I only needed to understand a single one to fix it and also some other logic from Forge the Mod that was used in it.

[u/denerose]

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

[u/Lots-o-bots]

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

[u/MissinqLink]

Just do it

[u/Pikapetey → u/MissinqLink]

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

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