Stage 1 of 6 · 7 lessons · ~2 weeks
How open source works
Before touching code, learn how projects are run: licences, maintainers, contributing guides and codes of conduct. Most rejected first pull requests break a norm, not a test.
Start: Why people and companies contributeLessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order
Start with
- GuideFreeHow to Contribute to Open Source
GitHub · Beginner
How projects are run, how to find one, and what to do before you open an issue
Keep handy
Also worth your time
- 10 Must-Know Open Source Projects to Level Up Your Coding Skills as a Beginner (opens in a new tab)Read
Ten foundational projects worth studying, plus how a beginner starts contributing
Before moving on: Pick three projects you already use and, for each, write down its licence, who makes decisions and the steps in its contributing guide.
Maintainers are volunteers or busy employees, so read the contributing guide before asking anything it already answers. Never comment "can I work on this?" on ten issues at once: pick one, read the whole thread, and say how you plan to approach it.