How to Contribute to Open Source GitHub Repositories

Contributing to open source projects on GitHub can seem daunting for beginners.

But with the right guidance on selecting a project, setting up your development environment, and making changes, you can successfully make your first open source contribution on GitHub.

This guide will walk you through the entire process step-by-step, from creating a GitHub account to opening your first pull request, empowering you to join the open source community.

Embarking on Your Open Source Journey

Understanding Open Source Software: A Beginner's Primer

Open source software (OSS) is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance. The code is openly shared so developers can collaborate and evolve the software. Key aspects of OSS include:

• Free distribution - OSS can be used and shared freely.
• Open source code - The source code is public and accessible for anyone to view, modify, and distribute.
• Collaborative development - OSS projects involve global collaboration between developers. Anyone can contribute code, find bugs, suggest improvements, etc.
• Rapid innovation - By enabling collaborative development on a global scale, OSS fosters faster innovation cycles. New features emerge through community cooperation.

Contributing to OSS presents exciting learning and growth opportunities, especially for those new to software development. It allows you to gain practical experience, expand your skills, build a portfolio, and engage with the wider development community.

Why Contribute to Open Source Projects?

Here are some of the key benefits of contributing to open source projects:

• Develop new skills - Work on real-world projects to practice coding, debugging, documentation, communication, etc.
• Enhance your portfolio - Public contributions serve as proof of your abilities for future job and freelance applications.
• Build your network - Interact with fellow developers worldwide who can become mentors, collaborators, and friends.
• Solve meaningful problems - OSS projects empower people to create solutions for themselves and others. Add your talents to make a difference.
• Learn best practices - Exposure to high-quality code and feedback from experienced developers helps you improve.
• Express creativity - Implement innovative features and optimizations to flex your creative muscles.
• Gain recognition - Quality contributions can boost your reputation both within projects and across the wider tech community.

Exploring GitHub Open Source Projects for Beginners

GitHub hosts a vibrant ecosystem of OSS projects welcoming new contributors. Here are some beginner-friendly options:

• First Timers Only - Repositories labeled for first-time contributors.
• Good First Issue - Beginner issues to start contributing.
• Awesome for Beginners - A curated list of projects for getting started.
• Up For Grabs - Start tackling unclaimed issues.
• First Contributions - A hands-on tutorial for creating your first pull request.

The key is finding projects that interest you and match your current skill level. Review the documentation, communication channels, and open issues to determine if a project is a good fit. Start small by fixing typos, improving documentation, adding comments, or correcting minor bugs. This builds confidence for tackling more complex contributions over time.

How do I start contributing to open source projects on GitHub?

You can start contributing to open source projects on GitHub by following these steps:

Explore Projects

Browse GitHub to find open source projects that interest you and match your skills. Search by topic, programming language, most popular, or recommended for new contributors.

Some places to look:

• GitHub Explore
• First Timers Only
• Up For Grabs
• Good First Issues

Fork the Repository

Once you've found a project, fork it by clicking the "Fork" button. This creates your own copy of the repository to work on.

Create a Branch

It's good practice to create a new branch to keep your changes separate from the main branch:

git checkout -b my-new-feature

Name your branch something descriptive for the feature or fix you'll be working on.

Make Changes

Make your code changes to implement the feature or bug fix. Test your changes thoroughly.

Commit Your Changes

Commit your changes with a descriptive commit message:

git commit -m "Implement new feature X"

Group related commits together in logical chunks.

Push to GitHub

Push your changes to your forked repository on GitHub:

git push origin my-new-feature

Open Pull Request

On GitHub, open a pull request from your branch to the upstream repository. Describe your changes and why you made them. Request a review.

Discuss and Update

Have a conversation in the pull request with the maintainers. Make changes to address any feedback. Push follow-up commits to keep the PR updated.

Celebrate When Merged!

Hooray! You've successfully made your first open source contribution! 🎉

Keep contributing to projects and growing your skills.

How do I contribute to a public GitHub repository?

Contributing to public GitHub repositories is a great way to get involved in open source projects. Here are the basic steps to make your first contribution:

Create a Fork

The first step is to create a "fork" of the repository you want to contribute to. This creates a copy of the codebase that you can edit without impacting the original project. On GitHub, you'll see a "Fork" button on the top right of the repository page - click that to fork the repo to your own GitHub account.

Clone Your Fork Locally

Next, you'll want to clone your forked copy of the repository to your local machine so you can make changes:

git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/<repo-name>

Then, navigate into the new project directory:

cd <repo-name>

Create a New Branch

It's best practice to create a new branch for each contribution instead of making changes directly on the main branch:

git checkout -b <branch-name>

Make Your Changes

Now you can make edits, add features, fix bugs - whatever your contribution is. Be sure to test your changes!

Commit Your Changes

Once you're happy with your edits, stage and commit them:

git add .
git commit -m "Your commit message" 

Write clear, concise commit messages to explain your changes.

Push Your Commits

Push your changes to your forked GitHub repository:

git push origin <branch-name>

Open a Pull Request

On GitHub, you should now see the option to open a pull request - this proposes merging your contributions from your fork into the main repository.

The project owners will review and approve your PR or start a discussion if there are any other changes needed. Once approved and merged, congratulations - you've contributed to open source!

How do I contribute to a file in GitHub?

Adding a CONTRIBUTING file helps clarify how others can participate in your project. Here are the steps to add one in GitHub:

• Navigate to the main page of your GitHub repository
• Click on the Add file dropdown menu above the file list
• Select Create new file
• Name the file CONTRIBUTING.md
• In the file editor, add information about:
• How to report issues or bugs
• Coding standards and conventions
• Ways to contribute:
• Code
• Documentation
• Design
• Translation
• Testing procedures
• Scroll down and click Commit new file to save

Including CONTRIBUTING guidelines makes it easier for new contributors to understand your project's processes. The file also signals that you welcome community participation. Some things to cover are coding standards to follow, instructions for reporting bugs/issues, testing procedures, and different ways to contribute besides coding.

The CONTRIBUTING file gives your project transparency and helps it be more collaborative. Even if you are the sole contributor, adding these guidelines early on will save time later as others join. It's an important part of building an open culture that welcomes new ideas.

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How to do open source contributions?

Contributing to open source can seem daunting, but following this checklist can help ensure your first contribution goes smoothly:

A CHECKLIST BEFORE YOU CONTRIBUTE

• Meets the definition of open source - Ensure the project has an open source license allowing contributions from anyone.
• Project actively accepts contributions - Look at the project's CONTRIBUTING file, recent commit activity, and open issues to see if maintainers are responsive and welcoming to new contributors.
• Project is welcoming - A code of conduct, documentation, labeling first-time issues, and a friendly tone in discussions indicate a welcoming project.
• Give context - In your pull request or issue, explain your reasons for contributing and what problem you are trying to solve to help maintainers understand your perspective.
• Do your homework beforehand - Read documentation, review open issues, research previous discussions to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.
• Keep requests short and direct - Be clear and concise in your communications to respect maintainers' time. Link to longer discussions if needed.
• Keep all communication public - Discuss contributions publicly through issues or pull requests rather than private channels to keep transparency.
• It's okay to ask questions (but be patient!) - Don't hesitate to ask for clarification, but understand that maintainers volunteer their time and may not respond instantly.

The open source community appreciates new contributors as they bring fresh perspectives. By following these tips, you can make the process smooth for both yourself and maintainers. Over time, you will become a member of the community!

Get Started with Open Source Contributions

This section provides a step-by-step guide for beginners looking to make their first open source contribution on GitHub.

Setting Up Your GitHub Account

To contribute to open source projects on GitHub, you'll first need to:

• Set up a free GitHub account
• Configure your profile with your name, location, bio, profile picture etc. This helps build credibility within the open source community
• Set up two-factor authentication for account security
• Familiarize yourself with GitHub's interface and features like Issues, Pull Requests, Repositories etc.

GitHub provides excellent documentation and guides for beginners. Invest some time going through these to set up an optimal account.

Mastering the Basics of Git and GitHub

Before you can contribute effectively, having a solid grasp of some fundamental Git and GitHub concepts is essential:

• Install Git on your local machine and understand basic commands like clone, commit, push, pull etc. Here's a great Git tutorial for beginners.
• Fork repositories you wish to contribute to. This creates your own copy to work on.
• Create branches for your contributions to keep them isolated.
• Open and work on issues assigned to you within repositories. Issues help coordinate contributions.
• Submit polished pull requests with your changes for review and potential merging.

Practice using Git locally and make some test contributions to build confidence. The workflow will quickly become second nature!

How to Find Open Source Projects to Contribute to on GitHub

With some fundamentals in place, it's time to find projects matching your interests and abilities!

• The First Timers Only site compiles beginner-friendly open source opportunities.
• GitHub's Good First Issues helps you filter repositories by your skills.
• Specific communities like Up For Grabs or First Contributions organize beginner issues across various projects.

Look for documentation gaps, bug fixes, UI enhancements or other entry-level issues to cut your teeth on. Work up to more complex contributions as you gain experience!

Your First GitHub Contributions: A Step-by-Step Guide

Contributing to open source can be an exciting and rewarding way to enhance your coding skills, build your portfolio, and give back to the developer community. This guide will walk first-timers through the process of making that all-important first contribution on GitHub.

How to Fork a Repository on GitHub

Forking a repository creates your own copy of it under your GitHub account. This allows you to freely experiment with changes without affecting the original project. Here are the steps:

• Navigate to the project's GitHub page and click the "Fork" button in the top-right. This creates a forked copy in your account.
• The forked repository copy appears in your GitHub repositories. You're now ready to clone it locally.

Cloning and Setting Up Your Local Development Environment

Cloning downloads a local version of your forked repository to work on. Make sure you've installed Git and set up a development environment with text editor or IDE. Here's how to clone:

• Copy the forked repository URL on GitHub.
• Open terminal/command prompt and git clone <forked-url> to download files.
• Set the upstream remote so you can sync changes from original repo:

git remote add upstream <original-url>

Creating a New Feature Branch for Your Contribution

Develop new features and changes in dedicated branches instead of main branch. This keeps it organized:

git checkout -b <branchname>

Descriptive branch names like "add-readme-section" help identify purpose.

How to Make and Test Your Code Changes

Time to add your contribution! Follow project contribution guidelines, coding styleguides, or issues marked "good first issue".

• Develop and test locally with Git commits before pushing changes.
• Add meaningful commit messages so maintainers can follow development.
• Make atomic commits for easier reviewing/rollback.

Committing Your Changes and Pushing to GitHub

Once changes are ready, commit them to your forked repository branch:

git add .
git commit -m "Detailed commit message"
git push origin <branchname>

This updates your remote GitHub fork branch.

Opening Your First Pull Request

You're ready to have maintainers review your changes:

• In your forked GitHub repository, click "Pull request" button for your branch.
• Give PR an informative title and description explaining changes.
• Project maintainers will review, provide feedback, and potentially merge it in!

And that's how you make your first open source contribution on GitHub!

Navigating the Open Source Landscape: Beyond Your First Contribution

Encourage readers to build upon their initial GitHub contribution by engaging more deeply with the open source community.

Finding Good First Issues to Tackle

After making your first open source contribution on GitHub, the next step is to find more "good first issues" that are well-suited for new contributors. Here are some tips:

• Look for the labels good first issue, beginner, easy, or help wanted. Maintainers often tag issues that are ideal for newbies.
• Check the project's CONTRIBUTING guide for advice on getting started. Some projects maintain a specific list of beginner-friendly issues.
• If there's a Slack or Discord channel, ask about good first issues to tackle. The community is often happy to guide new contributors.
• Once you gain experience on easier issues, try finding slightly more complex ones to stretch your skills.

Participating in Code Reviews and Community Discussions

To become a valued member of an open source project, it's important to get involved beyond just contributing code:

• Ask clarifying questions during code reviews of your pull requests. Be receptive to feedback from maintainers and community members.
• Provide thoughtful code reviews for other contributors' PRs. Offer constructive suggestions.
• Join the conversation in Slack/Discord. Share ideas and give technical help to other community members.
• Help triage issues, reproduce bug reports, etc. This allows maintainers to focus on higher-priority tasks.

Building positive relationships and demonstrating dedication to a project is key.

The Path to Becoming an Open Source Project Maintainer

As you continue contributing high-quality code and participating actively, you may be invited to become a maintainer, taking on additional responsibilities:

• Monitor pull requests and issues to ensure community guidelines are followed
• Review and merge approved pull requests
• Make releases of new software versions
• Shape project roadmaps and processes

While being a maintainer requires more work, it allows you to guide the project's direction. It also looks great on your resume!

Conclusion: Reflecting on the Open Source Contribution Experience

Revisiting the Benefits of Open Source Contributions

Contributing to open source projects on GitHub provides numerous benefits for developers of all skill levels. It allows you to:

• Gain practical experience using version control systems like Git and GitHub.
• Improve coding abilities through reading and reviewing others' code.
• Enhance collaboration and communication skills by interacting with project maintainers and contributors.
• Expand your development portfolio with real-world examples of contributions.
• Network with other developers and potentially find job opportunities.
• Learn about agile software development workflows.
• Discover new projects and technologies that could be useful for your own work.
• Join open source communities where you can both seek help and share your knowledge.

Resources and Communities for Ongoing Learning

There are many online resources and communities that can help continue your open source education:

• DigitalOcean's How To Contribute to Open Source Guide - Articles and tutorials on finding projects, making contributions, open source workflows, and more.
• Open Source Guides - Collection of best practices for starting and running open source projects.
• Open Source Friday Events - Global events to encourage contributions to open source projects.
• 24 Pull Requests - Year-round initiative promoting open source collaboration through GitHub contributions.
• Up For Grabs - Lists projects that actively want help from new contributors.
• Open Source Slack/Discord Communities - Great places to chat with other open source enthusiasts.

Related posts

• Dev Resources: Community-Driven Content
• How to Start Contributing to Open Source Projects
• Beginner's Guide: How to Start Learning Coding from Scratch
• How to Get Started with Software Development: First Steps