Getting Started with Open
Source
Isabel Costa | @isabelcmdcosta
Slide 2
Slide 2 text
What is Open
Source?
“The term "open source" refers to
something people can modify and
share because its design is publicly
accessible.”
Source: https://opensource.com/
Slide 3
Slide 3 text
What is FOSS?
Free Open Source Software
Proprietary Software
Slide 4
Slide 4 text
Why do Open Source?
● Build or improve technical skills
● Build portfolio
● Make social impact
● Give back to a project
● ...
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 5
Slide 5 text
Journey through Open Source
● Dec ‘17: First PR during 24 Pull Requests
● March ‘18: PR for Open Data Kit
● April ‘18: Created issue and worked on it
● Summer ‘18: Participated on Google Summer of Code
● Now: Maintainer for Mentorship System on
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 6
Slide 6 text
Examples of projects
Slide 7
Slide 7 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 8
Slide 8 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 9
Slide 9 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 10
Slide 10 text
Where to discuss projects
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 11
Slide 11 text
Communities
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 12
Slide 12 text
Types of contributions
Slide 13
Slide 13 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 14
Slide 14 text
Design
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 15
Slide 15 text
Design
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 16
Slide 16 text
Design
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 17
Slide 17 text
Quality Assurance
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 18
Slide 18 text
Quality Assurance
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 19
Slide 19 text
Outreach / Research / Feedback
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 20
Slide 20 text
Outreach / Research / Feedback
Credit: http://systers-opensource.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-importance-of-feedback.html @isabelcmdcosta
Slide 21
Slide 21 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 22
Slide 22 text
Road to a successful contribution
Find a problem solve
Work on it
Submit your work
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 23
Slide 23 text
Find a Project
Slide 24
Slide 24 text
Open source project you
use and enjoy?
github.com/explore
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 25
Slide 25 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 26
Slide 26 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 27
Slide 27 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 28
Slide 28 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 29
Slide 29 text
Initiatives that promote Open Source
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 30
Slide 30 text
No content
Slide 31
Slide 31 text
Learn about the project
Slide 32
Slide 32 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 33
Slide 33 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 34
Slide 34 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 35
Slide 35 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 36
Slide 36 text
Find an working item
Slide 37
Slide 37 text
● Labels
● Issue Tracker
● Comments
● Create your own issue
● Ask Questions
Look for ...
@isabelcmdcosta
Work with code reviewers
to improve pull request
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 47
Slide 47 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 48
Slide 48 text
It’s Done!
Slide 49
Slide 49 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 50
Slide 50 text
Tools and Resources
Slide 51
Slide 51 text
Octotree
Chrome and Mozilla
extension
How to Contribute to an Open
Source Project on GitHub
By Kent C. Dodds on egghead.io
Roshanjossey/first-contributions
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 52
Slide 52 text
https://opensource.guide/
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 53
Slide 53 text
Blockers for beginners
Slide 54
Slide 54 text
● Not confident in technical skills
● Lack of beginner issues
● Projects are big and intimidating
● Time management
● How and where to start
● Giving up on an issue
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 55
Slide 55 text
● Confidence comes with time
● Create your issue or find other projects
● Documentation
● Baby steps … 1 hour a week, a month …
● Give notice you’ll moving on to other issue and that's OK
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 56
Slide 56 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 57
Slide 57 text
Final notes
Slide 58
Slide 58 text
Be aware of ...
● Be patient
● Project/Community organization
● Abandoned projects
● Respect open source contributors
○ Maintainers, beginners, everyone ...
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 59
Slide 59 text
Takeaways ...
● Anyone can participate
● Pick something you care about
● Do what works for you
● Most of us volunteer for this
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 60
Slide 60 text
@isabelcmdcosta
Slide 61
Slide 61 text
Thank you!
Feel free to ask at least 1 or 2 questions and
we’re good to go :)
@isabelcmdcosta
@isabelcosta