You might be new to programming or you might have several years of experience under your belt but when it comes to open source contribution everyone is equally intimidated and scared at the beginning. There is a combination of impostor syndrome and the lack of organization and guidance in open source projects that drives many people away. This is why Hacktoberfest was created.
What is Hacktoberfest
Hacktoberfest is an initiative from the open source community that aims to enable people to contribute while also making open source projects discoverable and more friendly to newcomers.
All you have to do is 4 pull requests to open source projects during the month of October.
Signing up
I’m in! How to get started?
Sign up for a github account (Or use your existing one)
Sign up for the Hacktoberfest using your github account
Make 4 pull requests to open source projects. You can track your progress here
Receive swag including an awesome T-shirt
The hard part is making 4 pull requests. You can optionally create or contribute to a project that will change the world but there are also many easier ways to get it done.
Ways to contribute
Discover issues using github hacktoberfest and good-first-issue labels
Create documentation for software you use
Translate existing documentation to your language
Report and fix bugs
Refactor code following clean code best practices
Increase test coverage
Create your own repo
Pull request to your own repo count but making quality contributions to a third party is highly encouraged.
Your first pull request
You are probably already familiar with git and the only change in the workflow is that the final merge is done by the maintainer through a pull request
Clone repository
Create a branch
🧙♂️️️️ Make changes 🧙♂️
Commit and push changes
Create a pull request
Read more about your first pull request
Conclusion
Contributing to open source is scary but retrospectively not that hard. In addition, the feeling of accomplishment is extremely rewarding. Hacktoberfest initiative is a great opportunity to get you started and get an awesome T-shirt to proudly wear throughout the year. I have seen that it’s always an excuse to open a discussion with someone in meetups and conferences.
Let’s get the hacking started!
Additional resources:
Hacktoberfest beginners guide
First Timers Only
Get Started Contributing to Open Source Projects
An Introduction to Open Source
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