Introduction: Why Should You Contribute to Open Source?

If you're a developer, you've probably thought at least once about contributing to an open source project. But when you actually try to start, concerns like "Am I skilled enough?", "Where do I even begin?", or "What if I make a mistake?" can hold you back.

I was also really nervous when I first contributed to open source. My hands were shaking even when submitting a PR that just fixed a typo. But looking back now, that small beginning was incredibly helpful for my development career. In this article, I'll guide you through everything about open source contribution from start to finish.

1. The Meaning and Value of Open Source Contribution

1.1 What is Open Source?

Open source software is software with publicly available source code that anyone can view, use, modify, and distribute. Many technologies we use daily are based on open source. Linux, Git, React, Node.js, Python, VS Code - most tools familiar to developers are open source.

1.2 What You Gain from Contributing

Open source contribution goes beyond just "doing something good" - it provides many personal benefits:

  • Skill Improvement: You can read and learn from the code of excellent developers. You can also receive direct feedback through code reviews.
  • Portfolio Enhancement: When contribution history builds up on your GitHub profile, it becomes a major strength for job applications or career changes. Many companies highly value open source contribution experience.
  • Networking: You can collaborate with developers from around the world and build relationships. These connections can lead to great opportunities.
  • Technical Depth: As you understand the internal workings of libraries you use, you gain deeper technical understanding.
  • Community Belonging: Contributing to something is rewarding in itself.

1.3 Contribution Isn't Just Code

Many people think "contribution = writing code," but there are various forms of open source contribution:

  • Documentation: Improving READMEs, writing tutorials, translation
  • Bug Reports: Finding and reporting issues in detail
  • Testing: Adding test code, improving test cases
  • Design: UI/UX improvements, icon creation
  • Issue Management: Organizing duplicate issues, helping with labeling
  • Community Support: Answering other users' questions

2. Finding Good Projects to Contribute To

2.1 Using the "good first issue" Label

Most open source projects label issues meant for beginner contributors as "good first issue" or "beginner-friendly." These issues are relatively simple, and maintainers often provide friendly guidance.

How to find these issues on GitHub:

# In GitHub search
label:"good first issue" language:javascript is:open

# Or in a specific repository
label:"good first issue" repo:facebook/react is:open

2.2 Tips for Choosing a Good First Project

  1. Tools you already use: Libraries or frameworks you already use will be easier to understand.
  2. Active community: Check recent commits and issue response times. There's little chance of getting merged if contributing to an abandoned project.
  3. Good documentation: Projects with well-organized CONTRIBUTING.md files are better.
  4. Appropriate size: Medium to small projects have lower entry barriers than very large ones.

2.3 Recommended Starting Points

  • first-contributions: A practice project for open source contribution
  • awesome-for-beginners: Collection of beginner-friendly projects
  • up-for-grabs.net: A site aggregating issues good for contributing
  • goodfirstissues.com: A search site for good first issues

3. The Difference Between Fork and Clone

3.1 Understanding Fork

Forking is copying someone else's repository to your own GitHub account. Since it creates an independent repository separate from the original, you can modify it freely without affecting the original.

# Fork is done by clicking the "Fork" button on GitHub web
# Result:
# Original: https://github.com/original-owner/project
# Fork: https://github.com/my-username/project

3.2 Understanding Clone

Cloning is downloading a repository from GitHub to your local computer. After forking, cloning allows you to work on your forked repository locally.

# Clone the forked repository
git clone https://github.com/my-username/project.git
cd project

# Add original repository as upstream
git remote add upstream https://github.com/original-owner/project.git

# Verify remotes
git remote -v
# origin    https://github.com/my-username/project.git (fetch)
# origin    https://github.com/my-username/project.git (push)
# upstream  https://github.com/original-owner/project.git (fetch)
# upstream  https://github.com/original-owner/project.git (push)

3.3 Fork vs Clone Comparison

Category Fork Clone
Location GitHub (cloud) Local computer
Purpose Create independent copy Work locally
Method Button click on GitHub web git clone command
Result New repository in your account Project folder locally

4. Mastering the Contribution Workflow

4.1 Overall Flow Overview

The standard workflow for open source contribution is:

Fork -> Clone -> Branch -> Code -> Commit -> Push -> Pull Request -> Review -> Merge

4.2 Step-by-Step Detailed Guide

Step 1: Fork

On GitHub, click the "Fork" button in the upper right corner of the project page you want to contribute to.

Step 2: Clone and Setup

# Clone the forked repository
git clone https://github.com/my-username/project.git
cd project

# Setup upstream
git remote add upstream https://github.com/original-owner/project.git

# Sync to latest state
git fetch upstream
git checkout main
git merge upstream/main

Step 3: Create Branch

# Create branch with meaningful name
git checkout -b fix/typo-in-readme
# or
git checkout -b feature/add-dark-mode
# or
git checkout -b docs/update-installation-guide

Step 4: Modify Code

Now actually modify the code. Follow the project's coding style, and if there's a linter, run it to make sure it passes.

Step 5: Commit

# Check changes
git status
git diff

# Stage
git add .

# Commit (following conventions)
git commit -m "fix: correct typo in README.md"

Step 6: Push

# Push to forked repository
git push origin fix/typo-in-readme

Step 7: Create Pull Request

On GitHub, a "Compare & pull request" button will automatically appear. Click it and write your description following the PR template.

4.3 Staying Up to Date

Even after submitting a PR, the original repository may continue to be updated. To avoid conflicts, you need to sync periodically:

# Fetch latest from upstream
git fetch upstream

# Update main branch
git checkout main
git merge upstream/main

# Apply to working branch
git checkout fix/typo-in-readme
git rebase main

# If there are conflicts, resolve them then
git push origin fix/typo-in-readme --force-with-lease

5. Reading Contribution Guidelines

5.1 Check CONTRIBUTING.md

Most open source projects provide contribution instructions in a CONTRIBUTING.md file. You should always read this before contributing. It typically includes:

  • Development environment setup
  • Code style guide
  • How to run tests
  • Commit message conventions
  • PR writing guide
  • How to register issues

5.2 CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md

Also check the code of conduct. It specifies the etiquette and rules to follow in the community. Respect and consideration are fundamental in the open source community.

5.3 Issue Templates and PR Templates

Many projects provide templates for issues and PRs. If templates exist, you must follow them. They help maintainers review efficiently.

6. Writing Good Commit Messages (Conventional Commits)

6.1 What is Conventional Commits?

Conventional Commits is a specification that applies consistent rules to commit messages. Many open source projects follow these rules.

<type>[optional scope]: <description>

[optional body]

[optional footer(s)]

6.2 Types of Type

  • feat: Add new feature
  • fix: Bug fix
  • docs: Documentation changes
  • style: Code style changes (formatting, semicolons, etc.)
  • refactor: Refactoring (no functional change)
  • perf: Performance improvements
  • test: Adding or modifying tests
  • chore: Build settings, package management, etc.
  • ci: CI configuration changes

6.3 Good Commit Message Examples

# Good examples
feat(auth): add OAuth2 login support
fix(api): handle null response from user endpoint
docs(readme): update installation instructions
refactor(utils): simplify date formatting logic
test(cart): add unit tests for checkout process

# Bad examples
fixed bug
update
WIP
asdfasdf

6.4 Tips for Writing Body

fix(parser): resolve infinite loop in nested tags

The parser was entering an infinite loop when processing
deeply nested HTML tags due to incorrect exit condition.

This commit:
- Adds proper depth tracking
- Implements maximum nesting limit (100)
- Adds unit tests for edge cases

Closes #123

7. The Process Until PR Gets Merged

7.1 What to Expect After Submitting a PR

After submitting a PR, it typically goes through the following process:

  1. Automated checks: CI runs tests, lint, and build
  2. Maintainer review: Maintainers review the PR
  3. Code review: Feedback on changes
  4. Change requests: Additional modifications requested if needed
  5. Approval and merge: Merge after passing all reviews

7.2 Responding to Review Feedback

When reviewers request changes, accept them positively. They know the project better and are helping your code improve.

# After applying feedback
git add .
git commit -m "refactor: apply review feedback for variable naming"
git push origin feature/my-feature

# If you need to modify existing commit (amend then force push)
git commit --amend
git push origin feature/my-feature --force-with-lease

7.3 Be Patient

Most maintainers manage projects as volunteers. Responses may be slow, so wait about 1-2 weeks. After that, you can politely leave a reminder comment.

# Polite reminder example
"Hi @maintainer, I was wondering if you had a chance to review this PR.
Please let me know if there's anything I should update. Thank you!"

8. Open Source Etiquette

8.1 Basic Courtesy

  • Express gratitude: Thank those who review or help you.
  • Be specific with questions: Not "it doesn't work" but "when I do X, error Y occurs" - be specific.
  • Search existing issues: Before opening a new issue, check if it's already been reported.
  • Start small: Rather than proposing large-scale changes from the start, begin with something small.

8.2 Things to Avoid

  • Don't pressure maintainers to merge.
  • Don't respond defensively to review feedback.
  • Don't open multiple PRs at once.
  • Don't include unrelated changes in a PR.
  • Don't contribute without reading CONTRIBUTING.md.

8.3 When You Get Rejected

Your PR may get rejected. It may be disappointing, but it's also a learning opportunity. Understand why it was rejected, and you can make better contributions next time. Even if the rejection reason doesn't seem convincing, don't respond emotionally.

9. Starting Your Own Open Source Project

9.1 What Project Should You Create?

Good open source project ideas:

  • Solve your own problem: A tool that solves something you found inconvenient
  • Improve existing tools: Wrappers or extensions for libraries you use often
  • Learning projects: Collections of examples organizing what you've learned
  • Utilities: Modularizing code you frequently copy-paste

9.2 Writing a Good README

# Project Name

A brief one-line description

## Installation

```bash
npm install my-awesome-package
```

## Usage

```javascript
import { awesomeFunction } from 'my-awesome-package';

awesomeFunction();
```

## Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read CONTRIBUTING.md.

## License

MIT

9.3 Project Management Tips

  • Set up issue templates: Create templates for bug reports and feature requests.
  • Set up PR templates: Provide PR templates with checklists.
  • Configure CI: Set up automated testing with GitHub Actions.
  • Use labels: Actively use labels like good first issue, help wanted.
  • Respond quickly: Quick responses to issues and PRs help the community grow.

10. Understanding Licenses

10.1 Why Licenses Matter

Licenses define how others can use your code. Code without a license is copyright protected by default, meaning others cannot use it. To publish as open source, you must specify a license.

10.2 Major License Comparison

License Characteristics Commercial Use Source Disclosure Required
MIT Most permissive Yes No
Apache 2.0 Includes patent protection Yes No
GPL 3.0 Copyleft Yes Yes (derivatives must be GPL)
BSD 3-Clause Similar to MIT Yes No

10.3 MIT License

The most widely used license. It allows almost everything, with the only condition being to maintain the license and copyright notice. React, jQuery, and Node.js use the MIT license.

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2026 Your Name

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software...

10.4 Apache License 2.0

Permissive like MIT, but provides explicit patent protection. This license is preferred by corporations. Kubernetes, Android, and TensorFlow use it.

10.5 GPL (GNU General Public License)

A copyleft license. Software using GPL code must also be distributed under GPL. This can restrict commercial use. The Linux kernel is a representative GPL project.

10.6 License Selection Guide

  • Maximum freedom: MIT
  • Need patent protection too: Apache 2.0
  • Want derivatives to be open source too: GPL
  • Not sure: MIT (simplest and most widely used)

Conclusion: Toward Your First Contribution

Open source contribution feels difficult at first, but becomes more familiar once you start. I also started by fixing a typo in a README. I still remember the joy when that first PR was merged.

What's important is starting. You don't need to be perfect. Start small. Document translation or typo fixes are excellent contributions. Through that process, you'll understand the project's structure and gradually be able to make larger contributions.

Through this series, we've learned together from Git and GitHub basics to open source contribution. Now you're ready to become a member of the open source world. I wish you the best with your first contribution!