The latest articles on DEV Community by varun (@varun_). https://dev.to/varun_ https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3055177%2F902bea55-9e0e-4b92-b0f9-16dea4487b1d.png https://dev.to/varun_ en varun Wed, 07 May 2025 17:43:04 +0000 https://dev.to/varun_/my-journey-into-the-world-of-free-and-open-source-softwarefoss-2848 https://dev.to/varun_/my-journey-into-the-world-of-free-and-open-source-softwarefoss-2848 <p>When I first heard about Free and Open Source Software, I thought it was just "free software"--- something Techies used, with limited support and functionality. But as I stepped into this world during a college course, my perspective changed entirely.</p> <p><strong>What is FOSS?</strong><br> <em>FOSS _is about more than just free software---it's about the freedom. _Freedom</em> to use, modify, share, and contribute. It fosters transparency, collaboration, and global community engagement. And most importantly developers to learn, grow, and build real-world solutions.</p> <p><strong>My Journey</strong><br> My entry into FOSS ecosystem began as part of my academic curriculum. What started as a requirement quickly turned into interest. I created accounts on GitHub and GitLab, made Ubuntu my primary OS, and started exploring real projects. Along the way, I picked up Git, learned to manage repositories, and embraced version control in daily workflows.</p> <p><strong>What I Learned</strong></p> <ul> <li><p>Navigating the Linux command line interface</p></li> <li><p>Version control with Git/GitHub/GitLab</p></li> <li><p>Server setup and self-hosting</p></li> <li><p>Collaborating in distributed development enviroments</p></li> <li><p>Exploring tools like VS code, SvelteKit, and more</p></li> </ul> <p><strong>Contributions I'm Proud of</strong><br> I contributed to projects like wayfinder, helping improve UI design and other projects with there documentations. I also tackled real tasks like raising issues, and making meaningful changes--- not just in code, but in project clarity and collaboration.</p> <p><strong>Community Matters</strong><br> Although I haven't attended a physical FOSS event or Hackathon yet, I've stayed active in communities via Discord, GitHub, and Slack. These platform introduced me to a collaborative world where everyone is learning and growing together. I look forward to joining more events soon!<br> <strong>Challenges Faced</strong></p> <ul> <li><p>Carshed my Ubuntu system while experimenting with kernal update</p></li> <li><p>Faced issues with complex codebases and merge conflicts</p></li> <li><p>Struggled with time management and missed mentor support during bug fix and also faced problem with self hosting server<br> But every problem turned into a lesson. From sloving dependency issues to managing own server etup, I've come out stronger --- technically and personally.</p></li> </ul> <p><strong>At The END</strong><br> This journey has tought me more than any textbook or Pdf could --- not just technical skills, but the value of community curiosity, and consistency. FOSS has show me that anyone can contribute, and even small contributions matter.</p> <p>In the End if your've ever thought about diving into open-source --- go for it. Your journey may surprise you just like mine did.<br> Let's connect and build the future, one Open-sourse commit at a time!</p> opensource linux github gitlab