DEV Community

Yashvant Singh
Yashvant Singh

Posted on

Quick Open-Source Guide

💬 “Bhaiya GSoC kaise karte hain?”
A question I’ve been asked a lot lately. And honestly… I still don’t know everything. 😅 I’m learning every day, thanks to the super helpful mentors and community at CircuitVerse.

But I was a complete noob once too (still am on many days 🥲).

So here’s something I wish I had when I started:

A humble kickstart guide to your Open Source! 💻🚀

🧠 Step 0: It's not hard, it's FUN.

First, drop the fear. Google Summer of Code isn’t some IIT-JEE of open source.
It’s a learning experience. If you're curious and consistent, you're already halfway there.

🔧 Step 1: Learn Git & GitHub (Your survival kit)

You can't open-source without these. Period.
Learn it from the GOAT himself, Kunal Kushwaha 🐐👇
Link : https://youtu.be/apGV9Kg7ics?si=Fghx5AlJ03DjzvyH

▶️ Git & GitHub for Beginners

✨ Step 2: Your First Contribution (Don’t be shy)
Start small. Even fixing a typo or adding a README line counts!

📦 Try this beginner-friendly repo: First Contributions
Link : https://github.com/firstcontributions/first-contributions
You'll feel like a hacker in no time 😎

🤝 Step 3: Learn the Culture (Very important)

Open source = Community = Respect & Etiquette.
Before jumping in, read this gem:
📖 Open Source Etiquette – MDN Docs
Link : https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/MDN/Community/Open_source_etiquette

(Please don't send “Hi I want to contribute” messages to maintainers 😭)

🔍 Step 4: Pick a Tech Stack (or let it pick you)

Frontend? Backend? DevOps?
Just explore. Build a few small things. You’ll slowly figure what you vibe with.
(Also, it’s okay to switch later — I started with one, ended up loving another.)

⚔️ Step 5: Enter the Battlefield

GSoC is great. But it’s not the only place to begin.
Try these awesome beginner-friendly programs first:

🧑‍💻 Social Summer Of Code (https://reskilll.com/hack/ssoc4)
🎃 Hacktoberfest (https://hacktoberfest.com/)
🧡 GirlScript Summer of Code (https://gssoc.girlscript.tech/)

Each one is a goldmine of mentors, projects, and experience.

💌 Final Gyaan:

Don’t obsess over the GSoC selection mail. Obsess over learning.
Ask doubts. Join community calls. Talk on Discord/Slack.
Open issues. Review PRs. Be the person who adds value.
And finally...

PR maaroooooo! (With etiquette 😅)

🧵 Saving this post = future you saying thank you.

Feel free to DM or comment if you need guidance or just someone to hype your first PR!

Image description

Top comments (0)