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How to Make Your First Open-Source Contribution!

· 3 min read
Zeeshan Mukhtar
Zeeshan Mukhtar
Full Stack Developer

Introduction​

Ready to start your open-source journey? Open source is like a friendly playground where you can learn, team up, and give back. In this guide, we'll hold your hand through the steps to make your very first open-source contribution. We'll begin with the basics, and soon you'll have the chance to help out on a real project. Excited? Let's go on this adventure together!

Prerequisites​

Before we begin, here's what you need:

  1. A GitHub account (If you don't have one, sign up at GitHub).
  2. GitHub Desktop installed on your local machine (Download it here).

Step 1: Forking a Repository​

  1. Go to the GitHub repository you'd like to contribute to. For practice, you can start with any open-source project you're interested in.
  2. In the top-right corner of the repository's page, click the "Fork" button. This action creates a copy of the repository in your GitHub account.

Step 2: Cloning the Repository​

  1. Open GitHub Desktop on your local machine.
  2. Click on the "File" menu and select "Clone Repository."
  3. In the "URL" field, enter the URL of your forked repository (it should look like https://github.com/yourusername/repositoryname.git).
  4. Choose a local path where you want to save the repository.
  5. Click "Clone."

Step 3: Making Changes​

A cool animation

  1. With the repository on your local machine, it's time to make changes. You can create a new file, edit an existing one, or perform any other task based on the project's purpose.

Step 4: Committing Your Changes​

  1. In GitHub Desktop, you'll see the changes you made.
  2. Write a descriptive commit message, such as "Added new feature" or "Fixed a bug."
  3. Click the "Commit" button.

Step 5: Pushing Your Changes​

  1. Push your changes to your forked repository by clicking the "Push origin" button in GitHub Desktop.

Step 6: Creating Your First Pull Request​

  1. Visit your forked repository on GitHub.
  2. Click the "New Pull Request" button.
  3. Review and confirm the changes you are proposing.
  4. Click "Create Pull Request."

Step 7: Wait for Approval​

A cool animated GIF

  1. Now, you'll need to wait for the repository owner to review your pull request.
  2. If any changes are requested, make them in your local repository and push the updates.
  3. Once your pull request is approved, your contribution will be merged into the original repository.

Ready to Contribute to OpenVerse?​

Now that you've learned the basics of making a contribution to an open-source project, you can take your newly acquired skills and apply them to a real project like OpenVerse.

To get started with OpenVerse, please refer to the OpenVerse README for contribution guidelines and additional information. OpenVerse is a fantastic project for sharing poetry, and we invite you to become a part of this wonderful open-source community.

Happy coding and contributing! Your journey into open source has just begun.