Beginner

Beginner Level 🚀

Welcome to the "OSS101"! Whether you're new to the world of open source or looking to enhance your contributions, this section is designed to help you get started on your journey.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Prerequisites
3. Setting Up Your Development Environment
4. Choosing Your First Project
5. Making Your First Contribution
6. Resources

Introduction

Before diving into open source, it's essential to understand the fundamentals. This section introduces the principles of open source, its impact on the tech industry, and what you can gain from contributing to open-source projects.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

• A code editor (e.g., Visual Studio Code, Atom, Sublime Text)
• Git installed on your local machine
• Basic understanding of version control concepts

Setting Up Your Development Environment

Follow these steps to set up your development environment:

1. Install a Code Editor: Choose a code editor that suits your preferences and install it on your machine.

2. Install Git: If you haven't already, install Git on your local machine.

3. Configure Git: Set your Git username and email using the following commands:

   git config --global user.name "Your Name"
   git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

Version control is fundamental to collaborative coding. Learn the basics of Git, understand common Git commands, and become comfortable with workflows like branching, committing, and merging.

GitHub provides an excellent guide on Getting Started with Git.

Choosing Your First Project

Selecting the right project is crucial. Start with projects that align with your interests and skill level. Look for beginner-friendly labels or "good first issue" tags on GitHub. This indicates issues that are suitable for newcomers.

Making Your First Contribution

Now comes the exciting part – making your first contribution! This might involve fixing a bug, adding a feature, or improving documentation. Follow the project's contribution guidelines, create a fork, make changes in your fork, and submit a pull request.

GitHub's Contributing to Open Source guide is an excellent resource.

Resources

• GitHub Guides - Essential guides for using GitHub.
• Open Source Guides - A collection of practical guides for contributing to open source.
• First Contributions - Help beginners make their first contribution.

Ready to get started? Happy coding! 🚀