Forge Your Future with Open Source : Build Your Skills. Build Your Network. Build the Future of Technology.

Free and open source is the foundation of software development, and it’s built by people just like you. Discover the fundamental tenets that drive the movement. Take control of your career by selecting the right project to meet your professional goals. Master the language and avoid the pitfalls that typically ensnare new contributors. Join a community of like-minded people and change the world. Programmers, writers, designers, and everyone interested in software will make their mark through free and open source software contributions.Free and open source software is the default choice for the programming languages and technologies which run our world today, and it’s all built and maintained by people just like you. No matter your skill level or area of expertise, with this book you will contribute to free and open source software projects. Using this practical approach you’ll understand not only the mechanics of contributing, but also how doing so helps your career as well as the community.This book doesn’t assume that you’re a programmer, or even that you have prior experience with free and open source software. Learn what open source is, where it came from, and why it’s important. Start on the right foot by mastering the structure and tools you need before you contribute. Choose the right project for you, amplifying the impact of your contribution. Submit your first contribution, whether it’s code, writing, design, or community organizing. Find out what to do when things don’t go the way you expect. Discover how to start your own project and make it friendly and welcoming to contributors.Anyone can contribute! Make your mark today and help others while also helping yourself.What was your inspiration to write the book?In the twenty years since the term “open source software” came into being, the popularity of free and open source software projects has soared. It’s now approaching a point where it’s at risk of being a victim of its own success, with more projects used by more people and companies but fewer folks who know how to contribute to and maintain them. This book is an insurance policy for free and open source software, its communities, and the thousands or millions of companies that rely on it to operate.What outcomes would you like to see from readers?Whatever your contribution is, whatever mark you hope to make on the world, however you aim to move your career forward through free and open source software, I hope that this book helps make that a reality. That’s its goal: to help you succeed by helping others. If that happens, even just once, then this book is a success.How much experience in open source does a reader need before diving in?They need only as little or as much as they have. Yeah, that’s a bit cryptic, but the book is designed to accommodate people of all experience levels where free and open source software is concerned. If you’re all new and know nothing about free and open source, you’ll find everything you need to get started. If you have a few contributions under your belt or a lot of experience, you’ll find a lot of details you may have assumed you knew but didn’t realize the reasoning behind.What is the best way to get started contributing to a project?Despite what you may hear on the internet, there is no One True Best Way to make your first contribution to a free and open source software project. It all depends on the combination of your skillset and the project’s needs. If you’re a translator, a designer, or an information security specialist, your path to contribution may be different than that of a programmer. This book shows people of all software development roles how to get started in a way that’s not only good for the project, but also good for them.I’m a maintainer or mentor for an open source project. How can your book help me attract, develop, and retain contributors?With the skyrocketing popularity of free and open source software, the competition for contributors is going through the roof as well. Projects that want to attract and retain those contributors may need help figuring out how to create a contribution process that’s both easy and effective. This book helps by sharing best practices for contributions as well as providing the valuable perspective of the new contributor. By seeing through their eyes, projects can spot and correct the pain points in their contribution processes. Cover......Page 1 Table of Contents......Page 9 What’s NOT in This Book?......Page 13 Why Is This Book Not Openly Licensed?......Page 14 Credits......Page 15 Acknowledgments......Page 16 It’s About the People......Page 18 Free and Open Source Software Is Everywhere......Page 19 Other Open Movements......Page 21 The Origins of Free Software......Page 22 The Origins of Open Source......Page 23 Difference Between Free Software and Open Source......Page 25 An Aside About Terminology......Page 26 A Brief Introduction to Copyright and Licensing......Page 27 Types of Free and Open Source Software Licenses......Page 30 Now You Have a Strong Foundation......Page 31 FOSS Benefits to Your Skillset......Page 32 FOSS Benefits to Your Career......Page 37 FOSS Benefits to Your Personal Network......Page 39 Benefit from Preparation......Page 40 3. Prepare to Contribute......Page 41 Ways to Contribute......Page 42 Common Project and Community Roles......Page 43 Files You Should Know About Before You Start......Page 45 Common Communication Routes......Page 50 Contributor License Agreement/Developer Certificate of Origin......Page 52 You’re Ready to Find a Project......Page 53 Set Your Goals......Page 54 Collect Your Requirements......Page 57 Collect Candidate Projects......Page 60 Select a Project......Page 62 Select a Task......Page 64 What Is “Success”?......Page 66 Prepare for Your Contribution......Page 67 Craft Your Contribution......Page 71 Gotchas......Page 72 Clone and Branch......Page 73 Atomic Commits......Page 75 Test Your Contribution......Page 76 Submit Your Contribution......Page 78 Review, Revise, Collaborate......Page 82 Tidy Up......Page 84 Special Considerations for Windows-based Contributors......Page 85 There’s More to Contributing Than Just Code......Page 86 6. Make a Difference Without Making a Pull Request......Page 87 Review Contributions......Page 88 Provide Testing......Page 94 Triage Issues......Page 97 Volunteer for the Less Interesting Things......Page 99 There Are So Many Options......Page 100 After Your First Contribution......Page 101 Get Help......Page 104 General Tips for Participating in Discussions......Page 106 The Importance of Setting Up and Maintaining Expectations......Page 108 Communication Channels and How to Use Them......Page 109 Mailing List......Page 110 Issue Tracker......Page 116 Real-Time Chat......Page 121 Conference Call......Page 124 Only the Tip of the Iceberg......Page 125 Get Together......Page 126 Tips for Coping at a Conference or Meetup......Page 129 Form Your Own Meetup......Page 135 Moving up in the Community......Page 137 FOSS Is People......Page 139 Intimidated by FOSS’ Reputation......Page 140 Can’t Find a Project......Page 141 Company Policies......Page 142 Contribution Process Is Unclear......Page 145 Language Barriers......Page 147 Your Contribution Is Declined......Page 149 Community Problems......Page 151 Sometimes You’re the Problem......Page 159 How to Exit a Community......Page 161 You Don’t Have to Feel Trapped......Page 162 Quick Start Guide to Releasing Your Own Project......Page 164 What Is Your Goal?......Page 165 Optimize for Community......Page 166 Work in the Open......Page 168 Keep It Simple, Silly......Page 169 Select Communication Routes......Page 170 What About Issue Tracking?......Page 171 Styleguides......Page 172 Select a License......Page 173 How to Apply a License......Page 175 Publish the Project and You’re Done!......Page 179 Contributing to External FOSS Projects......Page 180 Contributing to Your Company’s FOSS Projects......Page 183 Convincing Your Employer to Support FOSS......Page 184 Forge Your Future......Page 191 A1. Glossary......Page 192 Bibliography......Page 207 – C –......Page 208 – F –......Page 209 – P –......Page 210 – W –......Page 211 Cover 1 Table of Contents 9 Preface 13 What’s in This Book? 13 What’s NOT in This Book? 13 Who Should Read This Book? 14 Why Is This Book Not Openly Licensed? 14 Suggestions, Errata, or Questions? 15 Credits 15 Acknowledgments 16 1. The Foundations and Philosophies of Free and Open Source 18 It’s About the People 18 Why Learn About the Philosophies? 19 Free and Open Source Software Is Everywhere 19 Other Open Movements 21 The Origins of Free Software 22 The Origins of Open Source 23 Difference Between Free Software and Open Source 25 An Aside About Terminology 26 A Brief Introduction to Copyright and Licensing 27 Types of Free and Open Source Software Licenses 30 Now You Have a Strong Foundation 31 2. What Free and Open Source Can Do for You 32 FOSS Benefits to Your Skillset 32 FOSS Benefits to Your Career 37 FOSS Benefits to Your Personal Network 39 Benefit from Preparation 40 3. Prepare to Contribute 41 Ways to Contribute 42 Common Project and Community Roles 43 Files You Should Know About Before You Start 45 Issue Tracking 50 Common Communication Routes 50 Contributor License Agreement/Developer Certificate of Origin 52 You’re Ready to Find a Project 53 4. Find a Project 54 Set Your Goals 54 Collect Your Requirements 57 Collect Candidate Projects 60 Select a Project 62 Select a Task 64 What Is “Success”? 66 5. Make a Contribution 67 Prepare for Your Contribution 67 Craft Your Contribution 71 Gotchas 72 Clone and Branch 73 Atomic Commits 75 Test Your Contribution 76 Submit Your Contribution 78 Review, Revise, Collaborate 82 Tidy Up 84 Special Considerations for Windows-based Contributors 85 There’s More to Contributing Than Just Code 86 6. Make a Difference Without Making a Pull Request 87 Review Contributions 88 Provide Testing 94 Triage Issues 97 Volunteer for the Less Interesting Things 99 There Are So Many Options 100 7. Interact with the Community 101 After Your First Contribution 101 Get Help 104 General Tips for Participating in Discussions 106 The Importance of Setting Up and Maintaining Expectations 108 Communication Channels and How to Use Them 109 Mailing List 110 Issue Tracker 116 Real-Time Chat 121 Conference Call 124 Only the Tip of the Iceberg 125 8. It's About the People 126 Get Together 126 Tips for Coping at a Conference or Meetup 129 Form Your Own Meetup 135 Moving up in the Community 137 FOSS Is People 139 9. When It Goes Wrong 140 Intimidated by FOSS’ Reputation 140 Can’t Find a Project 141 Company Policies 142 Contribution Process Is Unclear 145 Language Barriers 147 Your Contribution Is Declined 149 Community Problems 151 Sometimes You’re the Problem 159 How to Exit a Community 161 You Don’t Have to Feel Trapped 162 10. Start Your Own Project 164 Quick Start Guide to Releasing Your Own Project 164 What Is Your Goal? 165 Optimize for Community 166 Work in the Open 168 Keep It Simple, Silly 169 Share the Burden Early 170 Select Communication Routes 170 What About Issue Tracking? 171 Styleguides 172 Select a License 173 How to Apply a License 175 Publish the Project and You’re Done! 179 11. Contribute for Your Job 180 Contributing to External FOSS Projects 180 Contributing to Your Company’s FOSS Projects 183 Convincing Your Employer to Support FOSS 184 Forge Your Future 191 A1. Glossary 192 Bibliography 207 Index 208 – A – 208 – B – 208 – C – 208 – D – 209 – E – 209 – F – 209 – G – 210 – H – 210 – I – 210 – J – 210 – L – 210 – M – 210 – N – 210 – O – 210 – P – 210 – R – 211 – S – 211 – T – 211 – U – 211 – V – 211 – W – 211 Free and open source is the foundation of software development, and it's built by people just like you. Discover the fundamental tenets that drive the movement. Take control of your career by selecting the right project to meet your professional goals. Master the language and avoid the pitfalls that typically ensnare new contributors. Join a community of like-minded people and change the world. Programmers, writers, designers, and everyone interested in software will make their mark through free and open source software contributions. Free and open source software is the default choice for the programming languages and technologies which run our world today, and it's all built and maintained by people just like you. No matter your skill level or area of expertise, with this book you will contribute to free and open source software projects. Using this practical approach you'll understand not only the mechanics of contributing, but also how doing so helps your career as well as the community. This book doesn't assume that you're a programmer, or even that you have prior experience with free and open source software. Learn what open source is, where it came from, and why it's important. Start on the right foot by mastering the structure and tools you need before you contribute. Choose the right project for you, amplifying the impact of your contribution. Submit your first contribution, whether it's code, writing, design, or community organising. Find out what to do when things don't go the way you expect. Discover how to start your own project and make it friendly and welcoming to contributors. Anyone can contribute! Make your mark today and help others while also helping yourself. Here we are--forty years on from the launch of the Free Software movement and twenty years since the open source" and its related movement were created--and it's still really hard to contribute to most free and open source software projects.