Contributing to Open Source projects
brad.livejournal.com
Contributing to Open Source projects
1–10 of 23 posts
Re: Contributing to Open Source projects
#2Github solved this problem. Everyone knows how to contribute to a Github project. Click the fork button, commit your patch, send pull request.
Re: Contributing to Open Source projects
#3One key difference which the post doesn't really touch on is that when it's a company everyone's interests are more closely aligned (or at least should be...).
On the other hand even if you find where to contribute to with open source you can't be as sure your patch will be taken.
(Although as mentioned on LWN: http://lwn.net/Articles/379109/ it seems Google have managed to fork libjingle, so even Google can't get this right.)
Re: Contributing to Open Source projects
#4Github solved this problem. Everyone knows how to contribute to a Github project. Click the fork button, commit your patch, send pull request.
I was thinking the exact same thing...
Re: Contributing to Open Source projects
#5Node.js is a great example of how to do this right. They walk you through the exact steps needed to submit a patch.
Re: Contributing to Open Source projects
#6Github solved this problem. Everyone knows how to contribute to a Github project. Click the fork button, commit your patch, send pull request.
I wonder if you're being sarcastic? Had you said that to me two weeks ago I wouldn't know what the hell "fork", "commit", and "pull" had to do with contributing.
Git is hardly the end all be all.
Re: Contributing to Open Source projects
#7I found Giles Bowkett's for-sale video, which covered contributing to open source along with many other things, helpful. Contributing to the open source community way easier than it sounds. Contributing to open source code, specifically, in a noticeable way, is probably harder, but not that much harder.
http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com/2010/03/programmers-what-to...
It didn't even take a week after I watched it for me to start implementing his suggestions.
Re: Contributing to Open Source projects
#8Github solved this problem. Everyone knows how to contribute to a Github project. Click the fork button, commit your patch, send pull request.
I wonder if you're being sarcastic? Had you said that to me two weeks ago I wouldn't know what the hell "fork", "commit", and "pull" had to do with contributing. Git is hardly the end all be all .
what's nice about needing to learn what fork, commit, and pull are, is a nice barrier to entry for developers to contribute. This is counter-intuitive since as many people should get involved as possible. But this is more true for things like spotting bugs or user testing and much less for actually contributing code.
Re: Contributing to Open Source projects
#9Github solved this problem. Everyone knows how to contribute to a Github project. Click the fork button, commit your patch, send pull request.
I wonder if you're being sarcastic? Had you said that to me two weeks ago I wouldn't know what the hell "fork", "commit", and "pull" had to do with contributing. Git is hardly the end all be all .
Even for people git-aware, there's a bit more involved.
Most people are probably happy to get patch submissions, but there's some work involved in accepting them.
Generally, project owners want to see a test accompany any change to demonstrate that a bug was fixed or that new behavior does what's claimed. There may also be coding standards to follow, and (ideally) some documentation for new code.
If you omit these things when you submit a patch or issue a a pull request you may still think you're doing the project owner a favor, on the premise that something is better than nothing, but reviewing your submissions and checking that it is correct, and possibly cleaning up your code and adding tests, may end up being more work than it's worth.
Git and github have removed some obstacles to contributing, but there are still assorted details one has to look after.
Re: Contributing to Open Source projects
#10Github solved this problem. Everyone knows how to contribute to a Github project. Click the fork button, commit your patch, send pull request.
It's made a huge difference.
http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/7svak/look_at_5...
It hasn't solved the problem for everyone, though.