Interested in Open Source Software Development? Here’s How You Can Get Involved..
Below are some pointers which I think can be a starting point for people who want to get involved or contribute in open source software development 
These are just based on my personal experience and nothing formal..
1. The usual jumping point here are those technologies that you’re already using. There might be a bug or a feature you want fixed or added, or you’re just basically interested in the project.
2. Start reading the project documentation. This is available on the project’s site or wiki.
3. Subscribe to the project’s mailing lists and start reading up on the discussions happening. You could also join the official IRC channel of the project and be able to see what’s happening there. Don’t be intimidated in participating in discussions, the community would value your opinion
3. Checkout the source code, browse through it and familiarize yourself.
4. Take a look at the issues in the project’s bug tracking system and look for things which you’d like to work on. Don’t be afraid to ask for directions or help in the dev list if you’re working on a bug fix. And if you’re working on a new feature for the project, make sure to involve the community in your design. You could do this by starting a thread in the developer’s mailing list.
5. Implement the fix or design of the feature that was agreed on between you and the community in #4 (Don’t forget to write unit tests!).
6. After you’ve finished the fix, create a patch and submit it (may be by attaching it to the issue or mailing it to the dev list).
**Note: Be aware of the guidelines and conventions of the community regarding patches. These are usually listed on the project site.
7. Notify the dev list that you have submitted a patch for the issue so that they could apply it.
8. Get involved continuously.
That’s about it Looking forward to seeing more contributors in the open source community!
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COMMENTS / 4 COMMENTS
Software Company added these pithy words on May 22 08 at 9:57 amhey
Really nice tips!
will try to keep it in my mind
thanks!
alex_mayorga added these pithy words on May 23 08 at 4:08 pmThanks for putting it into bite size steps. I used to wander the Maven community but have since drifted apart, I’ll give it a try for a come back.
Also kudos on the Archiva PMC, keep up the excellent work.
Deng Ching added these pithy words on May 25 08 at 6:51 pmthanks alex =) see you in the Maven community!
Tom Lee added these pithy words on Jul 16 08 at 3:39 pmHello,
I’m working with these guys who recently launched a social networking site called HumanBook. It is being positioned as “a free “Living Address Book” that combines Web 2.0, Wiki Technology, Social Networking and an open, scalable framework that enables users to stay connected with anyone they have ever met.” As you will be able to see, the site is in its beta phase. We’re looking to tap into the open source community and gather their opinions and insight, as it would be quite helpful as we get the ‘Humanbook Project’ off the ground. They are also open to any ideas for plug-ins or applications for their open API platform.
I would be extremely grateful if you could post something on your blog about this. We would highly value any ideas, suggestions or criticisms that you or your readers have about the site.
Thanks!
Sincerely,
Tom
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