Re: [gentoo-user] Want to start open source development

[Gregory M. Turner]

On 10/10/2012 6:45 AM, karan garg wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have been an open-source enthusiast since 2010 and using Linux as my
> operating system for last 2 years. However, now I want to take an active
> part in open-source development and contribute to the society under an
> expert guidance. I am an RHCE and have a basic understanding of a fair few
> things like database, c, c++, ruby, shell scripting, etc. I would really
> consider it an honor if you would guide me.

The biggest challenge to contributing to open source is often to 
understand the social/cultural aspects.  Lots of people have useful 
patches and publish them somewhere, but "nothing happens" unless they 
figure out how to interface with the relevant community, and present 
their innovations in a way that meets that community's needs and standards.

There is also a question of "marketing" your improvements.  Bear in mind 
that every open source project wants to maintain some sense of 
reliability and stability.  So your contributions will be evaluated not 
only on the merits of what they improve, but also what they might break, 
how difficult they might be to maintain going forward, how consistent 
your coding style is with the existing conventions, and so forth. 
You'll need to explain why your patches are good/helpful.  Don't expect 
people to read them carefully enough to figure it out for themselves -- 
give them a clear summary of what you are up to and what are the merits.

Try not to undertake anything too ambitious.  If you do have an 
ambitious plan, split it into small phases so that people can evaluate 
your work without being overwhelmed by it.

In general, expect your contributions to be met with skepticism, 
especially the first few times you contribute.  If people criticize your 
work, try not to take it personally.  Often people will say "I think 
you're an idiot" when they mean "I think your code makes an idiotic 
mistake", so, seriously, if you feel offended, think for a second "what 
is this person really trying to tell me?"

Usually there is some way to answer their concerns by revising and 
resubmitting your patches.  Remember that (almost) every project is 
somebody's "baby," which they spent a lot of time an effort creating. 
They have every right to be a bit protective -- and of course sometimes 
egos do get involved.

In general, most of the barriers you might encounter trying to make a 
contribution at the office apply equally -- sometimes more than equally 
-- to open source development.

However, if you stick to it, the rewards can be tremendous, both 
"spiritually" and in the professional domain, where you will have 
bragging rights, forever, if you manage to make a meaningful 
contribution.  By no means do I wish to discourage you -- in fact, I'd 
say the best way to answer your question is to "just go for it."

You'll learn as you go, probably after a few embarrassing mistakes. 
Keep a stiff upper-lip, be humble, and don't hurry too much, and you'll 
do fine -- there's a reason so many people contribute to open-source: it 
really is quite a rewarding endeavor.

-gmt