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Open-source is a type of software in which the source code of this software is released under a specific copyrights license for others to use, study, change and distribute the software for any purpose — as long as it doesn’t contradict the copyright license.

The first thing you need to check before you jump into open-source is your basic programming knowledge. This is the foundation you will need to start building projects. Make sure you know your way around the programming language you’re planning to use in your contribution.

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You can't spell open-source without Git. Well, you can, but you know what I mean. Git is the tool that allowed open-source to become a reality. Git is one of the tricky topics to master.

Reading the documentation of these projects will give you an idea of how such big projects came to be; it will show you the open-source power. It will also give you ideas on what more needs to be done and the opportunities to contribute to those projects.

There are many opportunities to contribute to open-source that are not code-based. If you’re a code newbie and still uncomfortable with your coding skills, or someone with no coding skills at all and you want to contribute to open-source, I am here to tell you, you defiantly can!

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You can also contact the maintainers of your favorite package or service and ask them if they welcome contribution from open-source beginners. This information can also be found on their website and documentation.

Open-source is a community of developers from all over the world that decided to work together and build awesome things. When you contribute to open-source projects, you basically demonstrate that you are willing to join that community.

Start with a simple feature or bug, maybe something that is not urgent. Take your time, double-check your code, and test well. Then, let it go, create a pull request.

As you contribute to projects, don’t forget to keep track of your contributions to your portfolio. The contribution you made, the more solid your portfolio will get.