You might already know what open-source is, what Hacktoberfest does, and what you need to do to participate in it, and that's great! For those confused or unsure whether their understanding is accurate, let me give you a clear (my) knowledge of all this.
Open source, as described in the wiki (which seems pretty apt), is as follows:
Open-source software is computer software that is released under a license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and distribute the software and its source code to anyone and for any purpose.
You can also check out this website for a comprehensive guide on all things open source, from how to contribute to open source to how to start your open-source project.
Unknowingly, many of the technologies we use daily are open source. For example, Android, the operating system used by millions of smartphones worldwide, is primarily developed under The Android Open Source Project (AOSP). AOSP provides the core open-source framework of Android, allowing developers to modify and distribute it. AOSP is free and open-source software (FOSS) that powers the fundamental architecture of Android devices.
GitHub, VS Code, Blender — all these tools used by software engineers, 3D designers (just to name a few) are open source.
So, what does Hacktoberfest have to do with all this? The very definition of open source is that anyone can contribute to the source code of software—whether it’s adding patches, updates, new features, or finding vulnerabilities to improve security. However, it can be difficult for those new to open source to jump directly into a complex codebase like VS Code and make changes to it.
That’s where Hacktoberfest comes in. Imagine trying to learn a new subject. Just as an English teacher wouldn’t start a beginner on a novel without first teaching them the alphabet and basic sentence structure, Hacktoberfest eases newcomers into open-source contributions. It provides an incubating environment where newcomers can explore, experiment, and gradually integrate themselves into the contributing and open-source ecosystem.
But what’s in it for me? Well, if you're new to open source, why not give it a try? As mentioned earlier, open source powers much of the ecosystem, and you’ll enjoy the process, plus you'll always have help. By participating in Hacktoberfest, you’ll learn new things, improve your Git skills, and enhance your communication abilities.
Aside from the knowledge you’ll gain (and the fun you’ll have), you’ll also get a digital badge through Holopin to represent your participation in Hacktoberfest. As each of your four pull/merge requests is accepted by a maintainer, you’ll unlock new levels in your badge, showing the community your achievement.
If you're new to open source, there are a couple of things you can do to get ready before Hacktoberfest kicks off on October 1st.
Familiarize yourself with Git via Git exercises.
Check out the beginner resources provided on the official Hacktoberfest website
Last year, in 2023, 98,000 people participated in Hacktoberfest. Let’s spread awareness and make it cross 100k this year! Register here and be part of something amazing.
If you have any questions or need help getting started, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Thank you for reading!
Cheers 🙌
Karan Singh Bisht
Top comments (0)