Menu

Guide

Introduction
Checklists
Templates

01What Is Open Source?

Introduction
Definition of Open Source
Brief History of Open Source
The Significance of Open Source
Ten Successful Projects and What to Steal From Them
The Many Shapes of Open Source
Benefits of Open Source

02Getting Started

Introduction
Source Code Hosting Platforms: GitHub and the Alternatives
Finding Open-Source Software to Use
Reading a Repository in Five Minutes
Open Source Etiquette: Talking to Strangers Who Owe You Nothing
Git and GitHub Basics You Actually Need

03Contributing

Introduction
Finding a Project to Contribute To
Your First Contribution, Step by Step
How to Write a Bug Report That Gets Fixed
Non-Code Contributions Maintainers Actually Want
Getting Involved in the Open Source Community
Building a Portfolio with Open-Source Contributions
Overcoming Challenges in Open-Source Contributions

04Creating

Introduction
Choosing a Project Idea
Planning Your Project
Creating Your Project
The Files That Turn a Repository Into a Project
Community From Day One

05Licensing & Legal

Introduction
Choosing a License: Four Questions and a Table
License Compatibility: What You Can Combine, and the Tools That Check
Relicensing: The Source-Available Wave, and the Forks That Answered
CLA or DCO: What You Sign When You Contribute
Licenses for Things That Aren't Code: Docs, Fonts, Hardware, Data and Models
Trademarks, Names and Logos: What Your License Doesn't Cover

06Maintaining

Introduction
What a Maintainer Actually Does
Saying No: Five Replies That Keep Contributors Coming Back
Reviewing Pull Requests: What to Check, What to Say, When to Close
Running a Community Without It Running You
Governance: Who Decides, and How to Write It Down
Security for Maintainers: Before, During and After the First Report
Managing Project Dependencies
Burnout, Succession and the End of a Project

07Promoting

Introduction
Introduction to Project Promotion
Building a Strong Project Identity

08Financing

Introduction
Importance and Challenges of Financing Open-Source Projects
Understanding Funding Models
Effective Fundraising Strategies

09Open Source & AI

Introduction
AI-Assisted Contributions: A Policy You Can Copy
Contributing with AI Tools Without Annoying Maintainers

Glossary

Glossary

10Resources

Books
Events
Open Sourcerers
Podcasts
Tools

Transparency, Accountability, and Community Involvement

Not written yet

This chapter is planned. How to show where the money goes: public budgets, expense reports, and letting the community weigh in on funding. Want to write it? Open an issue to say so, or send a pull request.

NextIntroduction