When I first heard about Free and Open Source Software, I thought it was just "free software"--- something Techies used, with limited support and functionality. But as I stepped into this world during a college course, my perspective changed entirely.
What is FOSS?
FOSS _is about more than just free software---it's about the freedom. _Freedom to use, modify, share, and contribute. It fosters transparency, collaboration, and global community engagement. And most importantly developers to learn, grow, and build real-world solutions.
My Journey
My entry into FOSS ecosystem began as part of my academic curriculum. What started as a requirement quickly turned into interest. I created accounts on GitHub and GitLab, made Ubuntu my primary OS, and started exploring real projects. Along the way, I picked up Git, learned to manage repositories, and embraced version control in daily workflows.
What I Learned
Navigating the Linux command line interface
Version control with Git/GitHub/GitLab
Server setup and self-hosting
Collaborating in distributed development enviroments
Exploring tools like VS code, SvelteKit, and more
Contributions I'm Proud of
I contributed to projects like wayfinder, helping improve UI design and other projects with there documentations. I also tackled real tasks like raising issues, and making meaningful changes--- not just in code, but in project clarity and collaboration.
Community Matters
Although I haven't attended a physical FOSS event or Hackathon yet, I've stayed active in communities via Discord, GitHub, and Slack. These platform introduced me to a collaborative world where everyone is learning and growing together. I look forward to joining more events soon!
Challenges Faced
Carshed my Ubuntu system while experimenting with kernal update
Faced issues with complex codebases and merge conflicts
Struggled with time management and missed mentor support during bug fix and also faced problem with self hosting server
But every problem turned into a lesson. From sloving dependency issues to managing own server etup, I've come out stronger --- technically and personally.
At The END
This journey has tought me more than any textbook or Pdf could --- not just technical skills, but the value of community curiosity, and consistency. FOSS has show me that anyone can contribute, and even small contributions matter.
In the End if your've ever thought about diving into open-source --- go for it. Your journey may surprise you just like mine did.
Let's connect and build the future, one Open-sourse commit at a time!
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