Your First Open-Source Contribution: A Guide Through Arch Linux and Beyond

- Fix outdated package versions or commands
- Add missing steps to installation guides
- Improve clarity of confusing sections
- Add troubleshooting tips you discovered
- Translate articles to your language
- Mark articles that need updating

- Edit `/etc/nginx/nginx.conf` and add the following server block:
+ Edit `/etc/nginx/nginx.conf` (or create a new file in `/etc/nginx/conf.d/`):

# Maintainer: Your Name <your@email.com>
pkgname=my-tool
pkgver=1.2.0
pkgrel=1
pkgdesc="A useful CLI tool for developers"
arch=('x86_64')
url="https://github.com/author/my-tool"
license=('MIT')
depends=('glibc')
makedepends=('go')
source=("$pkgname-$pkgver.tar.gz::https://github.com/author/my-tool/archive/v$pkgver.tar.gz")
sha256sums=('SKIP')

build() {
    cd "$pkgname-$pkgver"
    go build -o "$pkgname" -ldflags "-s -w" .
}

package() {
    cd "$pkgname-$pkgver"
    install -Dm755 "$pkgname" "$pkgdir/usr/bin/$pkgname"
    install -Dm644 LICENSE "$pkgdir/usr/share/licenses/$pkgname/LICENSE"
}

# Validate the PKGBUILD
namcap PKGBUILD

# Build the package
makepkg -s

# Install and test
makepkg -si

# Validate the built package
namcap my-tool-1.2.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst

# Clone the AUR repo (empty for new packages)
git clone ssh://aur@aur.archlinux.org/my-tool.git
cd my-tool

# Add your PKGBUILD
cp ../PKGBUILD .

# Generate .SRCINFO
makepkg --printsrcinfo > .SRCINFO

# Commit and push
git add PKGBUILD .SRCINFO
git commit -m "Initial upload: my-tool 1.2.0"
git push

# Search for orphaned packages you use
# On aur.archlinux.org, filter by "Orphans"

# Click "Submit Request" > "Orphan" on the package page
# Or if already orphaned, click "Adopt"

# Update pkgver
pkgver=1.3.0

# Update checksums
updpkgsums

# Rebuild .SRCINFO
makepkg --printsrcinfo > .SRCINFO

# Commit
git add PKGBUILD .SRCINFO
git commit -m "Update to 1.3.0"
git push

# Gather system info for a bug report
echo "=== System ===" && uname -a
echo "=== Package ===" && pacman -Q nginx
echo "=== Logs ===" && journalctl -u nginx --since "1 hour ago" --no-pager

Look for labels:
- "good first issue"
- "help wanted"
- "beginner friendly"
- "documentation"
- "easy"

1. Read CONTRIBUTING.md (or CONTRIBUTING.rst)
2. Read the CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
3. Read recent merged PRs to understand the style
4. Read the issue comments for context
5. Check if someone is already working on it

# Fork the repo on GitHub/GitLab
# Clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/project.git
cd project

# Add upstream remote
git remote add upstream https://github.com/ORIGINAL-OWNER/project.git

# Create a feature branch
git checkout -b fix/issue-123-typo-in-readme

fix/issue-123-description
feat/add-dark-mode
docs/update-api-reference

# Make small, focused changes
# One PR = one logical change

# Run existing tests
npm test          # Node.js
pytest            # Python
cargo test        # Rust
make check        # C/C++

# Run linters if configured
npm run lint
flake8 .
cargo clippy

git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
Fix typo in authentication middleware docs

The example showed `req.user` but the middleware actually sets
`req.currentUser`. Updated the example to match the actual API.

Fixes #123
EOF
)"

# Push to your fork
git push origin fix/issue-123-typo-in-readme

## Summary
Fix incorrect variable name in auth middleware documentation.

## Changes
- Updated `req.user` to `req.currentUser` in the middleware example
- Added a note about the `currentUser` type definition

## Related
Fixes #123

## Checklist
- [x] Read CONTRIBUTING.md
- [x] Tests pass locally
- [x] Linter passes
- [x] Commit message follows convention

- "Can you add a test for this?"
- "This doesn't match our coding style, please use X instead"
- "Good change, but can you split this into two PRs?"
- "We decided not to go this direction, closing"

# Fetch upstream changes
git fetch upstream

# Rebase your branch
git checkout main
git merge upstream/main
git push origin main

# Rebase your feature branch
git checkout fix/issue-123-typo-in-readme
git rebase main
git push --force-with-lease origin fix/issue-123-typo-in-readme

Bad:  1 PR with 47 files changed, 3 features, and a refactor
Good: 3 separate PRs, each focused on one change

"Hi, I'd like to work on this. My approach would be to
add a new middleware that checks X before Y. Does that
align with what you had in mind?"

# Common CI failures:
- Linting errors
- Type errors
- Failing tests
- Build errors
- Formatting issues

# Sign your commits
git config --global user.signingkey YOUR_GPG_KEY
git config --global commit.gpgsign true

# Better diff algorithm
git config --global diff.algorithm histogram

# Rebase by default on pull
git config --global pull.rebase true

# Install gh
# AlmaLinux
sudo dnf install -y gh

# Ubuntu
sudo apt install -y gh

# Fork and clone in one command
gh repo fork OWNER/REPO --clone

# Create PR from terminal
gh pr create --title "Fix auth docs" --body "Fixes #123"

# Check CI status
gh pr checks

# Review PRs
gh pr review 456 --approve

Week 1: Fix a typo in documentation
Week 2: Improve an error message
Week 3: Add a missing test
Week 4: Fix a "good first issue" bug

# See your recent contributions
gh api graphql -f query='
{
  viewer {
    contributionsCollection {
      totalCommitContributions
      totalPullRequestContributions
      totalIssueContributions
    }
  }
}'