Open Source Workshop

The Open Source Workshop: a hands-on introduction to the tools of open source development
This workshop is running September 20th from 6:30-9:30pm at MIT as part of SIPB's Fall 2011 Cluedump series.

Audience: anyone interested in getting started contributing to open source projects (in any capacity, including code, documentation, artwork, translations, and more). Additionally, the tools and skills we'll cover are universally useful and aren't typically taught in school, so anyone with an interest in the material is welcome and encouraged to attend!



Want to contribute to open source projects, but not sure where to start or what tools to use?

In this 3 hour session, we'll cover:
 * what open source is: where it came from, what makes it important, and the many ways to contribute
 * the life cycle of a project bug
 * using IRC to get help and talk to other project contributors
 * how to create and submit a patch to a bug tracker for review
 * how to check out code stored in a revision control system and apply patches to it

By the end of this session, you will have hands-on experience with all of the common tools used to contribute to open source projects and will be ready to go out and contribute to your first project. We'll wrap up with resources to continue practicing and ways to find good projects and bugs for new contributors.

 You must RSVP for this event. Click here to RSVP.

You must bring: a wifi-enabled laptop and charger.

Prerequisites: No knowledge prerequisites, but attendees must install some software prior to arriving. Click here for the workshop software installation instructions.

Please e-mail open-source-workshop@mit.edu with questions about the curriculum, software installation, or anything else.