first-contributions README

The project's README from github.com/firstcontributions/first-contributions. As one markdown file: README.md.

Read this in other languages.

First Contributions

This project aims to simplify and guide the way beginners make their first contribution. If you are looking to make your first contribution, follow the steps below.

If you're not comfortable with command line, here are tutorials using GUI tools.

fork the repository

If you don't have git on your machine, install it.

Fork this repository

Fork this repository by clicking on the fork button on the top of this page. This will create a copy of this repository in your account.

Clone the repository

clone the repository

Now clone the forked repository to your machine. Go to your GitHub account, open the forked repository, click on the code button, then on SSH tab and then click the copy url to clipboard icon.

Open a terminal and run the following git command:

git clone "url you just copied"

where "url you just copied" (without the quotation marks) is the url to this repository (your fork of this project). See the previous steps to obtain the url.

copy URL to clipboard

For example:

git clone [email protected]:this-is-you/first-contributions.git

where this-is-you is your GitHub username. Here you're copying the contents of the first-contributions repository on GitHub to your computer.

Create a branch

Change to the repository directory on your computer (if you are not already there):

cd first-contributions

Now create a branch using the git switch command:

git switch -c your-new-branch-name

For example:

git switch -c add-alonzo-church

If you get any errors using git switch, click here:

If the error message "Git: switch is not a git command. See git –help" appears, it's likely because you're using an older version of git.

In this case, try to use git checkout instead:

git checkout -b your-new-branch-name

Make necessary changes and commit those changes

Now open Contributors.md file in a text editor, add your name to it. Don't add it at the beginning or end of the file. Put it anywhere in between. Now, save the file.

git status

If you go to the project directory and execute the command git status, you'll see there are changes.

Add those changes to the branch you just created using the git add command:

git add Contributors.md

Now commit those changes using the git commit command:

git commit -m "Add your-name to Contributors list"

replacing your-name with your name.

Push changes to GitHub

Push your changes using the command git push:

git push -u origin your-branch-name

replacing your-branch-name with the name of the branch you created earlier.

If you get any errors while pushing, click here:

Authentication Error

remote: Support for password authentication was removed on August 13, 2021. Please use a personal access token instead.
remote: Please see https://github.blog/2020-12-15-token-authentication-requirements-for-git-operations/ for more information.

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First-contributions

What is this?

A beginner-friendly tutorial repository that walks newcomers through making their very first open source contribution, step by step.

Is this a tool or just a guide?

It is purely a hands-on tutorial/practice repo: you fork it, edit a file, and open a pull request to practice the real GitHub workflow, not software you install.

Do I need Git installed before starting?

Yes, you need Git on your machine; the README links an install guide if you don't have it, and also offers a GUI-tool alternative for those uncomfortable with the command line.

What's the most common snag people hit?

Git push can fail with a password authentication error since GitHub removed password auth in August 2021, so you need a personal access token instead.

What exactly do I change in the repo?

You open Contributors.md and add your name anywhere in the middle of the file (not at the start or end), then commit that single change.

Is there a non-command-line way to do this?

Yes, the README links tutorials for making the contribution using GUI git tools if you're not comfortable with the terminal.

Is this available in languages other than English?

Yes, the README notes it can be read in other languages, with translated versions linked at the top.

What are similar projects?

Project-Ideas-And-Resources, awesome-for-beginners, opensource.guide, Spoon-Knife, git-github-learning-quest, GitTutorial, introduction-to-github, cognee

Which topics is it in?

contributions-welcome, good-first-issue, beginner, community, collaboration, github, git, beginner-friendly, guide, learning, tutorial, education

Creator: firstcontributions
Size: 51.5 MB
Stars: 56.4K
Updated: CommitOct 17
Age: 10y
Commits · 90 Days