I've been getting tired of building isolated computer science projects and would like to start contributing to open-source software. I initially looked at GoogleTest because it is a well-known project from a major technology company, and I wondered whether contributing to it could help with internship applications. However, I'm not sure how to get started. I don't know how to choose a suitable issue, find the relevant code, make changes safely, or decide where to push them. I also want to understand the usual branch and pull request workflow, since I assume contributors shouldn't push directly to the main branch. What Git, GitHub, unit testing, and project-navigation basics should I learn first?
1 Answer
Start with a smaller project that you already use or understand. GoogleTest is mature and fairly complex, so it can be a difficult first project. A contribution to a project you genuinely care about is usually more valuable than a tiny change made only because the project has a famous name. It also gives you something meaningful to discuss in an internship interview; contributing to a major company’s project does not automatically improve your chances.
The typical workflow is to read the project’s CONTRIBUTING.md file, choose an unclaimed issue that matches your skill level, fork the repository, create a separate branch from main, make and test your changes, push that branch to your fork, and open a pull request. You generally should not push directly to the project’s main branch. Each project may have its own rules for branch names, coding style, commit messages, and tests, so follow its documentation.
An issue usually describes a bug or a requested improvement rather than pointing directly to one file. Finding the code involved is part of the task, and it’s normal not to know how to do that at first. Look for smaller repositories and issues marked as beginner-friendly, such as “good first issue” or “help wanted.” Learn basic Git commands, how to navigate a codebase, and how to run the project’s tests. A unit test is a small automated check that verifies one focused piece of code behaves as expected. Free resources such as the Pro Git book and GitHub Skills can help you practice the basics.
That clears up the workflow a lot. I’ll look for a smaller project with beginner-friendly issues and learn the Git and testing basics before trying GoogleTest.