Empowering Your Tech Journey: Building Confidence Through Open Source
Tags: webdev, opensource, productivity, javascript
Published: 2024-02-16 16:53:47

Embarking on a journey within the tech space is both thrilling and, at times, a bit overwhelming. The road to becoming a confident developer is often painted as a long and challenging one. But what if I told you there's a way to speed up this journey? This isn't just someone else's story; it could be yours too.

 Let's delve into the incredible world of open source and discover how it can transform your learning experience.

## Discovering Open-Source Projects

![Open source projects](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/mko15vkatnfdzmj5vigz.png)

 Building confidence starts with finding the right opportunities. Open-source projects provide a unique avenue for learning, collaboration, and innovation. The key to maximally benefit from open source is to discover and contribute to a project that truly interests you. 
 In my open-source journey, I stumbled upon interesting projects within the vast landscape of open-source projects. You might be wondering, "How is this possible?" You don't need to worry. I will share how I was able to choose the right project that aligned with my goals and skills.

## Tubilan's AI Copilot and Project Identification

![Tublian's AI Copilot](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ff9ph24tg9dxkssphhlh.png)

When you log in to [Tublian](https://www.tublian.com/), you already have access to a large number of open-source projects under the Projects section, thus saving you the stress of finding open-source projects to work on.

 Once you click on a project, you will get beneficial suggestions and guides on how to solve the issues you want to work on from Tublian AI Copilot. Using Tubilan's AI Copilot, a game-changer in navigating the open-source realm, you can easily get clues about what the project entails, user complaints, and project set-up. Ultimately, this AI tool became my guide, helping me identify projects that not only matched my skills but also sparked my interest. You should delve into the features and tools [Tubilan](https://www.tublian.com/) provides to make your exploration seamless.

## Initial Steps and Technical Challenges

 The initial steps into open source can be both thrilling and challenging. Tubilan's AI Copilot not only pointed me in the right direction but also assisted in overcoming the technical hurdles I encountered. Thus, playing a crucial role in my confidence-building journey. 

 Once you choose a project you want to work on, you should fork the repository to create a new repository that shares code and visibility to the upstream repo. You can create a fork by clicking on the fork menu on the GitHub repo.

![Creating a fork of your repository](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/zo161fc4xfhs9tcp4ytz.png)

 After creating a fork, you should then create a copy of the codebase on your local machine by cloning your forked repo. To clone the repo, click on the code button, and choose your preferred method.

### Here's how to clone the codebase using HTTPS:
Once you click on the code button, select the HTTPS option, and you can now copy the URL of the repository. Type git clone and paste the copied URL. The code should appear as in the code below, you just need to paste the copied URL.
```
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPOSITORY

```

![README.md and CONTRIBUTING.md files](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/510a39ufdis8peo84382.png)
Once you have successfully cloned the repo, you should read through the README.md and CONTRIBUTING.md files to run the development server and make adequate contributions to the project.

However, if you don't want to clone the repo to your local machine, you can open the repository with the Tublian cloud dev environment, which allows you to fork and open repositories on the cloud with a fully configured codebase in seconds.

When you are done making the appropriate modifications to the codebase, you should test your changes to be sure you did the right thing. 

![Testing the changes](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0k787b3kuk56af76gsvf.png)

After testing, you can now create a Pull Request to the upstream repository, and your changes will be merged once the repository maintainer accepts your changes.

## Community Interaction

Open source is not just about code; it's about people and collaboration. Engaging with the community is where the real magic happens. You need to get in touch with fellow collaborators if you need help navigating the source code, and you can assist other collaborators if they encounter any issues. You should explore the significance of community interaction using channels like Discord and see how it will shape your growth.

## Impact of Your Contributions

The beauty of open source lies in its collective impact. How did your contributions make a difference? Whether through bug fixes, new features, or documentation, the ripple effect of your work will echo in the community offering tangible results and a sense of fulfillment that accompanies success.

## Conclusion 

As we conclude this journey, reflect on the transformative power of open source and Tubilan's AI Copilot. From a hesitant learner to a confident contributor, this experience has reshaped my perception of the tech space. I invite you to embark on your open-source journey, armed with the tools and insights shared in this narrative.

Ready to start building in public? Explore Tubilan's AI Copilot and unlock the doors to a world of collaborative innovation. Begin your journey today, and let's build confidence together in the open-source community.