Whether you want to build your skills, contribute to meaningful software, or participate in programs like Google Summer of Code, openSUSE is a welcoming place to begin.
Scroll down to explore real projects maintained by experienced community members who are ready to guide you. Each project idea includes a description and a direct link to its GitHub issue where you can ask questions, learn more, and connect with your potential mentor.
Project sizes are labeled so you can find one that fits your availability:
Click More Details on any project to see the full description and connect with its mentor through GitHub.
Have questions? Reach out on our mailing list or find us on Matrix.
Get started with Free Software, now!
And if you have questions, we are here to help you! Tweet us at @opensuse or write to our mailing list.
Still not convinced this is right for you? Check out a more detailed description .
Wonderful! Here are the five things that are important for you to know/do to become a Free Software hacker!
The goal of all of this is to guide you on becoming a regular contributor to Free Software. It’s as much about building relationships, learning how we communicate and collaborate as it is about hacking code and using tools. This is about you becoming a full-fledged contributor to openSUSE!
That also means that the goal of this program is not to teach you the basics of software development. Those skills can best be required elsewhere and we expect you to have them.
We are here for you to talk about every aspect of this process. Introduce yourself on our mailing list (“Hey I’m thinking about becoming a mentee in 101 and I’m not sure about XXX and have questions about YYY”), tweet us at @opensuse, chat with us on IRC and if you’re already sure about your project, introduce yourself to the mentor directly. And even if you’re not sure that you want to do this at all, come talk to us and we will find out together if this is for you or not.
Find a project that challenges and that exites you. But think about your choice carefully, you’re going to be doing it for a while. And while you are at it we expect you to be self-motivated and proactive. This will work out best if you choose the right thing to do, if you build a relationship with your mentor, set realistic goals and if you’re willing to respond to change.
In our community people with different levels of expertise, speaking different languages and having different cultural backgrounds openly share their ideas. That’s why communication is king. We expect you to communicate daily with your mentor, to write short reports at least once a week and we expect that you tell us if there is something you can’t do. Share what you are up to, share your challenges and share what you have learned. Open, honest and prompt communication is the key to success!
Make your code readable and understandable by everyone else in the project. Document code that isn’t obvious. Commit your code early, commit often. Get your code reviewed and review code of others as often as you can. Make sure everyone can use, share, study, modify, and share modified versions of what you produce.
Accept that there are different ways to work and different goals for people. Respect people and their contributions, respect other opinions and beliefs. Listen to arguments and address problems in a constructive and open way. A diverse community based on mutual respect is the base for a creative and productive environment.
Rancher is a complete software stack for teams adopting containers. It addresses the operational and security challenges of managing multiple Kubernetes clusters, while providing DevOps teams with integrated tools for running containerized workloads.
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Uyuni is a configuration and infrastructure management tool that saves you time and headaches when you have to manage and update tens, hundreds or even thousands of machines. Uyuni is a fork of Spacewalk that leverages Salt, React, Cobbler and containers to modernize it. Our documentation is written in AsciiDoc with the Antora toolchain and managed as code (in a git repository, with pull requests, reviews, etc). Uyuni is the upstream for SUSE Manager.
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In this section, we list all projects that do not fit in one of the other areas.
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Open source grows when experienced contributors invest in the next generation of developers. Mentoring through openSUSE is a chance to share your expertise, shape the future of projects you care about, and welcome new voices into the community.
Whether you can guide someone through a small bug fix or supervise a full GSoC project, your time makes a real difference.
Being a mentor requires your time, a clear vision of your project and good organization skills. We carefully compiled some tips, tricks and guidelines for mentoring into our mentor guidelines . Please read this for more information about being a mentor.
Here is our guide for mentors — what we think matters, our best practices, and the qualities we value.
Put the mentee’s needs first. Understand their personality, background, and circumstances. Mentoring is about helping them grow, not about filling your project’s backlog.
The most important goal is a relationship based on trust and respect. This does not just happen — it takes ongoing effort, especially early on. Have fun together. That is what makes this sustainable.
Free software development is as much about community behavior and communication as it is about code. Lead by example. Be aware that your mentee will learn habits from you — make them good ones.
Work with your mentee to define clear, achievable goals. A solid plan provides direction and prevents the overwhelming feeling of entering a large project. You are the expert — make sure the goals are technically sound and realistic.
Set regular milestones that you review together. Short, frequent check-ins (daily if possible) build consistency and help address obstacles early. Celebrate progress along the way.
openSUSE is one of the largest and most diverse free software projects. We have structures, processes, and infrastructure built from years of experience welcoming new contributors. Make full use of this environment.
Plans change. Adapt your milestones, timeline, and approach as needed. Help your mentee learn to respond to change constructively.
You are not alone. Share your experience and challenges with other openSUSE mentors. Work together openly and transparently.
Mentoring takes time, effort, and patience. You will explain things that seem obvious to you more than once. If you are not sure you can commit, it is better to wait.
On the other hand — mentoring gives you the satisfaction of being a positive influence, seeing a new contributor grow, and sometimes making a friend for life.
This guide is not a rulebook. There are many great resources on mentoring out there. Read widely and develop your own style.
Contact us to get your project listed on our site
Add issues for your project to our repository
Label your issues with your projects name and assign yourself
When students get in touch with you in the issue, get them started
