Why I’m writing this
Like many developers, I used open source every day, but contributing always felt intimidating.
Huge codebase. Thousands of files. Very experienced developers.
Eventually, I made my first real contribution to the Godot Engine, and this post is about:
- What I contributed
- How I got started with open source
- The basic workflow anyone can follow
Here is my pull request:
https://github.com/godotengine/godot/pull/115729
What I contributed
Instead of trying to add a big feature, I focused on understanding the existing codebase and making a small, meaningful improvement.
This was my contribution. I changed the length of the selected line!!
Before
After
So i basically changed 2 lines of code.
This helped me learn:
- How large projects structure their code
- How reviews work in real open-source projects
- How to communicate changes clearly
The biggest lesson: your first contribution does not need to be big, it needs to be correct.
How to get started with open source (Godot example)
1. Fork the repository
Go to the main repository:
https://github.com/godotengine/godot
Click Fork to create your own copy.
2. Clone your fork and set upstream
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/godot.git
cd godot
git remote add upstream https://github.com/godotengine/godot.git
3. Create a new branch
Always work on a separate branch. Never make changes directly on master or main.
git checkout -b my-fix
4. Build, make changes, and commit
Before pushing anything, make sure the project builds correctly. After making a small and focused change, commit it with a clear message.
git add .
git commit -m "Fix: clear description of the change"
Keep commits minimal and related to a single purpose.
5. Push and open a Pull Request
Push your branch to your fork:
git push origin my-fix
Then open a Pull Request and clearly explain:
- What the change does
- Why the change is needed
- Any edge cases you considered
What happens after opening a PR
Your pull request will be reviewed by maintainers.
- You may be asked to update or improve parts of your code.
- This is normal and expected.
- Reviews are not criticism; they are collaboration and learning.
Final thoughts
Open source teaches you how real software is built at scale. You learn by reading existing code, fixing real issues, and discussing changes publicly. If you use open-source software, contributing back is one of the best ways to grow as a developer.
Sources
The official docs are really good. if i would have flowed it form start i could have saved myself a lot of time.
Contribution Guide: https://contributing.godotengine.org/en/latest/organization/how_to_contribute.html
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