The Jetpack plugin code is now available on github and the team welcomes your pull requests. With the addition of Jetpack, Automattic now has 106 public repositories on github. That’s a lot of shared code!
Jetpack has been downloaded nearly eight million times since its debut on WordPress.org. If you’ve enjoyed using Jetpack and have some ideas for improving it, github is a great way to contribute back to the plugin. Your code will improve the Jetpack experience on millions of websites. There are also other ways to contribute without writing any code:
- Join the Jetpack Beta Test group
- Lend a hand answering questions in the Jetpack support forum
- Report bugs, with reproduction steps, or post patches on Jetpack’s trac
Learn the Basics of Contributing to Open Source Software with Jetpack
Jetpack probably has one of the most organized guides to contribution that I have ever seen for an open source plugin project. The team has created contribution opportunities for users and developers at all levels. The guide outlines ways to contribute at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
What really stands out about the Jetpack contribution guide is that it actually teaches you the basics of contributing to an open source project, including topics such as:
- How to check out the source code – Learn how to install and navigate subversion
- How to create a great bug report – Learn the anatomy of a Trac ticket and how to submit tickets
- How to write and submit a patch – Get step-by-step instructions for submitting a patch
- Best practices for WordPress development – Get more information on PHP, HTML, CSS and JavaScript coding standards
Let’s face it. Nobody springs from the womb understanding how to create a good bug report or submit a patch. That’s why guides like this are so important. Getting involved on a smaller project like Jetpack is an opportunity to test your wings in an area where you have an interest. If you have an open source project where you want to attract more contributors, consider creating a detailed, organized guide in the same way Jetpack has outlined contribution opportunities. That little extra effort in documentation might open up the floodgates to contributions.
Disclaimer: The guide to contribution is about to be updated to reflect active development moving to GitHub. It’s a tad bit outdated at the moment. :)