From Cracked Software to Contributing Code: My Open Source Journey
How a dusty old laptop, Puppy Linux, and a bit of curiosity led me to the Fedora Project and an Outreachy internship.
My journey into open source started with a slow, second-hand laptop I needed for school. I couldn’t afford an upgrade, so I went searching for a lightweight solution and discovered Puppy Linux, a tiny distro designed for low-spec machines.
That one decision changed everything. My old laptop ran faster than ever, and I was introduced to the world of Linux, open source software, and a completely different way of thinking about technology.
Discovering Open Source Software
Before Linux, I used Windows like most people I knew — and like many students with limited resources, I often relied on cracked software just to access basic tools. It never sat right with me.
Linux introduced me to a better way: powerful, legal, community-built tools that didn’t cost a cent. I was amazed by software like:
- GIMP — A full-featured image editor
- LibreOffice — A complete office suite
- Blender — Industry-grade 3D modeling software
All free. All open source. All made possible by people who believed in shared knowledge and access.
That idea, that you could use great software and also contribute to it, stuck with me.
From User to Contributor
I started learning to code, experimenting with different tools and distros. Eventually, I became a daily Fedora user and fell in love with its polish, stability, and developer focus.
So when I came across the Outreachy internship program and saw an open role with Fedora, I knew I had to go for it.
During the contribution period, I got involved with Fedora’s Release Schedule Planner, a backend tool that helps coordinate Fedora’s release milestones. I reviewed the repo and started contributing as much as I could.
I was surprised by how quickly I went from “just a user” to “contributor with a say” even before I had officially become an Outreachy intern.
Looking Ahead
I’ve officially started my internship with Fedora as part of Outreachy’s June — August 2025 cycle. Over the next few months, I’ll be working on improving the release planning tool, cleaning up the codebase, and documenting the system to make it more accessible to new contributors.
If you’ve ever thought about contributing to open source but weren’t sure where to start: start small. Find a project you actually use. Read the docs. Fix a typo. Ask a question. The barrier is lower than you think.
And if you’re a student or early-career developer from an underrepresented background — apply to Outreachy. It changed my trajectory, and it might change yours too.