I had never done open source. Then I got a 12-hour problem about catching malicious npm packages.

It was 2 AM, and the author, still at their university, was staring at their laptop that was overheating while reviewing CI and CD pipelines. The experience had started with Hacktoberfest, which had been held on their campus by MLH, NST, and WeMakeDevs. The event began at 4 PM on the 31st of October, and the hackathon officially started at 6:30 PM.

The author had never done open source before and was nervous about contributing real projects. The team was tasked with identifying suspicious files in npm packages, a problem they had never encountered before. The rules for this hackathon were stricter than the author was used to, but they gradually learned that this was the way real open source projects operated.

The author's team was led by Animesh, and they worked diligently through the night, despite encountering errors and setbacks. The author made several incorrect pushes to the main branch, which caused confusion among their team members. However, Rishabh was able to fix the issues, and the team managed to complete their project. The author learned that taking part in such hackathons was beneficial, as it provided opportunities to learn and grow.

They also appreciated the supportive community, which included GSoC contributors, mentors, and others from various organizations. The author realized that open source was not just about getting perks or money, but about helping others and building a community.

The author found that the open source community was made up of helpful individuals who were willing to assist students, even at the cost of their own time. This realization made the author understand that open source could be a viable career option. Previously, the author had only considered open source as a means to participate in Google Summer of Code, but now they saw that it could open up various opportunities, such as working on projects at LFX, Summer of Bitcoin, MLH, Google sessions on docs, and outreach programs.

The author also noted that the Hacktoberfest organizers had shifted their focus to solving real problems rather than merely counting contributions.

As a beginner, the author acknowledged that they were not prepared for the experience, but they encouraged others to join the next Hacktoberfest event and start contributing. They highlighted the importance of seeking help early and making small, manageable pull requests. The author emphasized that it is okay to be stuck at times, as everyone experiences this challenge.

By participating in open source, the author felt more confident in their abilities and understood that it was never too late to begin their open source journey.