joining an open source project

[kroiz]

HI, I am a C++ programer and I wish to join the development of some open source project.
What is the minimum free time one should have available to effectivly join such a project?
Do any of you participate in any project?
how do one start?

[RavenOfOdin]

1) The amount of free time necessary can really depend on the size of the project and the whims of the developers. If it happens to be a developed system via which one is fixing bugs and updating new code, then you can expect to be given new work every other day that you have nothing to do.

If you are in a position of responsibility, I'd say anywhere from five hours up per day which you work on it would work. If you're up for it, and if you don't have a job with which to occupy that slot of your day at the moment, wake up at 7 AM and start at 9.

But for a casual project with no co-ordination or organization, a few hours a day sans schedule is fine.

2) I participate in two at the moment, one of my own making and one related to a MMORPG.

3) That all depends on the project co-ordinator . . .does he want you to send an email in with your resume attached? If you're organizing a project, what do you want to do and how far along do you want to see your project in a week? A month? A year? Ask yourself these questions.

[kroiz]

thanks RavenOfOdin,
I only have about 5-15 free hours a week that I could dedicate. so I guess I need some join some project which is in the stage of fixing bugs.