Outreachy: My First Week

My first week of Outreachy has been a whirlwind in a good way. After tackling paperwork and navigating the unfamiliar Zulip chat platform, I joined a welcoming chat session that showcased Outreachy's commitment to inclusivity. A key focus was on encouraging the use of Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS), which is software that can be freely used, modified, and shared. I'm already a big FOSS fan, so this resonated with me! 

My initial tasks revolved around getting familiar with Parsl, my project for this internship. While I'm making progress, I feel slightly behind because I haven't made a pull request yet. I will give details of my first major feedback session and how it went. 

My focus for this internship is on making documentation more accessible for beginners, so any tips are welcome! 

Helpful Stuff 

Here's a glossary of essential GitHub terms:

 

Term	Meaning
Repository (Repo)	The fundamental unit of storage on GitHub. A repo holds all project files,  including code, documentation, and images.
Branch	A parallel version of a repo. Branches allow you to work on new features or fixes without affecting the main codebase.
Commit	A snapshot of your project at a specific point in time. Each commit has a unique identifier and message describing the changes made.
Pull Request (PR)	A request to merge changes from one branch into another. PRs initiate a review process before changes are integrated.
Merge	The process of combining changes from one branch into another, usually after a PR is approved.
Fork	A personal copy of someone else's repo. Forks allow you to experiment and contribute to projects without affecting the original.
Clone	A local copy of a repo on your computer. Cloning lets you work offline and then push changes back to GitHub.
Issue	A way to track bugs, enhancements, or tasks within a repo. Issues facilitate discussion and collaboration.
Markdown	A lightweight markup language used for formatting text on GitHub. Markdown makes it easy to create headings, lists, links, and more.
README	A text file typically found in the root of a repo. READMEs provide an overview of the project, instructions, and other essential information.

Awesome FOSS Tools to Explore

FOSS Tool	Use Case	URL
LibreOffice	Office suite (word processor, spreadsheet, presentations)	https://www.libreoffice.org/
GIMP	Image editor	https://www.gimp.org/
VLC Media Player	Video and audio player	https://www.videolan.org/vlc/
Firefox	Web browser	https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/
Inkscape	Vector graphics editor	https://inkscape.org/
Audacity	Audio editor	https://www.audacityteam.org/
Blender	3D creation suite	https://www.blender.org/
OpenShot	Video editor	https://www.openshot.org/

This is just a small sample out of many great FOSS tools available. Be sure to explore online and discover your own favorites. 

 Overall, it's been an exciting start filled with learning and new experiences. Stay tuned for more updates on Outreachy!