I am currently learning to be a sysadmin and I have no software development skills. I love FOSS very much and want to contribute to several projects, including non-networked ones.
How can I do this with my skillset? I have a very small (16GB RAM) server that I could offer to these projects as a build server or web host. IDK what else I could do.
Just checking in to say thanks for asking that question. Always had that same question as a fellow sysadmin :D
Now since i see all those ideas: hell yes. I will reach out to the maintainers of the next project that I find that could use some support and offer them my support :D
Since you using the software documentation and creating issues you find would be a good start. Also as a sysadmin you might be familiar with integration of applications into other software which could be useful as a guide for other users. Especially scripting automation for your spefic deployment.
The way I help, as a Sysadmin, is primarily by using foss software in my job and feeding back with bug reports, issues and so on. I’ve raised several hundred issues on Github this way, and try to do them concisely, accurately and with as much relevant information as I can.
While I don’t know what exactly you mean by sysadmin, it sounds to me as if you’d be better at setting up (and maintaining) CI/CD than most normal developers and that’s something that’d be very valuable to lots of projects out there.
Build something that you want. Find that niche that isn’t well served by existing projects and fill the void. Either by making something entirely new or adding a feature to something already out there.
OP says they have no software development skills, so when you recommend for OP to build something they want, make something entirely new, add a feature, etc…how do you mean?
Even without development skills, you can still contribute by helping develop and maintain good documentation for your favourite projects or helping with testing and bug reporting.
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