How I became a member of kubernetes

Got the GSOC Introduction

So the story starts in January 2023. I learned about the GSOC and its upcoming registration date. I went through the podcasts of GSoC participants. Send them a connection request on LinkedIn. I have analyzed the GSOC CNCF project list in depth. I gained the following insights:

Insights:

Most of the GSOC participants have never contributed to open source before. Some of them have just made an Excel sheet of the PRs they've made without even a GitHub issue link. I know you don't get it. Usually, this should be given with a completed project. but I found this. I hope you got the idea. I am damn sure they would have contributed to the project at the time of registration, but they still got the project. That clearly defines minimal competition.

CNCF Community:

I am talking specifically about CNCF projects. I know you would have questioned why the competition is so low. Let me explain it to you. CNCF is a mature and advanced organization. CNCF members are more advanced and kind as well. GSOC is for first-timers, and members want to welcome new contributors with a hug. They would help you in every possible way. So if you get into the community and try to understand it, it would be good because you have this plus point. My two PRs got merged in Kubernetes, but I still don't understand any files. It's like you have to roam around and find some meaningful stuff every day. There is no perfect path for that. and it's a completely fun process.

kubebuilder introduction

I found that many students made plugins using Kubebuilder, so I tried to understand Kubebuilder. Kubebuilder is used to extend Kubernetes' functionality by making new plugins. if you want to know more. Go to their official site. So I decided to create an operator, and if I discover any problems along the way, we'll fix them. I can create an issue in the GitHub repo of KubeBuilder and work on it. I searched on Google for "Kubebuilder installation" and got v1 documents. I had no idea, so I just tried to install it. There were errors. I asked a question in the community Slack channel. They told me that KubeBuilder is now at version 3. At that time, I had an idea.

My first issue with KubeBuilder:

Let's open an issue so that if someone accidentally ends up on version 1, they should know that KubeBuilder is now upgraded to version 3. That was my first issue in Kubebuilder, but unfortunately, someone took it up and merged their PR first. but no worries. Then I started working on the Kubebuilder operator by following their cronjob tutorial. It was a basic operator that ran cron jobs at certain defined stages. I started making my operator. I ended up finding some more issues in the documents and trying to fix them. On this journey, Camilla got to know me very well. I have asked her for my Kubernetes membership, and she is ready to be my sponsor. and I am grateful for that.

Left Kubebuilder temporarily:

I have wrapped it up in a single paragraph, but it's been a long two-month journey. Then I met Tony (Yai). We talked about Kubernetes, SIGs, KubeBuilder, and GSOC, and he explained many great and useful things. I got to know that KubeBuilder is not ready for GSOC. I was sad about that. It was not like I was there for just GSOC, but I would be if it got selected. I kept Kubebuilder aside for some time as I was trying to learn Linux servers and configuration, and I was trying to learn Golang. Kubernetes is written in Golang and runs on Linux servers. So I was trying to go into depth. On the way, I got some offers, but I had exams, and I had to fly to Saudi Arabia for 40 days. I can't have an internship, so I just kept it on hold.

become a Kubernetes member:

I was excited to see the GSOC final projects, and, to my luck, KubeBuilder was there. I was happier than anyone else. I just danced and gave myself a party. I can finally work on a real-world project. Also, I have made a membership request. You need two sponsors to be a member. Shane Utt helped me because he worked with me on one issue. On January 19, I got to know about Kubebuilder, and now I am here as a member of Kubernetes.

Conclusion:

Sometimes things are not as hard as we think. We just need time to wrap our minds around things. If you face challenges one after another, it will always be helpful to get your mind on them. So that was my last three months' journey, let me know if you find it inspiring. If you have any reviews or update suggestions, let me know in the comment section. If you need any advice or have any queries, ping me on LinkedIn or Twitter. If you are an open-source developer, let's collaborate and make some impact on real-world projects. Till then by...